Welcome to the 2020 holiday season. Grab your masks and sanitizer, we’re about to have a COVID Christmas. This season is usually defined by large social gatherings, shopping store to store, and spending time with our elderly relatives, but these aren’t safe practices this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If this year has taught us anything, though, it is that we are adaptable. There are still plenty of ways to capture joy and create magic this Christmas. Here are some tips for finding joy this 2020 holiday season.

##ad##

The Gift of Acceptance

When someone mentions Christmas, one of the first things we think of is gift giving! Acceptance is going to be the biggest gift you give yourself this year, and possibly the best gift you give your loved ones as well. Accept that this season will look and feel different, and that’s okay. Accept that you can do your best, and that’s enough. All that really matters in the end is not that we’ve hosted a killer party or bought the best/most presents, but that we love well. That’s what makes holidays memorable, after all. So, rather than feeling defeated or pushing against the situation, just accept that this is where we are and claim your power to make the most of it. Hiltonbet

Intimate Gatherings

Sure, you may need to scale down your dinners and parties, but you don’t have to forgo them altogether. In fact, going for intimate gatherings of a few close family members and friends can be more relaxing, connecting, and fun. Sometimes, when we can’t be as social as we’re used to, we may tend to go the opposite direction and isolate ourselves, but that isn’t necessarily healthy, at least not for long periods of time. We need each other. So, scale down that Friendsgiving and trim your holiday party list, but don’t stop celebrating and connecting with the people you love.

##adbig##

Connect Online

Luckily, we have so much technology at our fingertips that makes connecting with one another so easy. While it may not be safe to gather with grandma and grandpa, you can certainly still connect with them via FaceTime or Zoom. In fact, maybe you can plan the first every family holiday zoom party! If your holiday travel plans are thwarted, look up some virtual travel opportunities. Lots of tourist hotspots are available virtually. Check out this list of destinations. My personal favorite? Log into explore.org and watch a live stream of the Northern Lights.

Honor Your Traditions

There are so many Christmas traditions that this pandemic can’t touch, like advent calendars, gingerbread houses, handmade ornaments, Santa letters, and so much more! So while this holiday season will be different, it can also still feel very much the same if we follow our usual traditions. Doing so will create a feeling of safety and normalcy for the kids, and I’m sure they could use that, as could we parents.

Spread Extra Cheer

It’s been a hard year, and we could all use a little extra cheer. If you want to put your tree up now, do it! Decorate more than usual. Watch more Christmas movies with the kids, bake more cookies, go on more drives to see neighborhood lights, and make more Christmas magic! Do more acts of kindness like paying for the person’s lunch who is behind you in line, giving food to the needy, volunteering at soup kitchens and shelters, donating to food pantries and thrift shops, and leaving bigger tips than usual. Most of all, cuddle more than usual, laugh more than usual, and love harder than usual. When we look back on this COVID Christmas one day, may we remember the joy and love more than the masks and sanitizer.

Rebecca Eanes is the bestselling author of multiple books including Positive Parenting: An Essential Guide, The Positive Parenting Workbook, and The Gift of a Happy Mother. She is the grateful mom of two boys.