5 Ways to Enjoy the Holiday Season During COVID
The holiday season is here, yet it doesn’t feel very festive. The COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on holiday festivities. Many families are torn apart due to both international and local quarantine restrictions. For many, this is their first Blue Christmas.
However, don’t despair! There are still many ways to have a safe and enjoyable holiday season with your loved ones virtually.
Holiday Movie Party.
Nothing excites me more than getting cozy for a movie. Thanks to nifty Chrome extensions like Netflix Party and Disney Plus Party, it’s become easy to host a movie party with your loved ones. The best thing about these extensions is they’re free to use!
If a loved one can’t afford a streaming service subscription, now is the best time to share your subscription, or you can gift a subscription. Platforms like Crave allow you to gift up to $100 of credit! Crave subscriptions are about $9.99/month; with a gift card, your loved one can get 10 months of Crave!
That’s some serious savings on their part and a great deed on your part.
Elfster.
My workplace actually introduced this platform to me, and I’ve loved it ever since. Elfster is an online secret Santa generator, and it’s super simple to use. After you sign up, start a new gift exchange event, you’ll be prompted to add a few details about your gift exchange like RSVP deadline, gift budget, and gift exchange deadline. Once you’ve set up your event, send out invites to your loved ones so they can RSVP. When your loved ones sign up, they’ll be prompted to add their mailing address and create a wishlist, so their secret Santa knows exactly what they like.
Once the RSVP deadline passes, the secret Santas are randomly generated, and the fun begins. Secret Santas can anonymously communicate with their match to determine the perfect gift. Anonymously communicating makes it way easier to get a gift for someone you might not know too well, such as a co-worker or your boss.
You can then buy the gift online and get it shipped directly to them. Or, you can ship to yourself, bedazzled it in wrapping paper, and send it off.
Elfster is such a clever platform to get all your loved ones across the globe to come together for the holidays.
Multiplayer Madness.
There’s never been a better time for video games, and you don’t have to be a “gamer” to enjoy party favorites like Mario Kart or Jackbox Party. There are tons of multiplayer games on PC, console, and mobile that are fun for people of all ages. If your parents never played Mario Kart, I think it’s about time you hand them the controller.
And with the rise of streaming services, it’s easy to get all your loved ones involved in the fun, regardless if they’re interested in playing. Discord is a voice and video messaging service. It’s safe for children of all ages with proper configuration of privacy settings and guardian supervision. It’s also has streaming functionality, so you can stream a live-game and still talk to everyone in the chat.
You can also host multiple servers or rooms in Discord. Individuals can hop between servers and watch different streams. This also means you can host different games, so everyone feels included in the fun.
Karaoke Night.
It’s not the holiday season without carols!
There are countless ways to recreate karaoke night virtually. It could be as simple as starting up a Zoom call and taking turns blasting music. Or you can get sophisticated and download Twitch Sings. It’s a little bit more exposure, but if you’re comfortable, it’s a great way for your friends to join in on your horrendo — I mean, beautiful singing. Perhaps you can find a nice in-between by streaming and video calling on Discord.
Whatever path you choose, holiday karaoke night can be a lot of fun!
Silent Night.
If you’re anything like me, you’re probably not big on parties. Perhaps this holiday season, you’re happy to be at home alone because it finally gives you a bit of time to wind down. Maybe you want to reflect a little, or perhaps you just want to slow down. In that case, buy a bottle of your favorite wine, dim the lights, and have yourself a silent night.
This holiday season, I decorated my room with beautiful fairy lights and festive pillows and throws. Home has never felt cozier, and I’m ready to curl up for the holidays with a cup of hot chocolate.
2020 has been a chaotic year, so who can blame you for wanting a little peace? Take a nice hot candle-lit bath, hop into your festive pajamas, and enjoy the last of 2020. You deserve it.
