festive ideas for holidays 2020

December 2020Concordthe Grapevine

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FESTIVE IDEAS FOR HOLIDAYS 2020

December... Universal Human Rights Month

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many families have decided to celebrate individually, instead of in large groups. Some folks might even find themselves celebrating alone. If that's the case for you or your family, have no fear — there are many fun quarantine

Christmas ideas you can do while social distancing.

Assemble a Make-Ahead BreakfastOpening presents takes a lot of energy, and so you'll want to refuel afterward with a hearty breakfast. Try one you can prep the night before so all you have to do on Christmas morning is pop it in the oven.

Hop on a Video Call with SantaGetting to meet Santa is a magical experience for many youngsters during the holiday season. Unfortunately, they might not get to see Saint Nick in person this year — but that doesn't mean they can't chat with him on the phone. Use Santa's Club (santasclub.com) to book a video conversation with Kris Kringle. The $50 experience includes up to three children and even allows you to keep a recording of the video!

Put Together a Holiday PuzzleDoing a puzzle is a relaxing way to spend Christmas day or night. While you work, be sure to set the mood with a fire or candle.

Make Christmas MasksYou can make these cute masks out of paper plates for a fun Christmas craft. And when you're done, you can use them to take photo booth-style pictures to commemorate the holiday.

2nd International Day of Abolition of Slavery6th Second Sunday of Advent7th Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day10th Hanukkah Begins20th Fourth Sunday of Advent25th Christmas Day26th Boxing Day

Movie Madness 2Recipes 3

Safety 4Coloring Fun 5

Make a Commemorative OrnamentThe 2020 holiday season is bound to be unique — so why not make an ornament to remember it by? Mix a salt dough recipe (all you need is flour, salt, and water) and make a handprint or cookie-cutter ornament. Don't forget to write the year in paint.

Host a Virtual PartyJust because you can't get together in person doesn't mean you can't see your friends and family on Christmas. Send everyone a Zoom link and host your party online. Make sure you've got a few games and conversation starters ready too.

Sing Christmas KaraokeYou don't need to be a musical family or friend group to have fun belting out holiday tunes during Christmas karaoke. Take this game up a notch by investing in a karaoke microphone.

Look at Christmas LightsIf the weather is nice, you can go on a walk around the neighborhood to look at everyone's Christmas lights. If it's a bit chillier, go on a drive instead. Make sure to vote on your favorites!

Attend a Socially Distanced Outside EventCheck your town's newspaper or website to find a list of local holiday happenings. You might be able to visit an outdoor Christmas tree or holiday market, or some other socially distanced outdoor event. ~ Source: Goodhousekeeping.com

MovieMadness

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Drive-In Movie Theatres Have Made a Comeback


Why it matters: Indoor movie theaters are closed, but people still crave entertainment and a chance to get out of their houses. Watching a movie from the safety of a car is the next best thing.

Driving the news: Walmart announced a partnership with Tribeca Enterprises, which hosts the annual Tribeca Film Festival, to convert 160 store locations into makeshift drive-in movie theaters. America's biggest retailer has put on safe, socially distanced drive-in events at Walmart Supercenters across America. The move comes shortly after Tribeca announced its own nationwide drive-in summer movie series, which included screenings of timeless classics like"'Jaws" and "Apollo 13" at drive-in theaters and other venues in Los Angeles, New York and other cities nationwide. Walmart aired films that coincided with the Tribeca summer series lineup. The screenings featured appearances from stars as well as concessions delivered to customer vehicles, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Catch up quick: At its peak, the drive-in industry boasted more than 4,000 theaters nationwide in the 1950s. Now, however, there aren't a lot of easily accessible drive-ins. Before makeshift theaters started popping up around the country

at arenas and sports venues, there were only 305 drive-in sites in the country, with most of them concentrated in New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio and California. Many new drive-in pop-ups are still located in or around big cities at arenas.

The big picture: The coronavirus pandemic has completely upended the theater industry,

forcing most major exhibitors like AMC, Regal and Cinemark to shut down

for many months. They continue to push back re-opening dates as Hollywood blockbusters continue to get postponed due to the pandemic.

Be smart: Drive-in theaters, like indoor theaters, still make

the majority of their money off of concessions. While many drive-ins

will offer concessions, consumers will likely be weighing the transactional risk of buying snacks from a vendor versus packing their own in the car.

What's next: It's not just the movie industry. Drive-in concerts are also all the rage during the coronavirus era.

This past July, Live Nation, the event promotion and venue company, announced its first ever drive-in concert series in the U.S. ~ Source: Axios.com

Drive-in movie theaters, the symbol of a bygone era before cellphones and constant distraction, have reemerged as a popular form of

entertainment during the coronavirus crisis.

