Hosting a video-chat get-together this holiday? Here are some tips for smaller gatherings at home that feel every bit as special as being all together, and how to share a lovely backdrop with distant family that celebrates Spring!
Send an Invite
A party is a party…and a holiday get-together is still a holiday get-together, even if you aren’t together IRL. Use an online invitation or e-card service (we love Jacquie Lawson e-cards!) to send greetings and video chat information to loved ones. Be sure to get a RSVP, so that you know everyone has the correct time and login, and offer to help first-timers as video chat can be confusing and tech can be glitchy!
Decorate Your Space
You’ve put out the bunnies and the eggs and the jelly beans, right? Set the table with the good china, pretty linens, candles and flowers - as the florists are closed, you can order online or call for curbside pickup, grab flowering branches from the garden or have the kids make tissue paper flowers. Use stacks of books on a buffet table or end table to prop the phone, iPad or laptop at one end of the dining table. Minimize glare from windows and overhead lighting. Check what the onscreen view will be ahead of time, and try to set the camera far enough back that all members at the table can be seen. Grandma will thank you!
The Bunny Delivers
As long as we can still drive from house to house, why not prepare a little delivery of food favorites? If your family is anything like ours, you rely on having Auntie’s scalloped potatoes with the ham. And if I didn’t come with enough Frozen Strawberry Pie to feed the 101st Airborne Division, there’d be a mutiny! This year, I plan to make miniature versions of the pie in individual graham cracker crusts and deliver ahead. My mother perennially makes Hot Cross Buns, and it wouldn’t be Easter without them. So, she will be setting out a package of Hot Cross Buns for me to pick-up on Friday. I’ll be leaving the small pies on her doorstep in exchange. And when I get to Auntie’s to deliver her pies, I had better find the promised pre-cooked serving of scalloped potatoes! Please be safe if using this idea…as tempting as hugging Mom is, maintain the distancing rules to deliver the goods and get back home. And if the restrictions do get tighter, simply share the recipes instead.
Virtual Vigil and Sunrise Service
Whatever your beliefs, there is much to be thankful for at Easter. Yes, even this year. A simple ceremony to welcome Spring…a prayer, meditation or song shared has meaning which transcends these difficult days and brings us closer together. Gather virtually to feed soul and spirit.
Prepare an Easter Feast…or a Mimosa Brunch…or a Dessert Hour
Share recipes. Cook simultaneously but separately at home. Eat the main holiday meal together over Zoom. Usually get together with friends at the holiday? Invite them to a mid-morning (virtual) Mimosa hour to celebrate. Have everyone mix up their drinks or plate their dinners beforehand. During the meal, keep conversation moving by sharing favorite holiday memories. Try to take everyone’s mind off the current situation by avoiding topics like the news. After dinner, why not play a digital game, like those offered by Jackbox? If you’re planning on a virtual dinner with the in-laws, FaceTime your family for dessert.
Hop to It! A Virtual Egg Hunt
Just like dinner or service, you can create a virtual Easter Egg Hunt by sending an invite to everyone in advance. This can be family, or the friends of young children. This will take some coordination between parents! A trove of good ideas can be found online, but the basics are the same: hide eggs in your yard, lead viewers around slowly and allow children to call out the eggs when they see them. Plan for parents to provide treats and prizes at home so the kids can enjoy treats when the hunt is finished.
Enjoy!
It may require a bit of extra effort to coordinate a special day - and the online experience certainly is a different way to gather - but with a little creativity, we can maintain our traditions, stay connected to loved ones, and enjoy a holiday that will be unforgettable! Take time to savor it, take lots of pictures, record video when possible and cherish these days. Now is a time when it is brought home to us how lucky we are simply to have one another.