Updated: November 2023
I’ve often been abroad during the holidays and found other ways to feel connected to my family back home. And now, in a multi-cultural marriage (my partner is South African), there’s no way to be with all of our friends or family at the same time.
It’s all about adapting and focusing on the good.
While spending holidays apart looks different, and we can’t always physically be with family and friends, other ways exist to come together. I know that being away from family is not easy, but with a few adjustments, we can still capture all that magic and nostalgia of the holidays.
So, for those of you who are celebrating the holidays away from loved ones, I’ve come up with a list of things to do with your friends and family to feel closer than ever.
Create a Family Recipe
One of my favorite things about the holidays is all the baking and delicious food. Find a recipe (it can be one that’s been passed down for generations or something completely new) and make it together over a video call!
As you create the dish from scratch, follow the recipe together, and catch up on life. You can bounce off questions and show your progress as you go!
Want some recipe inspo? Check out this European Christmas Market Food you can make at home!
Get Happy Hour Going
Many of us participated in virtual Happy Hour during those quarantine years… now is the time to put a holiday spin on it!
Whether eggnog is your drink of choice, you’d like a (boozy) hot chocolate or mulled wine, or just a simple glass of your favorite wine—feel free to put a seasonal twist on your beverage.
Pour a glass and Facetime that bestie across the pond!
This glühwein (German mulled wine) recipe is a super easy recipe that’s perfect for the holidays. Plus, you might already have the ingredients on hand!
Play Games
Put your game face on and find an activity you can play with the whole family. The Monopoly App allows you to play virtually with up to 4 players. Though they’re marketed as “Team Building” games, Watson Adventures creates fun virtual games with a Zoom host. Check out their “Around the World” scavenger hunt!
Have a Meal Delivered
Not in the mood to cook? Coordinate with your loved ones when you can have a meal delivered to their house. You can support a local restaurant in their area or consider having an assortment of cookies (or something similar) sent to them!
Movie Watching Party
I’m a big fan of holiday movies and every year make my way through the ultimate holiday movie watch list. Take your pick from this list and hit play at the same time!
- Meet Me in St. Louis
- Home Alone
- Love Actually
- The Holiday
- Sleepless in Seattle
- The Santa Clause
- Christmas with the Kranks
- Deck the Halls
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Last Christmas
- The Family Stone
- The Polar Express
- Elf
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Miracle on 34th Street
Family Story Time
Set the mood by lighting a few logs in the fireplace, cozy up in some blankets, and grab a warm drink. Then, start a video conference on Zoom or Facetime.
Share stories with your friends and family about your favorite memories from past holidays, OR just favorite stories from over the years!
This is a special way to honor those who are no longer with you and let their memory live on, too. 🙂
Matching Pajamas
I’m a big supporter of matching Christmas pajamas! Here are a few fun sets to consider:
Gingerbread Decorating Contest
Nothing says the holidays quite like a little cheerful competition.
I love a cookie or gingerbread house decorating contest! Whether you want to sprinkle your sugar cookies with rainbow jimmies or you’re building a mansion out of gingerbread, cookie decorating is always a fun (and delicious) activity that you can do apart and come together at the voting polls.
Create a Holiday Playlist
Have you considered co-creating a playlist together? Whether you want all holiday songs or just favorite tracks, even though you can’t be together, you can still jam to the same tunes.
Secret Santa
This takes a bit of coordination and planning, but set up a Secret Santa gift exchange with your friends and family and ship them something sweet! Here’s a free Secret Santa name picker.
The best part is most online stores offer gift wrapping and free delivery!
Need some inspo? Check out all of my holiday gift guides:
- Holiday Travel Gift Guide for 2023
- The Ultimate Blogger Gift Guide
- Holiday Gift Guide for Dog Lovers
- Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for Travelers
- The Ultimate Travel Gift Guide for Men
- The Ultimate Travel Gift Guide for Women
- Holiday Gift Guide from Small Businesses
- Business Travel Gift Guide for the Girl Boss
- The Ultimate Home and Kitchen Gift Guide
Make Ornaments
Salt dough ornaments are perfect for the occasion — you need flour, salt, water, and paint. Cut out your preferred shape with a cookie cutter, decorate, and leave it out to dry!
Or, you can find some super cute hand-stitch ornament kits and easy macrame ornament kits on Etsy! Buy them and make them together over a video chat!
Here are some cute kits on Etsy!
What ideas do you have for celebrating Christmas apart? Let me know in the comments below!
Great ideas! We settled on a virtual family cocktail hour for Christmas since we won’t all be together this year.
That sounds lovely, Janet!
An amazing tour of Christmas virtuality.
Makes a great time to spend and this year is a little bit of Sadness due to Covid-19.
Prayers are there for all.
Makes the best time to spend Christmas in doors this year 2020.
Thanks.
I’m glad you found this helpful! It’s definitely a different year but happy holidays!