The holidays are upon us, and this year may feel different than others due to social distancing and travel restrictions. While safety is important, there are still creative ways to spread holiday cheer and celebrate with your loved ones. Whether you’re looking to say hello to far-away friends & family or find fun activities for those that you’re quarantining with, we hope that this list will help spark some joy during this time of year!

Social distancing holiday ideas:

• Cheers to a virtual holiday party & drink swap

Usually, this time of year would call for grabbing drinks with friends and discussing holiday plans. This is the perfect opportunity to spice up old traditions and gather all of your friends in a video call to catch up! Make it fun by dressing in holiday sweaters and mixing up a festive holiday drink in your Camden kitchen. Swap those drink recipes with the group and you've got yourself a party!  

• Host a holiday movie virtual watch party

Elf, The Grinch, and It’s a Wonderful Life are among some of the holiday classics that we love to watch this time of year. Have each of your friends pick their favorite and take turns every week via Zoom or Skype watching that movie! While you’re watching, grab a snack and watch your friends’ reactions to their favorite scenes or quote your favorite lines together. 

• Enjoy the local holiday lights 

Drive-through holiday lights are always a fun way to get into the holiday spirit, and this year, it’s a perfect way to spend time with others while staying in the safety of your car. Find out what places are hosting drive-through light shows near you and set a date! If you live in a Camden community near Charlotte, NC, check out these must-see holiday light displays!

• Be a secret (virtual) Santa

Gift gifting is a classic part of every holiday, although during these times, it may be difficult to buy each friend or family member a present. Mix things up with a virtual Secret Santa! Have someone randomly assign names in the group and send your assigned person a gift through an online shopping retailer so that it’s anonymous. You can even set up a video call to watch everyone open their gifts and try to guess who they’re from!

• Give back to a cause you care about

The holidays are usually a time of need for those who are less fortunate. Find a cause that you care about and figure out what they are most in need of! These donations don’t have to consist of monetary donations; there are plenty of places that will accept gently used clothing, canned goods, or books & toys. Get others involved safely through your workplace or a club/organization and see how much you can raise!

Photo courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels 

Stay-at-home holiday ideas

• Have a gingerbread house competition 

A tried and true way to bring in the holiday season is to create a gingerbread house competition between your friends/family members! You can buy kits online and even issue time limits for your more competitive friends and take a vote on who created the best house. Winner buys eggnog?

• Bring the holidays to your home

Decorating your space for the holidays is a great way to get in the spirit! Whether you go all out or have just a few decor items, it can make all the difference in your Camden apartment home. See if your neighbors want to have a patio decorating competition or compare holiday music playlists. 

• Send season’s greetings with holiday cards

Another classic tradition is to take and send out holiday cards! Some smartphones have excellent cameras and will do just fine for photos in lieu of a professional photographer. You can even make it appropriate for 2020 and wear holiday masks - it’s a fun way to let others know what you’ve been up to and can be sent via mail or virtually!

• Recreate holiday memories 

Whether you’re living with roommates or have family close by, a good way to get people together is always through food. Have everyone bring or make a dish that reminds them of the holidays and have them bring it to a dinner or potluck! This will help everyone feel more at home and create great conversation. 

• Face off in a festive game night

Game nights, whether in person or virtual, are sure to create a lively environment in your home! Pick a few favorites and set them up for people to enjoy in small groups. Have everyone bake holiday desserts to enjoy and exchange favorite cookie recipes!

Photo courtesy of Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash

Regardless of how you choose to spend your holidays, there’s nothing better than creating new memories with those that you care about. Hopefully, these ideas will spark some joy in this season and you can safely spend time with others. For more holiday inspiration check out these 6 tips to help prepare your apartment for the holidays or the best DIY gifts for the holidays!