Our large family typically begins talking about the fall/winter holidays and long weekends at the end of the summer, but his year we can only imagine what these special days might be like during a pandemic--what will we do?
Flexibility
As a planner, flexibility is not my best trait--I like to know what's going on and how it will go, but pandemic days require both careful planning and flexibility. We really don't know what's going to happen this fall in terms of our personal health and the health of those we love. We can plan ahead however in the following ways:
- Get a flu shot by the end of September. I had the flu once--it was terrible, and flu + COVID19 could definitely be deadly. Be prepared.
- If you have close relatives who will be visiting during the holidays, plan to have them get tested before they visit. I did that this summer before my sons visited, and the fact that they had negative COVID19 tests gave me comfort.
- Plan and prepare ahead--it's likely that last-minute shopping or preparation will be stifled by restrictions with regard to numbers of people in the stores and potentially access to celebration foods, gifts, and other items.
- Have alternate plans--plan to be flexible and to expect your plans to change in multiple ways. Don't sweat the small changes.
Outdoor Adventures
Think ahead about how your extended family might gather for outdoor events. Perhaps you'll plan an outdoor hike, cross country skiing, or snow-bowl day of adventurous activities. It's likely that rather than one big gathering of lots of family members, you'll have smaller, more intimate gatherings with small groups of family members. So instead of a one-day holiday celebration perhaps your Thanksgiving becomes a month-long celebration with multiple dinners with small numbers of people.
Gifts
It's unlikely that we'll have the typical Yankee swap this year, but instead we can think of creative alternatives. One idea might be to choose names and send a party-in-a-box gift pack to the family you choose with hopes that they'll open the package on the holiday. Another idea is to set up the big screen with elderly family members and let them open their presents for the entire family to see online via ZOOM or another tech share venue. An entire family can decide to support a specific charity or plan a vacation to share post-COVID. This holiday season will need to include lots of creativity.
Sports and Arts Events
The typical high school football games will likely be postponed, so you might want to replace that with a family triathlon or some other kind of safe, team sport activity or tournament that you partake in via real time or online. You could also host virtual family contests such as best holiday cookie taste contest where each family sends a cookie tray to every other family, and you have a ZOOM tasting party. You could have a gingerbread house contest, share the creations online, and vote for the most creative, most beautiful, and even the most delicious. There are countless ways you can create happy, celebratory events that bring families and friends together despite pandemic limitations.
Think ahead
Think ahead about the holidays with the focus of bringing cheer, developing intimacy, and taking care of one another. It may be a rough season ahead, and it's good to think ahead about how we'll be safe, happy, and supportive during that time.