Recipes

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Preheat oven to 325º. Place ham on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan and score diagonally. Cover with foil and bake until warmed throughout, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. During the last 45 minutes of cooking, make glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together brown sugar, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and apple cider. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a medium simmer and cook until reduced by half, 10 to 15 minutes. Brush glaze on ham every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 140°. Remove ham from oven and let rest 15 minutes before slicing. ~Source: Delish.com

Directions: In a large saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and season with salt and pepper. When they begin to brown, about 5 minutes, remove from the pan and add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil with the mushrooms. Brown the mushrooms, about 8 minutes, and then add the shallots, garlic, rosemary and chili flakes and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return the beans to the pan and add the sherry vinegar. Stir in the mint and cook until just fragrant. Season as needed. ~Source: FoodNetwork.com

Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

Wassail Punch

Sauteed Green Beans and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 1 (10 lb) fully cooked whole ham (boneless or bone-in)

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

• 6 tbsp canola oil• 1 lb French green beans, cleaned and blanched• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper• 2 cups sliced button and oyster mushrooms• 1 shallot, sliced• 2 cloves garlic, sliced

• 2 quarts apple cider• 2 cups orange juice• ½ cup lemon juice• 12 whole cloves

In a slow-cooker or a large pot over low heat, combine apple cider, orange juice and lemon juice. Season with cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer. If using a slow cooker, allow to simmer all day. Serve hot. ~ Source: Allrecipes.com

Directions:

Directions:

• 4 cinnamon sticks• 1 pinch ground ginger• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar• 1 1/2 cup apple cider

• 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary• 1 tsp chili flakes• Splash sherry vinegar• 1 tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint

YourSafety

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Your tree is a fire risk — even if it's fake.Each holiday season, fire departments respond to an average of 210 Christmas tree fires nationally, reports the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Tree fires aren't super common, but when they do happen, they're more likely to be serious. Keep your tree at least three feet away from all heat sources (like fireplaces, radiators, and heat vents). If you have a real tree, remember to keep it watered; the drier the tree, the more easily it could ignite. And choose a sturdy stand so the tree won't tip over.

Don't overdo it on the lights.As much as you may want to cover every inch of your house with twinklers, you may have to scale back depending on your outlets. Check the lights' packaging for the power output and never plug in more than what a power strip or outlet says it can handle. You never want to connect more than three strings of lights in one series. Always look for the UL symbol when buying electrical items and pay attention to its color: Green means it's approved for indoor use, and red means it can be used indoors and outdoors. If you're using old lights, check the wires to make sure there are no signs of fraying or cracking. Even if you've followed all of these precautions, you should still unplug all indoor lights when you leave the house.

Candles are pretty, but they're still open flames.December is the peak time of year for candle-related house fires, says the NFPA. Sure, they set a glowy holiday mood, but lit flames and Christmas decorations don't exactly mix. In one five-year study, the NFPA found that 52% of decoration-related fires were started by candles. Keep lit candles at least 12 inches away from surrounding objects. Trim wicks to a quarter of an

inch before you light them and only let candles burn for one hour for every inch of diameter, so the wax can melt evenly. So, if you have a three-inch candle,

it shouldn't burn for more than three hours. Most importantly, never leave lit candles in a room

that's unattended.

Known for your butter fingers? If you drop a glass ornament and it breaks, pick up the big pieces and wrap them in newspaper or a paper towel before

throwing them in the garbage. Sweep the space and go over it with a vacuum cleaner.

Pay extra attention to floors this time of year — even if you haven't just broken something. With

guests coming and going and a surplus of decor you don't typically display, you may not notice something

on the floor. Be on the lookout for loose ornament hooks and sweep up fallen tree needles often.

Debris could cause slips and falls, and pets and little kids might end up playing with

(or worse, eating) stuff they shouldn't be.

Festive favorites can seriously harm your pets.A cat might see shiny tinsel as a toy, but

a single strand can become tangled in his intestines, causing serious damage. Holly,

mistletoe, and poinsettias are toxic to dogs and cats when ingested. And as for candy canes

(the real ones, not the dog-toy variety), their curvy shape and wrapper can be a choking hazard, and

sugar-free ones made with xylitol are poisonous to dogs.

Remember to secure the house.If you're headed out of town for an extended period of time, you should do more than just lock up. Tell neighbors you trust that you're going away and have them keep an eye out. Have your post

office stop your mail and put lights — inside and outside — on timers, so they go on and

off at random times during the night.~ Source: Goodhousekeeping.com


Holiday Safety Dangers

A Special Place Just For Kids!ColoringFun!

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festive ideas for holidays 2020

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