How To Celebrate A Happy, Socially-Distanced Christmas

Christmas this year is going to look a little different than normal. Big family get-togethers might not be possible, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy a wonderful Christmas while keeping everything safe and socially distanced. While people might be a little less excited for Christmas this year compared to seasons past, you can still make the most of it. Make sure that the most wonderful time of year is still magical with our top tips for a happy, socially-distanced lockdown Christmas.

Sort your shopping early

If you’re usually a Christmas Eve shopper, you might need to change your habits this year. For anyone who’s seeing family, it might be best to minimise your contact with other people ahead of the big day to minimise any risk – so shop for as much as you can ahead of time.

Conversely, if you’re planning on doing your shopping online, don’t leave it up until the last minute – more people than ever will be ordering presents and having them delivered, so the Post Office and delivery services will be feeling the strain.

Make your own Christmas decorations

While some shops and garden centres are open, depending on what tier you’re in, shopping for Christmas ornaments might not be quite as fun as usual. But you can still have plenty of fun by crafting your own Christmas decorations. Check out this list from Good Housekeeping for plenty of crafty ideas, lots of them using items you might already have in your home.

Schedule Facetime or Zoom calls with family and friends

If you can’t see family and friends in person, make sure you plan video calls over Christmas. It’s important to see people, and let family members know that they’re loved and missed if they can’t come visit as they normally would. You might not want to plan out the entirety of Christmas day down to the minute, but make sure that you’re not calling your extended family just as they’re sitting down to carve their turkey.

Head out for a Christmas walk

Skip the usual overindulgences and post-Christmas dinner lethargy, and get outside in the fresh air this year. Make it a new tradition to enjoy a walk in the fresh air this Christmas. You’ll need to make sure that you’re still being safe and socially distanced at all times, but even under Tier 3 restrictions you can see some friends and family that you don’t live with in groups of up to 6 if you meet outdoors for a walk in forests, beaches, parks and countryside.

Track Santa Claus on Christmas Eve

Your kids might not be able to go see Santa at a grotto this year, but you can still track Santa’s progress across the globe on Christmas Eve. Google’s Santa Tracker has a countdown timer to Christmas Eve, and plenty of educational and fun games for kids to play. Then, on the big night, you can follow Santa’s route across the world and see the path he takes to deliver presents across the globe.

Take a Christmas doorstep photo

You might not be able to snap your usual cheesy extended-family Christmas selfie, but you can still make sure you’ve got a family photo for 2020 with a doorstep photoshoot. Plenty of photographers are offering socially distanced photography in December, and with twinkling fairy lights shining from the window and your house looking extra festive it’s a great time to get a sweet family snap.

Throw a Zoom Christmas quiz

Zoom quizzes were a staple in the first lockdown, but the festive season might be a great opportunity to bring them back with a fun Christmas-themed quiz. From identifying hit seasonal songs to guessing trivia about the origins of the holiday, there’s plenty of scope to create a quiz the whole family can enjoy.

 

Hopefully this has given you some ideas for ways that you can make your Christmas happy and memorable, even in these difficult circumstances. If you’re looking ahead to the new year and planning on selling your house once the festive period is over, don’t forget that we can help to buy your house for cash quickly. For more inspiration and homeowner tips, head to the Good Move blog.