This year, the holidays will look a lot different than they have in the past. For one thing, travel isn’t an option, so people who routinely travel to see family will not be able to do that this year. Even for people who live in the same town as their relatives, with numbers skyrocketing and putting more loved ones at risk, it is encouraged to limit holidays gathers with your immediate family.

However, just because the holidays look different does not mean you can’t still have a fun and rewarding season. Here are five ways to make the best of your social distancing winter holiday.

5 Ways to Enjoy your Christmas/Hanukkah During COVID-19

Zoom, FaceTime, Duo, and WhatsApp Video calls. Just because you can’t visit your family doesn’t mean you can’t see them. FaceTime, Zoom, Duo, and WhatsApp video calls can make the distance seem a little bit smaller because you can talk face-to-face with your family as much as you want. For larger families, Zoom is especially useful because it allows multiple people to get on the same call.

Christmas Cards! Bring Christmas cards back this year and spend some time writing out personalized messages to your extended family. Not only is this a great way for children to practice their fine motor skills, but it is also a great way for them to connect with someone they do not see very often. If you have a small family, consider writing Christmas cards to the Armed Forces and nearby children’s hospitals.

Neighborhood cookie swaps. A fun way to involve your neighbors in your Christmas festivities is to orchestrate a neighborhood cookie swap. Organizers can assign names based on a random draw, and then everyone can drop off their goodies on the front doorstep of one other participant.

Decorate outdoors. Because we are all socially distanced this year, decorating outdoors is more important than ever. Engage the whole family by hanging lights around the house or setting up a holiday scene in the front yard. Once you have your home decorated, hop into the car and cruise around the neighborhood to see everybody else’s decorations as well.

Donate to those in need. Finally, one of the best parts about the holidays is giving to those in need, and this does not have to stop just because you are socially distanced. Children can donate their gently used toys to various organizations, and if you want to donate more than toys, plenty of organizations accept toiletries and other household items.

This year has been a unique one, and it is tempting to mourn the loss of old traditions. However, this unprecedented year opens the door to not only spending more intimate time with your immediate family but also to developing new, safer traditions during the pandemic.

New traditions, such as donating time and goods to the local community, writing Christmas cards to the extended family, and developing a neighborhood cookie swap, can shake the seasonal blues away and put a smile on everyone’s face.