The Winter Holidays and New Year’s Eve are times when many people celebrate with family and friends!

However, our holiday celebrations will undoubtedly look different this year from years past.

To keep ourselves and our loved ones safe from COVID-19, many of us have already been spending a lot of time at home this holiday season and are also in dilemma whether to attend their annual celebrations.

But, it is possible to have fun and celebrate the holiday season safely. So, here are a few simple ways to enjoy the holidays, 2020-style:

New Year’s Eve treat:

Sharing food has a way of making us feel connected, even over video chat. You can encourage guests to set up an ice cream bar at home or prepare a favorite cocktail – or with a little advance notice, you can even coordinate a common treat, like white chocolate puppy chow, for everyone to enjoy during your New Year’s Eve virtual party.

Schedule a virtual movie night:

Who doesn’t love a good movie night? With some coordination and planning, there are tons of ways for families who are separated this year to enjoy a movie together. Connecting through Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party), is one option that allows viewers to watch a movie in sync and chat with one another in the same window.

Game night:

Try online games with family, friends, and neighbors for a fun evening.

Themed dress-up (or -down) party over video chat:

Pick the theme, like Disco, the ‘80s, Roaring ‘20s, luau, around-the-world, your child’s favorite fictional characters… or pajamas, and enjoy the video chat party.

Try a gift exchange:

You can use websites to draw names, Secret Santa style. Send gifts leading up to the holidays and open them together on camera. Leave clues in each package as to who you are, but don’t put a return address on them. See how many gifts it takes to guess who the gifter is!

Cook the same meal over video chat.

Cook the same dish over video chat can allow you to share traditions of baking with friends and family.

While it’s not the same as spending time face-to-face this year, but we hope you take advantage of these great ways to stay connected and celebrate with loved ones!

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However, our holiday celebrations will undoubtedly look different this year from years past.

To keep ourselves and our loved ones safe from COVID-19, many of us have already been spending a lot of time at home this holiday season and are also in dilemma whether to attend their annual celebrations.