It's Virtually the Holidays

12/8/2020 (Permalink)

Happy Holidays!

As we came out of our first month donning the world of virtual family gatherings, we step into a second month of those possibilities. Many of us find ourselves questioning how we are going to make the festivities we celebrate in December feel joyous. We find ourselves struggling with what it will all look like, how the logistics need to line up and work out, and it's causing additional holiday stress. 

As we have been organizing things with our families we have pondered many questions. How? When? Will we have a meal together somehow? Open gifts? Share some spirits? What platform will we use? How much time do we need to set aside? How are we going to feel?

Keep this in mind. The season is meant to bring cheer, don't lose sight of that. Try not to stress all the little details of your time together, they will fall into place. You will ultimately feel what you want.

As someone who is adjusting to their best friend moving thousands of miles away during a pandemic (making it impossible to physically visit), we have learned how to make things seem more like we are still together. Here are some suggestions to make it feel a little more "normal".

• Virtually bake together
• Prepare a meal together
• Build a gingerbread house together
• Watch a movie together (we stream and try to just start at the same time)
• Open gifts together on a video platform
  • Take turns opening them
  • Host a virtual secret santa
• Cheers a virtual drink the same way
• Setup a video gaming campaign

There are several video chatting services available. FaceTime, Facebook video, Alexa Show, Zoom, Teams, and Google connect are just a few. 

Remember, it's a time for cheer. We hope you all have happy holidays, however possible!