We are living through another Christmas marked by the pandemic and, despite the exhaustion, we can already say that we have become experts at celebrating the festive season in full compliance with all the restrictions. Here are six tips to ensure that family gatherings are safe and a success!

Following the Generalitat’s instructions, which have been tightened up due to the arrival of the new Covid variant, the omicron, in Catalonia, we cannot let our guard down during the festive season. But this does not mean that we have to give up family gatherings. Here are six tips to make your social gatherings safe without losing the Christmas spirit.

First of all, choose how you would prefer to spend the holidays: would you like to have a get-together with the family, would you prefer to take advantage of the restrictions to avoid social contact and stay on the sofa watching TV series? Whatever kind of Christmas you want to experience, use your imagination. If there is one thing we have in our favour, it is that technology makes it easier for us to live with social distance. 

1. Find a way to meet others, even if not physically. The point is to spend time together and enjoy each other’s company. Although social distance does not allow us to be together in person, we can find alternatives to keep the party going. Getting together via video call is a cheap, quick and easy way to bring the whole family together, regardless of where they are. For grandpa and grandma, we can help them set up the computer or mobile phone so that they can enjoy the family get-together more than anyone else. It’s never too late to learn!
2. Ventilate the space periodically. In case of meetings at home, which should not exceed ten people and, if possible, of our bubble group, it is recommended to ventilate before, during and after family or social gatherings. Ten minutes is enough, as long as we try to let fresh air in from opposite sides of the house. It is a task that, beyond social gatherings, we need to incorporate into our routine. It doesn’t waste a lot of time and ensures that we don’t let our guard down. 
3. Let your imagination run wild. If we let our imagination run wild, the possibilities are as many as we can think of: we can make biscuits and send them to relatives far away or recover postcards and send them to all those people we can’t be near. If we are more artistic, we can record a home concert for the rest of the family to enjoy. And, if we have relatives far away, we can easily have the gifts delivered to their homes. In fact, nowadays we can even make a tupper of San Esteve cannelloni and send an express delivery to the grandchildren. Do not put limits to your imagination, illusion does not understand social distance.
4. Don’t forget your values. There are a few weeks of unbridled consumerism coming up, both in food and gifts, but neither at Christmas nor during the sales can we lose sight of our values. Christmas shopping is important enough to leave a social and environmental footprint with our decisions. When we go shopping, let’s preferably opt for local products and products bought in local shops. Let us also avoid non-reusable plastic plates and cutlery, and replace them with recyclable materials. Even gift wrapping can be sustainable.
5. Gifts with a conscience. Let’s leave behind gifts of dubious usefulness that are given as a compromise, to make a gesture to someone, and let’s opt for gifts with a conscience. Before buying anything, let’s ask ourselves: will it be useful? Will they use it? And if we don’t find any gift that convinces us, let’s think about basic things, such as a food basket, a plant, a good wine or giving experiences as gifts, such as guided tours, concerts, exhibitions, workshops and even gift cards. Let’s make every purchase meaningful, both at the time of making it and at the time of giving it as a gift. We don’t buy things to throw away!
6. Enjoy the company like never before. In this day and age, getting together for family meals is a gift in itself. More than ever, let’s stop and enjoy the present with the company of those around us. We can choose more or less sustainable gifts, we can travel to the other side of the world or stay at home watching a series. But, in the end, it will be this magical moment that allows us to sit around a table (or a screen) that shows that we live and enjoy together. What better celebration, right?

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