Once upon a year, it’s Christmas, my dear.
Santa had finally all the gifts and reindeers prepared, but then he heard about Corona and got scared.
How could he bring the Christmas spirit around the globe, when everyone is losing hope?
What is a Christmas without any family dinners to attend? Let me tell you, this is not how this Christmas has to end!
Together with Santa, we want to bring back the Christmas spirit and fill your days with a lot of cricket.
Now, we know that rhyming is not my best quality. However, I do know how to save your Christmas jollity.
PRESENTS
Gift-giving is hard enough as it is, but it becomes nearly impossible when you add a pandemic into the mix. Whatever the reason, whether you are spending the holidays away from family and friends, are worried about the shipping delays, or simply have too much on your plate, browse through these creative virtual gift ideas perfect for everyone on your Christmas list.
- All-access pass (MasterClass) (€150 for all access) Because you’re never too old to learn new tricks. With MasterClass, you can have access to the smarts of today's top performers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and creators with on-demand videos and complementary assignments. There are hundreds from Samuel L. Jackson to Aaron Franklin.
- Sock subscription (Amazon) (€7,89 for the first pair) Even if he or she is traded dress pants for joggers, he can still go for fancy footwear, starting with a patterned crew or no-show socks. Send a new pair straight to his door every month with this subscription.
- Self-Care Subscription Box (Cratejoy) (€28,78 for one month) Give her everything she needs for a night of pampering, all thanks to this monthly subscription box. Along with a mood-boosting activity, it comes with up to eight wellness must-haves, including bath bombs and face masks, to encourage more "me-time."
- A streaming service membership No one is going to turn down new content to watch, especially in these corona times. You of course have the classics like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. However, the chance that someone already has an account on these platforms is big. Therefore, I would recommend you give a membership of:
Videoland. The basis price starts at €4.99 monthly where you can watch Dutch series and movies like Mocro mafia, as well as classics like The Bold and the Beautiful, criminal minds, good doctor, and the fosters. Besides this, if she/he loves reality series like Married at First Sight, Temptation Island, and Love island this will be a great streaming platform.
Ziggo Movie & Series XL. HBO GO disappeared in the Netherlands, but luckily Ziggo offers lots of the HBO heritance. One of the most popular series, Game of Thrones if available on Ziggo which is the only platform in the Netherlands that provides it. The bundle you need for Ziggo is called Ziggo Movie & Series XL for €19,95 monthly.
- Personalised cards or gifts (Greetz or YourSurprise) (Prices differ)
Greetz and Your Surprise are services where you can order cards, chocolate, wine, beer, flowers, beauty gifts, balloons, and gift cards like for instance from bol.com. Just take a quick look and see everything they have to offer. Speaking out of experience, a personalised gift so small can still be the best gift you will ever receive. Gifts are about the gesture, not how much something costs. A sweet card with a beautiful message inside can be enough.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
In my opinion, presents are not the most important factor for Christmas. Christmas is about sharing your love and care for friends and family. Christmas is about the appreciation of what you do have.
- It is of course unfortunate that you can celebrate this Christmas without your friends and family, but who said that it is impossible? With the use of Zoom, Microsoft teams, Google Hangouts or Houseparty you are able to start a videocall and enjoy the holidays together. It will not be the same as previous years, but you can try to make the best out of it. Enjoy your time together.
!TIP! Me and my family are planning to do a little quiz together via the internet as well. Every family makes 10 questions categorised in a curtained area. Right before Christmas, you gather the questions, and each family host their questions to the rest of the group.
DINNER
And to make your Christmas weekend complete, order takeout from your favorite restaurant. Not only to make the holidays more special and delicious but to help the economy a little bit in this pandemic. Capital restaurants informed that they would deliver or provide a takeaway service if you would like a Christmas dinner. It of course depends on where you live, so I would recommend asking around in your area where you are able to order for this Christmas. Another suggestion is the website kerstdinerbestellen.nl where you can order a Christmas dinner within the whole Netherlands. Or thuisbezorgd is always a good choice.
MUSIC
By having some delicious foods and chatting happily, you can also have a nice Christmas holiday this year. In addition to this, I would recommend you search for some Christmas songs you love and add them all in one jollity playlist. Then you can enjoy Christmas time in a more enjoyable way. Here are some Christmas hits you can add to your playlist:
- Last Christmas by Wham!
- All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey
- Mistletoe by Justin Bieber
- Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande
- It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams
- Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms
- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town by Michael Bublé
- Hallelujah by Pentatonix
MOVIES
Christmas isn’t Christmas without a good movie. I would love to mention all the options for you, but I decided to release those in one big article mentioning all the favorite movies at this moment. This article will be released on 23 December 2020.
Although the pandemic has changed our lives greatly this year, and we miss the chance to celebrate many holidays. You can still have a unique, unforgettable, and meaningful Christmas with these tips and tricks, I hope. Because let’s be honest, although this year has been tough, we will never forget this. Appreciate everything and enjoy the little things in life. At the end that is all that counts.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year!
