Best Ways to Celebrate the Holidays with Family from Afar

Christmas is a time for family, friends, and togetherness. But what do you do when you can't all be together in person?

The last two years have taught us a thing or two about how to celebrate the holidays with family from afar. Here are our favorite ideas to make the season special, despite the distance.

We wouldn't be homebuilders if we didn't mention gingerbread houses! This is always a fun tradition to do with your family. Have each person make their own house, then vote on the best one. You can even award a prize to the winner! Can you model your gingerbread house off of one of our award-winning floor plans?

This is a fun game that the whole family can play, no matter where they are. Just print out a few bingo cards (there are plenty of free online templates) and use Christmas-themed words or images as your squares. Whoever gets Bingo first could win a new ornament for their tree!

There's nothing like a good old-fashioned movie marathon to get you in the holiday spirit. Pick your favorite Christmas flicks from this list and queue them up for a night of family fun. A watch party is a great way to include everyone, no matter how far away they are. Pop some popcorn, cozy up on the couch, and enjoy some good old-fashioned Christmas cheer.

Nothing says the holidays like sitting around the fire listening to classic Christmas stories. Have everyone get a short book, story, or poem about the holidays and take turns reading them aloud.

Who doesn't love giving and receiving gifts? The longtime tradition of "Secret Santa" is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays with family and friends, even if you're all in different places. Draw names and have everyone buy a gift for the person they drew. Then gather everyone on a Zoom call to open the gifts together.

If your family is religious, Christmas Eve is a special time to celebrate. Why not hold a virtual candlelight service? Everyone can light a candle and read passages from the book of Luke. Wrap up the evening by having each person share one thing they are thankful for this year.

Does your home look like a winter wonderland? Show it off to your family and friends with a virtual decoration tour. Have everyone take pictures of their Christmas decorations and post them in a shared album or on a social media thread. It's the next best thing to being there in person!

Karaoke anyone? YouTube and Zoom make this a super easy activity to do with your family. Pick your favorite holiday lyric videos and belt out your best carols.

No matter how you choose to celebrate, we hope you have a wonderful holiday season! And if you're looking for the perfect place to spend the holidays, look no further than Sturbridge Homes. Our homes and communities are perfect for families of all sizes, and we have something to fit every budget. Contact us today to learn more!