Celebrating the Holidays at Home

Celebrating the Holidays at Home

For many families across the country, the holiday season will look different this year. But even in the absence of extensive travel and large gatherings, it won’t be too hard to bring about the holiday spirit this year! Here are a few ways you can make this holiday season just as jolly as ever:

Porch Photos

Don’t have any exciting vacation photos in a tropical locale to display on your annual Christmas card this year? No problem. Get your family dressed up red, green, or plaid, throw a wreath on your front door, and pose for a porch photo! “Family Porchraits” popped up as a trend last spring as a colorful way to commemorate the current age of distancing, and it’s sure to become a holiday card trend as well.

 

Baking

What scent reminds you of home and family more than a freshly-made batch of chocolate-chip cookies? Now that you’ve binged every episode of The Great British Baking Show on Netflix, you’re more than ready to try out the real thing. If you’re already an experienced baker, try branching out beyond your family’s signature holiday favorites (like gingerbread cookies and yule log cake) and experiment with new technical challenges like macarons, cake pops, or key lime cupcakes.

 

Enjoy a Cozy Winter Evening

Every Saturday evening during the holiday season, gather your whole family together in your living room, pour some mugs of hot cocoa (marshmallows very much recommended!), and sit in front of a warm fire. Put the screens away, and instead take turns reading from The Night Before Christmas, The Nutcracker, or classics like the The Chronicles of Narnia series.

 

Connect with Friends and Family

We know you’re probably tired of Zoom, between online school and virtual work. However, you shouldn’t let that stop you from taking the time to connect with friends and loved ones that you can’t host or visit this year. Switch up your virtual connectivity patterns by hosting a virtual game night and challenge your cousins to a round of charades!