This year has been rough on all our mental and physical health. With most forms of entertainment closed due to the attempts to slow down the spread of Covid-19, many of us have found ourselves sitting home with little to do. I have heard many people say that this year Christmas just does not feel like Christmas. Some have family that they cannot be with due to social distancing, some have loved ones that they have lost and are having to celebrate for the first time without them, and some just simply are not in the holiday spirit. So, I wanted to share a few ways we can try and get into the holiday spirit despite the difficult times we may be going through.

• Make a Gingerbread house with family:

While we may have to social distance from many of our family and friends, we can still do fun Christmas activities with those we live with. Grab your spouse and children and have a gingerbread house decorating contest. Everyone can make their own, and the winner could win something festive like a candy cane, or they get to wear a silly Christmas hat. If you don’t want to have a competition, have everyone decorate one part of the gingerbread house, and at the end, put all the pieces together! It may look goofy, but who cares? We’re making memories here!

• Bake cookies:

Many people already bake cookies a few days before Christmas so they can leave them out for Santa. But make it a family activity! Make them from scratch, and have each person add in an ingredient from the recipe. Cut them out in fun shapes, and enjoy a few while they’re still warm!

• Watch holiday movies together:

One of my favorite childhood memories is sitting with my family in the living room and enjoying snacks while we all watched a Christmas movie together. A fun idea for Christmas Eve is to get matching pajamas and pick out a movie together. It’s sure to be a memory everyone will hold on to for a long time!

• Video Chat with family members you can’t be around:

Whether it is because of social distancing or long-distance, you can still celebrate the holiday with your family by video calling them! My family lives in a different state than me, and on Christmas morning, I will usually video call them, and we all open gifts together. We talk for a while and get to enjoy the time together without even being together. It can really help you feel included even though you may be miles apart!

• Send out Christmas cards:

This is a trend that seems to have died down over the years. A lot of people no longer send out Christmas cards. When I was younger, I remember getting these Christmas cards from neighbors and family friends, and my mom would hang them on the refrigerator. Often, they had family holiday photos on them, and it was so nice to see everyone dressed up and excited for the holidays. You can even make them by hand!

• Play board games:

A fun memory I have of the holiday was that we would always get some type of board game on Christmas as a gift, and we would then spend hours playing the game. When different family members would visit, they would get involved too. It is such a fun way to spend time with each other.

These are just a few ways to create new memories with your family and friends this holiday season and get back into the spirit. Sometimes, these activities could be so much fun that they create a new tradition! It is important that we remember that you do not always have to be together to create a good memory—the little things count this year! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!