Between Hannukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, December is packed with holidays to celebrate. Not to mention New Year’s Eve as well. Typically, this would be a time for family and friends to gather together for parties and activities. However, this year is a little different. It is still recommended that families stay home as much as possible and stick with only those whom they have been quarantining with.
But this doesn’t have to put a damper on holiday festivities. There are still plenty of ways that HOA communities can celebrate, as long as they put proper precautions in place:
- Have a virtual cookie exchange. If your neighborhood always holds a cookie party, do it a little differently this year. Families can share their favorite cookie recipes online so others can make them in their own homes and grow their recipe collections. The HOA could also have a cookie decorating contest where members submit pictures of their creations.
- Go caroling online. Since you can’t go door-to-door or have large groups get together, have families submit videos of themselves singing their favorite holiday song and put them all together in an online video. The HOA could also hold an online celebration where each family takes a turn singing. Another option is for families to go separately from house to house and sing from the sidewalk or driveway.
- String up plenty of lights. Holiday lights and decorations are a great way to get people in the spirit. Encourage homeowners to decorate outside and hang up lights. Then members can walk or drive through the neighborhood and see all of the sights. The HOA could hold a decorating contest for this as well.
- Host a toy drive. Many families are still struggling this holiday season. Collect toys for children of all ages to donate to a local organization, or even if there are families in need within your own neighborhood. They could privately email the board if they need help, and the board could arrange a drop-off.
- Have a drive-in movie. Instead of everyone gathering on the lawn near the clubhouse to watch a movie, they can stay in their own car in the parking lot and watch while safely distanced. If there is a lot of interest, reservations can be made online for a particular night, and the association can do several showings.
Families can also take advantage of online platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams to virtually get together with loved ones. Send the ingredients to make grandma’s favorite cookies ahead of time, then make them “together” while chatting online. Or, do a contactless gift exchange by leaving presents on the porch and talking while at a safe distance apart.
Staying apart to stay safe this year can be hard on a lot of people, but hopefully next year will be different. Keep a positive attitude and support one another as best as possible, because everyone is in this together. If your HOA needs help with planning, communication, budgeting, or other tasks, contact a reputable property management company like Kuester.
