With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing this season we need to be extremely cautious of our activities while we celebrate and enjoy the holidays . Now , more than ever we need to be as thorough as possible when planning and prepping for our holidays .
The safest thing we can do this Christmas season is stay at home . Limit contact as much as possible , decline invites respectfully , plan small and intimate events only with members of your households , all while maintaining proper protocols like washing your hands regularly and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces . This may sound like a huge damper on the holiday spirit but truthfully it is necessary to ensure the safety of our loved ones . So here are some tips to stay safe and enjoy the Christmas season .
Avoid crowds , shop online
Some of you may already do most of your shopping from home , but for those of you who aren ’ t , it really is an amazing option especially in this busy period . For those of you who prefer to see an item with your own eyes before you purchase it , plan your trip before heading to shopping malls . This really isn ’ t the year for window shopping or browsing so make a list check out items beforehand online and go straight to those stores and ask for those items specifically . Basically this lessens the time of exposure and helps you get in and out of an enclosed shopping space quickly . Take advantage of non-peak times and do shopping for your elderly in the househould . Be focused , get what you need and move on .
10 | Holiday EXTRAs 2020
No paranging this year
Trini tradition dictates that we have to parang from house to house , but this causes the spread of germs and encourages crowds . Virtual paranging is possible , just drop off adorably packaged samples of your food and use a video chatting software to enjoy good company .
Worship in smaller numbers
Many places of worship have adapted to online services to cater for larger numbers or in some instances multiple services . Choose an option that suits you best and inquire about the options before deciding .
Rethink gift giving
Buying large presents and wrapping and passing presents around etc is tradition , however think about virtual present this year as an option to avoid excessive physical contact with family members not in your household . Great gifts come in the form of subscriptions or valued gift cards for popular online stores . This not only allows less contact but give the receiver the opportunity to receive something they truly want .
Think small , short and sweet
If for some reason you can ’ t avoid having people outside your household visit for dinner – or if you must travel to someone else ’ s home – please take additional precautions .
Limit the size of your gathering and cut down the length of time everyone is together . The shorter the duration , the lower the risk it poses . If feasible , open doors and windows to help circulate the air or better yet , have the gathering outside . Serve in individual portions instead of a common serving bowl . Ideally serve food wearing a mask and gloves . If people serve themselves , don ’ t let them use the same serving
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Tales of safety and fun spoon . This year only , we would opt to encourage the use of disposable utensils , plates and cups . There are environmentally friendly disposable options so make use of those to prevent reusing wares .
See page (#) for online shopping recommendations