How to Survive the Holiday Break

December holidays are normally spent with your family. Traveling and sightseeing, or celebrating various holidays with them. Eating delectable and delicious cuisines during your stay at home. Even in the dead of winter, December break is a way to feel more cheerful and have a satisfactory end to your year. Now we have an obstacle. Covid-19, the horrendous virus no one has successfully avoided. The virus has created fear and restrictions within countries, making it difficult to do the previous events we once did. Another thing this prevents is achieving the past gratifying feelings. Many will be stuck at home bored out of their minds. To dodge this seemingly inevitable boredom, here are some activities one can do while staying safe from covid.

Arts and Crafts:

Why not get creative? There are many new artistic projects you can pick up either, long or short.  Be the kid version of the Pinterest soccer mom with her mason jars we all strive to be. These projects will not only pass time but also fill your home with the gorgeous creations you made. 

By putting up a Christmas tree, people show a way of them celebrating the holidays. To make those ornaments on the tree personal and beautiful, you can paint or decorate your own. Decorating the ornaments yourself not only brings meaning and significance but is a fun way to kill time. 

We either can't escape the snow or long for it. Why not bring it into your home? Make paper snowflakes to leave an adorable artistic touch to your home. This option is perfect for people that aren't ones for Christmas trees. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to make these delightful decorations.    

Don't like decorating? Try making a homemade holiday card for a loved one. Let your creative juices flow with new ideas. Make fun and crazy designs for a card with a heartwarming message inside. Not only will this be fun for you, but the person receiving the delightful card will also feel joyful.

Food:

A large fraction of the world’s population are foodies with a sweet tooth. You may be one of these sweets lovers as well. The following options and activities are a great substitute for those people who are displeased with their artistic abilities.

Looking to add 5 kilos over the break? Bake a cake, but not any cake, decorate the cake with a chosen theme. You could select the holidays you celebrate, the icy winter, or anything. 

Cupcakes and cookies are the way to go! Perfect for making large amounts to achieve the goals of obesity. Like the cake, you can decorate them to your heart's content. 

Are you the indecisive type? Want to try at least being a tad bit creative but still want to bake? Make a gingerbread house, an activity for your family or lonely little you!  A (supposedly) lovely home to create. Meant for all the imaginary people planning to move into your gingerbread establishment. 

As mentioned, this time of year can be freezing for many of us.  Scorching hot chocolate milk that will numb your tongue is perfect for combating the cold. A great way to spice things up for all the discontent people out there is to add extra steps to the process! Make a hot chocolate kit or a hot chocolate bomb. These are a fun way to look at the preparations for the drink.

You do you:

Don't wish to bake or make art? Here are some ideas for if you want to do you.

Be lazy and watch movies and or series. Watch happy or sad, watch gruesome or childish anything that pleases you.  a relaxing way to help the time pass quicker. Watching movies will also help the newly struggling movie industry. Though, it's not like major producers are having a hard time with money. Thinking about this guilty pleasure in a new light can take some guilt off of you. 

Or do you want to keep active in the white weather? Turn into the hyper5-year-old we all know is inside you, and play in the snow. Make snowmen and women to create a sense of accomplishment and to feel less lonely during the break. Don't have time for the lengthy process? Snow angels are the way to go. Just like sand, the snow will get everywhere! Except it's cold. Very. Very. Cold. 

As it is the Christmas season, people fall into the mindsight of giving. Many, including myself, find no harm in this. Give to people in need by partaking in charity. Or donate old clothes to centers. For example, Zurich International School (ZIS) had a food drive. They were donating food and hygiene products to organizations like the red cross and pfusbus. 

My final option is to keep in touch with family and friends you miss and haven't talked to in a while. As I said in the beginning, Covid is an obstacle that you cannot escape. International families have had a hard time meeting each other. Though you may not be able to see them face to face, you can call, text, or even facetime them. It won't be the same, but it is a step closer in the right direction. Plus, don't you miss them?

Covid has affected many. During Switzerland’s first wave, our school and most countries had gone under lockdown. I remember people saying the experience was tedious, dreadful, and dull. “Covid lockdown was so boring because everything shut down. I had nothing to do,” says Anne-fleur Ferretto, a ZIS student sharing her thoughts on the topic. The December break is very long, being three weeks and an extra week of online learning. My goal for this article was to make sure this doesn't happen again. It was to show some of the fun things you can do during the break to avoid internal boredom.