Ideas for a Christmas closer to home than usual

This is the time of year to remember traditions, spend more time with the family, watch favourite films and sing carols to boost our festive spirit. This year especially, it’s time to fill our homes with Christmas

RAQUEL MERINO

Friday, 18 December 2020, 13:11

This year more than ever, our homes need to be filled with Christmas because it is a time for hope, for sharing, for believing that everything is possible thanks to the magic of these celebrations.

It is the time to make extra effort for people who are worse off and remember those who are no longer with us, but it is also a time to share with the family, especially as the coronavirus restrictions mean we will all be spending more time at home.

Let's not allow Covid to ruin Christmas! It may be different this year, but it is Christmas all the same. Maybe this is the time to remember traditions, dust off old Christmas films and discover new ones, sing carols and have a go at making the recipes that make the festivities sweeter than ever.

We may not be able to forget about the pandemic, and it would be irresponsible to try, but here are some ideas to put the thoughts of what we have been through to one side for a while and enjoy a truly Happy Christmas.

Let Christmas into your home

We can't go out so much this year so we need to decorate our homes to help us feel festive. The Christmas tree, baubles, tinsel, Nativity scene, poinsettias - and as people who live in the same household are allowed to hug and kiss each other, why not hang some mistletoe in different places in the house?

Don't forget that we can be neighbourly and share our decorations with other people by putting pretty lights in the windows, and even fake snow and stickers with colourful Christmas scenes and characters on the glass. The whole family can get involved in the decorations, and share in the excitement of the run-up to the big day.

Festive film marathon

This is our chance to make popcorn and spend a lot of time in front of the TV with a cosy blanket and woolly socks, to enjoy some films which are relevant to this time of year, making sure there are some for every member of the family to enjoy.

It is always great to watch classical favourites like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, White Christmas, A Christmas Carol, Home Alone, Gremlins and The Grinch (the original from 2000 or the more recent 2018 version). More recent suggestions could include Elf, Polar Express, Frozen, Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square, Let it Snow, The Man Who Invented Christmas...

Netflix is also has some brand new originals to stream this year, including Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story, Operation Christmas Drop, The Princess Switch: Switched Again, Holidate and Just Another Christmas.

Pyjamas for everyone

If we're going to spend so much time lounging around watching movies, comfort is essential and that means special Christmas pyjamas for the whole family! Many shops and hypermarkets still have a good selection at very reasonable prices, and they can also be ordered online from Amazon and Aliexpress.

There must be carols

Whether it's around the Christmas tree while lunch is cooking, before or after the afternoon games or even just before bedtime, carol singing is a must. Everyone knows the tunes and if you're not sure of all the verses, they can be found online. This is no time to worry about whether or not you sound good, everyone loves hearing and singing their favourite Christmas songs and they definitely enhance the festive atmosphere and boost the spirit.

New Year Resolutions

As the final bars of Auld Lang Syne come to an end, the thought of New Year Resolutions is bound to come to mind. This year, why not make them a family affair? It can be a type of game, with everyone writing theirs down on bits of paper and trying to guess whose they are.

Or how about sitting down together for a cosy chat about the year that has gone by, evaluating it and trying to find something positive about it?

It may sound an impossible thing to do, but there have undoubtedly been some positive aspects to highlight. This is a good way to get to know each other a bit better, relax, talk among ourselves as a family and individually. We could even think about ways in which we have progressed and how we could improve.

To finish with, it is a useful idea to write down a sentence on a piece of paper to serve as a guide to these New Year Resolutions and put it somewhere that it is easily visible for when temptation strikes and a reminder of good intentions is needed.

Top 50

Reporta un error en esta noticia