In some households this year, Grinch might be around the house a little bit more considering the fact that most of us are either still cautious about going out, celebrating big, and large gatherings.
Christmas may be a little different this year but, hey, we’ve been through a lot in 2020 and it’s perfectly fine to change things up this Christmas without muffling out the joy of the Yuletide season.
Here are some of the ways you can preserve some of the family traditions, tweak up the way you celebrate with the people you love to spice things up a little.
1 – Preserving Your Family Traditions
Apart from gathering all your family and friends from near and far for a massive do this Christmas, it’s time to focus on family Christmas traditions instead. Things that really matter to you. Food, people, and activities you engage with that are the essence of the holiday itself.
“Even if you’re not doing everything you used to do, (you can) set up the holiday decorations, if that’s really important, or make the special foods you love.”
– Gretchen Rubin, Author of Happier at Home
It could be something as simple as keeping to a Christmas dinner (at home, this time around), or organizing a small dinner outside while abiding by the CDC rules. It could also mean setting up the Christmas tree and decorating it or playing Christmas songs all day long.
2 – Give Presents Anyway
Just because we’re not celebrating Christmas in a big way during the Coronavirus pandemic doesn’t mean we have to stop giving gifts! No way that’s happening in this household.
We should be seasoned online shoppers by now since we’ve had close to a year of acclimatizing ourselves to finding trusted sources for our online purchases.
But if you’re looking for unique gifts and artisanal gifts for your family and friends because it resonates with them, TheExpatFairs is gathering some of the best vendors we can find on the island to offer you some really out-of-this-world gifts for your family and friends!
So, join us during our Glamorous Christmas Online Fair on the 8th November 2020 to start shopping for custom-made, unique artisan gifts you can’t find anywhere else!
3 – Sing Christmas Karaoke
Yes, you can play Christmas music all day long in your home throughout the Christmas season but nothing beats belting the songs out yourself with your family and friends!
If you’re holding a small Christmas gathering at home, set up the karaoke system and let your vocal cords loose. Belting out holiday tunes really takes the game (well…the celebration) to a whole new level. You don’t have to be a very musical family. Trust me on this one.
On the other hand, there are a whole bunch of karaoke apps that let you sing along with the people you love using the sheer power of the internet – yes, karaoke apps!
There’s Karaoke For Christmas, Sing Along Christmas Carols, or even Karaoke for Kids – Christmas Carols. In fact, get everyone on Zoom, roll out Youtube and search for karaoke versions of Christmas Songs, and get everyone to join in from their own smartphones or computers.
Let’s start with this Youtube Christmas King playlist.
4 – Focus on Making the Memories Special
“The best thing about memories is…making them!”
Some of us have been around each other maybe a little too much because of lockdowns and restrictions but it is to our own benefit.
Christmas is the perfect excuse to come up with something different for the entire family to do. Something everyone (at least most of you) enjoy doing and create a little advent calendar of activities for each day leading up to Christmas.
These little activities will create small but impactful memories with each of your family members and it will definitely change the way they think of Christmas this year.
The funny thing about this is that it doesn’t even have to be out-of-this-world. It just has to be along the lines of watching a Netflix show together, baking a cake, or a home scavenger hunt.
5 – Play Online Games with Family and Friends
Traditional games can be played online via video with a group of your favorite people and they range from Charades, Pictionary, Tell A Holiday Tale, to Guess the Object. Competition strengthens family bonds. Poke around the AppStore or Google Play for online games or apps that everyone can participate in, like Mafia Online, Christmas Games, or Bounden.
In fact, you can make up your own Christmas-themed games if you choose to. Create your own list of items for hot favorites like Family Feud for Christmas, or Blindfold Christmas Drawing (and Guessing).
The only thing you may have to think about is the potential mess and possibly prepping of extra prizes to be won. Incentive, you know.
6 – Plan Your Dream Holiday Together
It’s been a while since some of us have been out of the house, what more on a holiday. But it’s also the perfect time to put your heads together to plan a dream holiday together!
There’s something really wonderful about putting your thoughts together, gathering pictures and videos, compiling information, attractions, costs, to get your dream vacation going! The lack of urgency also gives you more time to think.
It doesn’t even have to be an expensive holiday! A staycation or a backpacking trip to a nearby outdoor attraction suffice. At the end of the day, it should be rewarding for everyone in the family…even if some of them may take some convincing.
Here is some sound advice:
- Set up a budget – strike the right balance between comfort and being realistic
- Eliminate activities and expenditure you can do without
- Narrow down your long list of favorite places to just three
- Review each attraction by reading reviews, especially independently written ones
- Don’t rule out Airbnb instead of five-star or four-star hotels
- Get unconventional
- Check the country’s local tourism board/website for advice for foreign visitors if you plan on going abroad
7 – Take it Outdoors
Small gatherings are still allowed in Singapore at the point of writing this article and a limited number of people are allowed to participate in sports and outdoor events…as long as we observe the rules and regulations!
Remember, the rules imposed are there to protect us! It minimizes the risk of forming large, preventable Covid clusters.
If you’re holding a barbeque party at your condo’s poolside BBQ pit, please remember to check the latest regulations before doing so. As of 20th Oct 2020, households in Singapore are allowed to have up to 8 guests.
8 – Do Something Meaningful for the Community
Not only will doing something charitable together with your family be a break from the Covid norm, but it is also in alignment with the spirit of giving! Put aside the racking up of Karma points or posting updates of your good deeds on social media.
Instead, focus on what you are really passionate about and making someone else’s life better.
If you have a project related to promoting mental health, send information about your proposed project to Silver Ribbon Singapore. But first, find out what they need to hear about your mental health project here.
You can also donate to or volunteer for Kuching Project if you have a perpetual feline fever, do bread runs (feeding the hungry) for Food from the Heart, or take some cutie pups out for walks for Action for Singapore Dogs. If you’re a lawyer, doctor, writer, or IT professional, the people at the Association for Women for Action and Research (AWARE) need your help.
Get Christmas Shopping Done Online
Giving gifts, no matter how big or small is a meaningful tradition for Christmas. Your family’s own Christmas tradition could be setting up the Christmas tree, visiting Santa Claus, gathering for a big feast, or going Christmas caroling.
Some of them may not be feasible right now, unfortunately.
BUT gift-giving is still possible!
Start your Christmas gift shopping right now if you’ve not. Otherwise, we have a Glamorous Christmas Online Fair going on on December 8th, 2020 where you will get to meet and interact with, and shop from some of the best Singaporean vendors and artisans online!
Instead of shopping from random strangers and businesses on online shopping platforms/websites/social media, these are passionate artisans you can interact with and ask about what they have to offer before your purchase.
TheExpatFairs Glamorous Christmas Online Fair on 8th December 2020
So, mark the day down and watch our Facebook page for more details as we roll them out to let you know how you can join the online fair. Head on over to this page for more information about the fair.
To make it worth your time, TheExpatFairs is also giving away 3 wine vouchers worth SGD50 each for lucky winners who register with us for and participate in the online fair.
If you have questions, get in touch with us at [email protected] or [email protected] and we’ll fill you in with the details.
