How to Safely Celebrate Holidays and Milestones During the Pandemic

It’s been more than half a year since the COVID-19 pandemic started spreading in the United States, prompting state governments across the country to issue stay-at-home orders. This means you and your loved ones have also been stuck at home for at least six months. It feels like there’s no end in sight any time soon.

America hasn’t flattened the curve at all, with thousands of new cases being recorded every day. And although vaccines are being developed at record speeds, they’re still in their testing stage. It’ll be months before they’re deemed safe for everyone.

COVID-19 can easily be spread through respiratory droplets that are then transmitted by sneezing, coughing, and talking. Plus, people who get the virus can also be asymptomatic, which means they don’t show any signs of infection, causing them to spread the virus without knowing. As such, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to discourage mass gatherings of people from different households.

This means that celebrating Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas seasons is going to be difficult. It’s no fun celebrating alone. However, you don’t want to risk getting infected, or possibly spreading the virus to your loved ones. So before you make arrangements with your usual partydecor rentals in Utah to celebrate at home, rethink how you’ll celebrate the holidays and life’s milestones.

Make it Digital

If you want to keep your celebrations with your far-away friends and loved ones as safe as possible, facilitate them on video calling applications, like Zoom or Skype. You can share recipes to follow, so you’re all eating the same food together, or have a virtual potluck showcasing your best dishes. You could also host fun activities on these platforms. Never Have I Ever is just as fun on a video call, as long as everyone does their part in taking a shot. Pictionary and charades are also easy games to play on these platforms.

If you’re feeling tech-savvy, you could also host video games, like Scribbl.io, a fun drawing guessing game. There’s also the Jackbox Party Packs, which feature the premiere You Don’t Know Jack trivia game, as well as other fun games that showcase your creativity and sense of humor. And if you’re hosting an adults-only party, you could also play some Cards Against Humanity online with websites, like All Bad Cards and Pretend You’re Xyzzy. These offer endless hours of raunchy and hilarious fun.

Practice Social Distancing

It’s best to avoid mass gatherings as much as possible. However, if you’re honoring an extra special event, like a wedding or a graduation, you may be pressed to host a physical celebration. Put some social distancing ground rules in place.

Here are some guidelines to follow:

• Keep it outdoors. Outdoor gatherings still pose risks of spreading infection, but it’s definitely safer than indoor ones. A study published in the medRxiv journal found that coronavirus transmission is 20 times higher indoors than outdoors. The virus is less concentrated in this environment, making it harder for a person to inhale it.
• Keep a safe distance. Close-up conversations can easily transmit the virus. As such, people from different households must keep a safe distance from each other. The CDC recommends being at least six feet away from each other. Arrange your tables and chairs accordingly. Require guests to follow this rule and explain to them that it’s essential, so you can enjoy the celebration while also keeping yourself safe.
• No mask, no entry. If there’s ever going to be a rule in your gathering without any exception, this should definitely be it. Everyone should have at least a multi-layered cloth mask that shouldn’t be taken off unless they need to enjoy their food and drinks.
• Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. The virus can be eradicated off surfaces through proper handwashing. Require guests to wash their hands with soap and water before entering your event grounds. If this is too cumbersome, offer sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol at your entrance. Don’t let them into your event if they haven’t cleaned or disinfected their hands.

With the COVID-19 situation still out of control in the US, you should do all you can to ensure that everyone in your home stays safe. And that means limiting exposure to mass gatherings. But if you still plan to celebrate amid the pandemic, use these suggestions for your next gathering. You’ll need to address more than the usual concerns, from how much turkey to get per person to what drinks to buy at the store. But all of your efforts will be worth it when your guests enjoy their time without the risk to their health.