Tips to Celebrate a Merry Christmas amidst COVID-19

Christmas, one of the most festive seasons on the island! 

It is with no doubt that it’s also one of the busiest times of the year. Every year, shopping malls, hotels, and restaurants are crowded with families and friends who celebrate. Visits from loved ones living abroad bring so much excitement! 

Unfortunately, this year things may be a little different. When COVID-19 took a global tour in 2020, it brought along many restrictions and caution – specifically in our social lives. With Christmas being the centre of social gatherings, how do we celebrate by keeping and maintaining the Christmas spirit in times like this? 

Fret not all ye celebrators! Below we have some tips to help you celebrate Christmas amidst COVID-19 and still having the time of your lives while practising our infamous corona-precaution protocols. 

Online shopping and shopping during odd hours

Christmas is a time of giving. Giving requires shopping. Shopping demands a hustle. All malls and stores will be filled with families excited to surprise each other with presents. While that in itself is an experience, this year, we need to acknowledge that it comes with many risks. Luckily, we have a few options- the most obvious and convenient one being online shopping. 

COVID-19 has opened a lot of online platforms – many of which are on social media such as Instagram and Facebook. If you think online shopping is not for you, we got you covered. Another trustable option is to go shopping during odd hours rather than peak time, in order to avoid large gatherings and crowds. This way you can take your time without the stress and hassle and conveniently shop for your gifts and clothes. 

Having disposable tableware for meals and drinks 

Not only does disposable tableware help with hygiene and sanitation in relation to the spreading of germs, but it is also convenient as it saves time and effort for cleaning up! They are affordable and readily available in supermarkets; make sure to get the eco-friendly ones!

Labelling the tableware with the names of the guests

Label the items with the names of the guests in order to make sure no one uses the same cup or plates. This will help contain the spread of germs! It can also be a fun Christmas activity for your guests, especially if there are kids, to customise their own cups and plates. A station with colour pens, stickers, and other stationery to help them decorate their own utensils sounds fun, doesn’t it? 

Maintaining social distancing 

An obvious responsibility rather than a tip is to still maintain social distancing. 

Instead of having grand parties at hotels and restaurants, you can have smaller parties at home. To maintain the Christmas spirit of care, love and giving, we need to be mindful of each other. Therefore, instead of having a lot of people over, maybe this year we can focus on smaller family-centric gatherings, and thanks to technology, we can invite friends over through online platforms. Blast on your Christmas playlist, great food, and festive decor, along with your loved ones – you have social distancing and a quality Christmas! 

If you are having a few people over, make sure to wear that mask and encourage them to do so as well. Wearing masks only acts as a precaution against the virus, and will not get in the way of your enjoyable time. 

Try food deliveries and online grocery delivery 

By doing so, not only will you be helping a local business but also taking time out of the kitchen to spend quality time with your family. 

For families that prefer a hearty home-cooked meal which requires grocery shopping, certain supermarkets have made online grocery shopping a possibility and you can get your ingredients without having to go to the store at all! 

This saves time, as well as helps you to maintain social distancing. 

Keep guests out of the kitchen 

In order to secure the food from contamination and to improve hygiene, make sure to keep the guests away from the kitchen. Prevent the guests from touching or sampling the food. Serve the food only when it is ready. 

You know how cake mixing could get! So when baking or prepping, make sure only one person does it. Instead of having a buffet-style serving, designate one or two people to serve and handle the food.

Have hand sanitizers in common areas

Recommend and encourage your guests to keep their hands clean and sanitized at all times. You could keep hand sanitizers at the entrance to your house, living room, dining area, washrooms, and wherever the guests are likely to linger. Hand Sanitizers are to be used as a supplement to hand-washing. Practising hand hygiene keeps you clean and prevents you from getting sick! 

Bonus tip!

Make sure to skip the welcome hugs! We know it may have been a while since you saw them, but in order to keep each other safe, go for the elbow bumps instead, or our traditional Ayubowan and Vannakkam!

So there it is, your doable tips to have a Merry Christmas amidst a pandemic. This year hasn’t been easy for a lot of us. So, let’s celebrate the end of the year with the spirit of love, giving, and sharing by being responsible, accountable and conscious about family time, and creating once-in-a-lifetime memories. 

Happy Holidays everyone! 

The post Tips to Celebrate a Merry Christmas amidst COVID-19 appeared first on Pulse.

Source From Pulse.lk
Author: Neriah Johnson
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