The weather is getting colder and we are getting closer and closer to winter break. Winter holiday traditions often involve large gatherings and close contact with other people, but here’s how two of them can be easily modified for COVID guidelines. 

One of my favorite winter traditions is the holiday party, but as much as I adore them, the Center for Disease control lists having a holiday party this year as a high-risk activity. Instead of going to an in-person party, dress up in your favorite holiday gear and try Netflix Party, a Google Chrome extension that allows Netflix users to chat and stream a movie at the same time. If Netflix isn’t your style, try Scener. Scener is also a Google Chrome extension, but it doesn’t limit you to Netflix. The extension supports Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and more. The best part of Scener and Netflix Party is that they are both entirely free. All you have to do is add the extension to your laptop and log in to your streaming service. 

Family get-togethers are a trademark of the holiday season, but if you have a larger family like I do, it’s not recommended this year. My in-state family Thanksgiving is usually no fewer than eleven people (one year, the attendance was closer to twenty!), but my family of four is only hosting five other people for dinner. Due to different schedules, our Thanksgiving dinner will be spread out over several hours. It’s going to be odd to not be able to all sit down together this year, but whether your home is a place or people, there’s no place like home for the holidays.