Long distance family holidays

November 25, 2022 6:28 PM

What family holiday traditions do you have that can be conducted remotely? We're looking for a way to do some bonding with the extended family over the holidays. We can't all convene in the same spot, and I think some are getting burned out on gift-giving. What other ways have you found to be a part of each other's lives for Christmas?
posted by echo target to Human Relations (6 answers total)

Best answer: This weekend, we and a few links of my husband’s family all worked on the same project together apart - we all built gingerbread houses and periodically checked to send each other pictures of the progress and whatever else happened to be going on. Mostly texting but we’ve done some other shorter projects together while on zoom. I asked a question about this in 2020 when I knew we’d all be meeting only by zoom and knew it would be awkward if we all jumped on and were like, ok time to talk. Having something else, low stakes, to talk about keeps things flowing.

Anyway I think part of the fun with the gingerbread houses was the prep too. I sent out a note last week to say which kit we should all get and then we “argued” (not really) all week about whether it was a contest and whose would be best yada yada. It just fills in for some of that chatting you do without thinking about it when you’re all hanging out…

For 2020, shopping was a little trickier for our older relatives so I put together little craft kits for everybody and sent them by post. The question I asked in 2020 had a lot of project ideas - I’ll see if I can find it on phone (or you’re welcome to)
posted by Tandem Affinity at 7:50 PM on November 25, 2022 [1 favorite]

Found it!
posted by Tandem Affinity at 7:52 PM on November 25, 2022

Read aloud over Zoom - a holiday story, or a childhood favorite, or even just something you'll all have fun with. Watch the same movie at the same time. Have one household sing a song over Zoom or the phone while another household listens. Mail cards to each other, and get crafty if that's your thing! Take the laptop into the kitchen and chat while you bake holiday foods. Gingerbread cookies are great for this, because you can all decorate them at the same time.
posted by spiderbeforesunset at 9:07 PM on November 25, 2022

My far-flung siblings and I watch TV shows and movies ant the same time and text throughout. It’s surprisingly great? Reality stuff works really well- maybe the holiday episodes of the Great British Baking Show would work.
posted by charmedimsure at 11:43 PM on November 25, 2022

This one is asynchronous - my aunt got the Jacquie Lawson digital Christmas calendars for me and my dad last year, and although neither of us is particularly into twee holiday stuff, we both enjoyed it and talked about the cute details and how we decorated our living rooms. They’re themed around a particular culture’s Christmas traditions - last year was Norway.
posted by momus_window at 7:44 AM on November 27, 2022

My grandfather owned a gas station/grocery store in the 50s and 60s. He would get all kinds of promotional shlock from his suppliers. The stuff he got from Coca-Cola at Christmas time was wild; it included a two-foot tall rubber Santa doll with vacant, staring eyes wearing a red velvet outfit.

He brought the doll home, and gave it to my uncle for Christmas, who promptly cried upon opening his gift because that Santa doll is creepy. Santa also got left on the radiator that year and uh, part of his face melted off.

Creepy Santa has become a family icon. It’s become a family in-joke to hide him places no one expects and wait for them to find him. Creepy Santa has been to four Canadian provinces and also mailed to Scotland and Australia. He’s been a guest at my wedding and tucked into people’s beds and re-given as a gift dozens of times. It is hilarious. We all love him.

We’re all very different people in some ways, so Creepy Santa gives us a way to bond and joke. Maybe your family could find their own version of Creepy Santa?
posted by oywiththepoodles at 8:54 AM on November 27, 2022