We cannot ignore it, but most holidays are organized very traditionally with lots of food and drinks and where a second day is linked to the holiday, we flock to the furniture boulevards. Although there is nothing wrong with that in itself, there are still many ways to spend the holidays differently.
Alternatives
Now of course you can always take the plane or car and drive towards the snow-capped mountain peaks. Assuming you can afford it financially. But staying at home and doing something with family or friends that is just outside of eating and drinking, binging and eating and drinking again makes a holiday enjoyable in a different way. You just have to be open to it and get your possible companions involved or enthusiastic about the alternative.
How to fill in?
How do you spend a holiday differently? You can’t avoid doing something special with the food. And there’s nothing wrong with that, that’s just part of partying. But if you want to have enough time for your alternative planning, that means quite a bit in the preparation. The day(s) before the holiday, preparing the meal or snacks is half the battle. If you really want it to be very easy, then let it happen.
If at any point you have decided to spend your days differently, there are quite a few options. Of course you have to take into account people who can perform less physical exertion, for example. However, if you give these people a different task, they simply participate. Because that’s what the holidays are all about. Having fun together, being there for each other and forming a unity.
A number of options in random order and where you can easily vary:
- Outside: Family/friends game (you can think of it yourself or buy ready-made) in nature. The woods, the heathland, the beach. Whatever is nearby and where you have enough space. The gradation in terms of physical exertion can be determined independently and will partly depend on the company.
- Outside: Joint walk with a competitive element, such as collecting certain things or recognizing the environment (with a photo as proof).
- Inside: Renovate old items as a team and raffle them among those present.
- Inside: Make a small dish separately at home and add a game element, who made it and what is tastiest. (you don’t have much work with the food either).
- Outside: Outdoor sports/games such as survival, paintball or tracking.
- Inside: Set a common goal in advance and realize it. E.g. collect all the information for creating a new website (of one of the family members), write it out, take photos, etc. or refurbish the handcart for the association or legally collect wood to make a nice campfire in the evening.
- Inside: Game to get to know each other better. Everyone has something that no one knows…guess what it is. Under the motto “You are welcome to ask questions”.
- Inside: Collect pieces from newspaper reports and create new (sometimes very surprising) stories. Also explain it to each other.
- Inside or outside: Be creative. Provide some different materials and make something as a team (not too large and partly depending on the size of the group).
Assumptions
It is good to determine the rules and principles in advance. Forcing people to do something they are afraid of, for example, is not useful. Agree to be honest in everything you do and to respect people. But above all, that everyone takes part in it seriously. If someone doesn’t feel the need for that, they may not be the person to share those holidays with you. You have to be honest with each other about that.
Resistance
85% to 90% of humanity is not change-oriented and if you are planning something like that, start talking about it early. Make sure it becomes embedded in the people’s system and get them used to the idea that they are going to experience a holiday that is not according to the standard. A standard that we once set ourselves and can therefore change ourselves.
Finally
An alternative to a traditional day can be very surprising. Good luck and above all have fun!