With the holidays starting, yet another surreal “I guess this is COVID” moment is upon us: we’re really going to go a whole December without office holiday parties? Did we ever think we would miss such a thing?
I have only worked in three libraries, but I have been fortunate enough to work in three libraries with amazing cooks and bakers. Missing out on a library potluck is a top ten COVID-year bummer for me. But we’ve gotten pretty good at this remote celebration thing, right? Here are some ideas for how to safely celebrate with your library staff (and maybe some of these will work for your family non-gatherings as well):
- Games:
- Play online games together, like Mystery Escape Room or Jeopardy
- Many in-person games translate well to Zoom or other video chat platforms:
- Pictionary (using the whiteboard feature)
- Charades (no risk of accidental talking; just mute yourself!)
- Trivia (use the hand-raising feature or chat to “buzz in”)
- Scavenger hunt (pick items people are likely to have at home)
- Themed hunt (for example, have people pull from their bookshelves at home the oldest book, longest book, book with a blue cover, etc., and compare your finds! Other themes might be the fridge, things within reach of where they sit when they work from home, or clothing.)
- Online scavenger hunt (find pages/links/information instead of objects)
- Name that tune (play instrumental versions over host’s mic)
- Buzzword (each person gets a holiday-themed word; if you catch them saying it during the virtual get-together, they’re out!)
- Contests:
- Ugly sweater contest
- Holiday costume contest (get elaborate, you don’t have to wear it in public!)
- Gingerbread house contest (send out kits ahead of time)
- Gift exchanges:
- A virtual gift exchange (gift card codes, for example)
- Virtual card exchange (using Canva, JibJab, American Greetings, etc.)
- If everyone lives in the same area, arrange for them to pick up a gift from a local shop
- Other activities:
- Holiday playlist (share screen with audio sharing enabled)
- Holiday photo booth (create your own props, interact Brady-Bunch style!)
- Take an online class together, either live or a pre-recorded class
- Recipe exchange: share what you would have brought to a regular potluck, or have a theme, like cookies
Keep these important considerations in mind when planning your celebration, some of which you should already consider when planning in-person, in-office celebrations, and some that are new this year:
- Keep employees’ diversity in mind:
- Know the dates of holidays you’re not familiar with; someone may be taking the day off to celebrate. Try to find a date everyone is available and that doesn’t conflict with other celebrations.
- Be aware of holidays with food restrictions, like daytime fasting or abstaining from certain foods. It’s easier to not include food in a virtual celebration.
- Keep employees’ privacy in mind:
- While a tour of everyone’s holiday decorations sounds fun, not everyone will want to show you the inside of their home.
- Remember to schedule your celebration during work hours, just as you would an in-office celebration.
- Gift exchanges are nice, but some people may not be comfortable sharing their mailing address with colleagues.
- If playing an online game together, choose one that doesn’t require the sharing of personal information to access it. Games that don’t have to be downloaded are preferable, too.
- Keep employees’ needs in mind:
- If you’re doing anything food-related, remember to consider allergies and dietary restrictions, as you would for an in-person potluck.
- So many people are on their second, third, twentieth wind of Zoom fatigue. Don’t try to do all of these things; pick one or two and do them well.
- Be considerate of everyone’s time: the party is over at the designated time.
- December is a busy time for the whole family. Some employees may be caring for others who also are participating in holiday-related activities. Be understanding of those who can’t dedicate extra time and energy for activities like the suggested costume or gingerbread contests.
One last idea: Anecdotally speaking, I’ve heard several of my friends express that something they really miss about working in person together with their colleagues is the casual conversation time. Remotely, that’s something you have to carve out time for and decide to do, since you don’t bump into each other in hallways or stop at the desk or a doorway to chat. Maybe your staff would really just like to get together and have an hour of dedicated casual chat time?
Whatever you and your staff do, I hope you do it safely, comfortably, and happily, and that you get to do it in person for the 2021 holiday season.