This article was published on December 5th, 2020

With the holiday season upon us, get-togethers with family and friends can be altogether joyous and jarring. Every year, it doesn’t matter what you do, there are bound to be some dilemmas that manage to sneak their way into your celebrations, even during a COVID-Christmas. This year, HomoCulture is here to teach you how to prevent Christmas disasters by staying at the top of your game!

Gifts

Everyone loves gifts! But perhaps we should be more specific – everyone loves good gifts. There are plenty of little tricks to ensure that you won’t spend the holidays battling migraines when it comes to gifts. They include pre-wrapping gifts so that you won’t be up until 3:00am wrapping presents for the family diner the next day.

When it comes to buying gifts, unisex gifts that work for anyone are advisable, and if you don’t have time to go out and buy last-minute gifts, remember that ordering gift cards online can be a lifesaver. And if you are on the receiving end of a lousy gift, be gracious about it, but don’t appear too excited. If you do, you may get something similar in the future.

Stock Up on Liquor

As a general rule of thumb, it is advisable to have your home fully stocked up with liquor from November 1st through New Year’s as you will likely have many visitors over and drinks will have to be made. Families typically choose a central house to meet at and if yours is one of them, ensure that your house stays stocked up during the rotation by procuring the essential liquors for gorgeous Christmas cocktails and salacious shots. Nothing can sour the holidays more than a lack of liquor when surrounded by family members for extended lengths of time. 

(Don’t) Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Sure, the holidays being around loved ones and catching up with them. However, we all have family members that we can only bear with liquor or for short amounts of time. If you are planning an event at your home, be sure to send out those RSVP cards early, email those that have been added to the invite list, and if you have some people that you would prefer not to show up, let that be known too. After all, it’s your house, your rules, and your liquor.

Here are more great tips on planning and hosting an amazing holigay party.

Mail Christmas Cards Early

As soon as November begins, the time to search for the perfect holiday cards begins. If you have friends and family that are located all over the world, you may have to factor in deliery times once you find the cards that you like. Since the holidays are a busy time for the postal service, aim to have the cards sent out at the beginning of December ensure they arrive on time. 

Here are more helpful tips and information on sending Christmas cards in 2020.

Meal Prep

Most people do not want to spend all their time in the kitchen during the holidays. If you want to spend more time with your family and friends during the holidays, a crucial point to decreasing your kitchen times is by prepping meals as soon as possible. When you have pre-planned the meals well in advance, it will give you more time to mingle with your guests and relax instead of stressing for hours in the kitchen.   

Make it the Best Christmas Ever

Note that even the best laid plans are potentially broken, but if you plan ahead, you can curtail the worst of the worst so that you can truly enjoy the holidays. A great holiday experience is one that involves minimized stress, elevated smiles, and possibly a few good bottles of wine shared between friends and loved ones.