31 Oct Celebrating the Holidays When You Can’t Gather Together
Ah the holidays. It’s an unofficial season that we all look forward to each year. The beauty of fall may be over, and winter is coming (for us Minnesotans we know that winter is already here). The holiday season gives us some hope and excitement for good things to come. There is something magical in the air.
For many of us, the thing that we look forward to during the holidays is gathering with family and friends, sharing a meal, and celebrate all of life’s givings. At Thanksgiving we sit down at the table, pass the potatoes, relish in the stories of relatives we haven’t seen in a long time, and give thanks for the blessings we have. For Christmas or Hanukah, we connect with loved ones over hot beverages, exchange gifts to show gratitude, and of course, show off our best ugly sweaters.
It’s the warmth and connection that we crave over the holiday season, and sadly this year is something many of us will go without. If you choose not to get together for Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas or the many other celebrations over the holiday season, that does not mean you can’t connect and celebrate with your loved ones! Here are a few creative ways you can get in the holiday spirit and spread joy, even when you can’t physically get together.
- Zoom meals. I know, I know. Zoom meetings, Zoom events, Zoom birthdays, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom. We are all Zoomed out. But, doing a Thanksgiving or Christmas Zoom meal might be the easiest way to see all of your family members, even if it’s not in person. One way to mix it up is instead of setting up the small computer screen, try a projector or TV screen where everyone on the call can see what is going on at your table. When it’s time to go around the table (or the Zoom squares) to say what we are all thankful for, don’t forget to press the record button on your meeting. 2020 is going to be a year that none of us will ever forget. But five or 10 years from now, how cool will it be to go back and watch a video with your family and friends saying despite the craziness, they still found reasons to be hopeful and thankful this year.
- Create a cooking experience to do together. Being in the kitchen and cooking a meal is the crux behind the holiday get together. Even when you physically can’t get in the kitchen together, try to recreate that experience by inviting your family members to cook with you! You can put together a list of grocery items for each family to purchase, then on Thanksgiving or Christmas eve, everyone jumps on a call together and work through the cooking process together. Who knows, you might find a hidden cook in your family that you never knew about! Another option to do this is to use a meal service like local business Nosh & Gather (www.noshandgather.com). Everyone can order a box and not have to worry about the mess in the kitchen, plus you support a local small business!
- Still make it an event. Even though you could stay in your pajamas all of Thanksgiving Day since your mom or grandma aren’t coming over to scold you, why not celebrate the day and dress it up! You can pick out a special outfit that you haven’t worn in months, decorate your table with the fancy china and candles, or put out a beautiful centerpiece like a cornucopia or a lovely fall flower arrangement. Don’t let COVID bring your holiday celebration down, embrace the joy of getting dolled up and share it with your family and friends. You can even send a pie or flower arrangement to your family and friends who you won’t get to celebrate with this year. Revel & Flourish (www.revelandflourish.com/shop) is doing a fall floral arrangement special; it’s a great way to let your loved ones know that you are thinking about them and you want their holiday celebrations to be festive and joyful!
These are just a few ideas to get in the spirit over the holiday season, even when you can’t physically be with your family and friends. We are all going through a tough time right now, but finding connection and celebration and reasons to still be thankful this year is key to making it through 2020. And don’t forget, we are just two short months from 2021! Happy Holidays!