Ten ways to celebrate Christmas amid Corona pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic is not over yet. People are still contracting the deadly virus; some are recovering while the unlucky are dying every day. This year, because of this unexpected disease, many people have to stay at home even on Christmas day, but we have to celebrate anyway. Mwangi Alberto compiles a few ways on how to keep the celebrations safe.

1. Hold a family party 

The first option for many people to spend this Christmas holiday is to hold an indoor family party.

Instead of going outside to celebrate the holiday, you can plan an indoor family party safely with your family members, or you can invite one or two of your friends to join the party.

But make sure all the invited people are completely healthy. With the social distancing rule still in effect, then follow the set government regulations and just have a small party with your family.

By having some delicious foods and chatting happily, you can also have a nice Christmas holiday this year. 

2. Consider a movie night 

You can opt to stay at home and have a movie night with family members. By staying at home and enjoy a nice Christmas, you can also have a nice, warm, and safe Christmas holiday even if you can’t go travel or shopping as you always do.

Just look for some entertaining Christmas-themed movie for all to enjoy, over a cup of tea or a glass of you favourite poison.

3. Video calls with friends 

If you are living alone and could not stay with your family or friends this Christmas, you can plan to have video or audio calls with them for sharing your lives, special moments, or emotions when you stay at home during this period by yourself.

This year is special and it is also a nice time to connect them through a phone call.

Just make full use of the social media platforms and have good communication with your beloved families and friends during this special festival holiday.

4. Go on a road trip

If you consider that it is not meaningful to spend Christmas holiday at home, but want to go on a trip to spend nice time with your family, then you can choose to go on a road trip.

Staying in the car and opting to visit places with few people, guarantees that you enjoy a safe time.

By staying in your car or having less contact with people ensures you limit the possibility of getting infected by the virus.

However, strictly adhere to health regulations against the coronavirus to make sure everyone is safe and healthy.

5. Practice car safety 

The Christmas travel season can especially be dangerous. Have your car serviced before leaving for a road trip, carry an emergency kit and give yourself extra time to avoid rushing.

Remember to watch your speed if you’re driving in a fog. With all the road constructions going on in major roads in Kenya, plan your trip effectively.

6. Travel safely

Scientists say there is a small amount of evidence relating to public transport, and growing concern that car-sharing poses a high risk of contracting Covid-19 due to the confined space.

This could carry increased risk where people are picking up vulnerable relatives or because there is a designated driver among groups.

These experts advice you wear face coverings, open windows, keep journeys as short as possible and avoid unnecessary travel with people outside of your own household.

7. Make special memories

Yeah, you and your household members may be a little tired of each other right now, but think of fun ways to help set the holiday season apart.

Create a little advent calendar with festive activities for each day, rather than a treat.

Your Christmas activities don’t have to be elaborate—it could just be drinking hot coffee together wearing Santa hats or watching one of the best Christmas movies on Netflix—but it’ll help make the season brighter.

8. Worship in a small group

Christmas is a holiday in which even people who rarely go to places of worship decide to go.

If you’re going to such a place, try to pick a time when fewer people will be there. That will help you stay physically distanced.

Again, if you are going to a place of worship, practice good hand-washing and wear a face mask.

Many places of worship are streaming their services online. You can either watch live or download the service for viewing at a convenient time. 

9. Limit time spent together

After a long and tough year, it might be expected that people will want to gather together for as long as they can within the period set out by the government this festive season.

But scientists recommend limiting the length of interactions, especially if people are mixing indoors. 

10. Watch out for online fraud

Unfortunately, the holiday shopping season is fraught with fraud. While you shop, carefully check that the website address is spelled correctly—fraudulent websites with similar spellings can trick you into giving away your credit card information.

When checking out, be sure the payment page address begins with “https” (the “s” stands for “secure”). And as always, never click a link from an unsolicited email.