In case you hadn’t noticed, the holidays are here and that means it's time to shop. But with the CDC considering Thanksgiving shopping a high-risk activity for the spread of COVID-19, your best bet for holiday shopping in 2020 might be buying your gifts online. This keeps you out of the crowds and helps prevent superspreader-types of gatherings at malls and major retailers.
If you’re trying to plan ahead for this holiday season, make sure you avoid crowds, order online early, and consider alternatives to gift-giving to make it a safe yet joyous holiday season.
Not your normal Black Friday: Do your holiday shopping online
Other holiday shopping safety tips
Is it safe to go Christmas tree shopping?
There is a lot up in the air when it comes to tree shopping this year. Some cities and counties are wondering if tree stands are something that should be deemed an “essential business.” If not, there could be limited opportunities to actually go out and buy a tree. You’ll probably still be able to get trees at major retailers such as The Home Depot, but there may be a limited amount of trees in this case.
If you can go tree shopping, you’ll want to practice all the same safety protocols that you do when shopping for anything during the pandemic: Mask up and keep your distance. Use hand sanitizer after touching things at the tree stand. You may want to limit the number of family members who go shopping as well. While it may be a tradition for the family to go get the tree, this year it might be safer to have one person get the tree and have everyone healthy to decorate it.
Alternatives to holiday shopping
It’s OK to have real concerns about holiday shopping this year. On top of everything else, many families have been sidelined from work thanks to business furloughs, layoffs, and closures. A grand holiday with tons of presents might not be financially practical.
If this is the case, have a candid talk with your family about the true meaning of the holiday and seek out alternatives to traditional gift giving. You may have a family Secret Santa event or have homemade gifts be the rule. Maybe you decide to spend the time baking together rather than buying material things. Or maybe emphasize the giving side of the season, and agree to donate to charitable causes.
