By Devon Tipton
Staff Writer
 
This holiday the spirit of giving has been very restricted, and for good reason.
Covid-19 has had the nation social distancing, stuck in quarantine, and sanitizing every 5 minutes for most of 2020.
The usual gatherings that we all look forward to over the holidays aren’t happening. This means no thanksgiving dinners with the family, no ugly sweater parties or secret Santas, no new year’s eve countdowns with friends.
Even in these tough times, we can still do what we can to celebrate the holidays together. 
Thanksgiving has passed and for my family, we still managed to celebrate as a family.
We limited our gathering to about 8 people. All of us got tested recently before meeting up together, and we made sure that all the food that we cooked had been handled in a sanitized manner.
We wore masks anytime we weren’t eating, and we made sure to stay spread out as much as possible. 
Christmas is just around the corner, and in case you’re wondering, secret Santa is still possible.
Although meeting up in person might not be so easy, have a drawing of friend’s names and send each other gifts via mail or Amazon wishlist.
Have a group zoom call and watch as each friend unwraps their gift live on camera. The benefits of having a zoom meeting are you can even record the whole event and watch your friend’s reactions all over again!
Maybe even make a slide show of your favorite moments to document forever! 
With covid not really slowing down anytime soon, celebrating New Year’s will likely be the same way.
Friends and family can “party” together via zoom or FaceTime group calls.
Join together on New Year’s eve for the countdown and it’ll feel just as surreal as being there in person.
Watch the ball drop on tv together and maybe share each other’s New Year’s resolutions. Again this moment of entering 2021 can be recorded and documented forever too! 
The last tip I would add is that if you’re willing to risk being in a group setting to celebrate the holidays, at least make sure everyone you’re around has been tested recently to make sure that they are covid free, as well as getting tested yourself.
Use hand sanitizer frequently and remain socially distant as much as possible! 
Everyone have a Merry Covid Christmas and a Happy New Year!