Covid safe Xmass/NewYears/Winter Socializing Ideas

Daily Life, Swiss News and General Topics
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Hello,

Willing to help me brainstorm ideas?

High risk, super covid strict, household looking for creative ways to socialize with friends and family throughout holiday and winter period.

Thought a big brainstorming thread might also help other people trying to think of how to have fun while staying extra safe during winter.

Types of ideas looking for: most preferably outdoors, possibly activities in big airy wide open indoor spaces with masks (rather than small, packed crowded spaces), definitely no indoor activities without mask (which leaves out most cozy indoor dining), creative zoom ideas, etc. and variety of types of activites for elderly relatives, friends with kids, adult friends, some physically fit, some not as fit, etc. Want to avoid things like packed public transport or tightly packed big cable cars, etc

Big thanks for any general ideas or specifics that would help with organization.

MakeABigWish

PS. Here's some ideas I had so far to kick things off ..... any specific favorites ideas to offer that help with organizing these general ideas are also welcome:

Wondering if there are sleigh rides, outdoor bonfires, not packed outdoor christmassy and new years things, displays etc to attend or walk around.

Wondering what restaurants make outdoor dining particularly cozy (ie Zurich's Z am Park does brunch food w blankets and hot water bottles that is fun and works well)

Looking for nice warm, outdoor pools can float around in (not indoor, packed, pool-spa places).

Outdoor Exercise: winter walks, snow shoeing, xcountry skiing, skiing with meals in outdoor terraces, etc.

Places with pretty winter views.

Packing own meals with hot soups, hot drinks, etc.

(cant find simple small soup thermoses in CH for under 50chf each!!)

Packing hot water bottles for under blankets when eating a cozy soup outdoors on a park bench with a sunny outdoor view was fun and worked well with elderly relative.

Once did full-moon-clear-sky night walk and the stars and the way the light bounced off snow was amazing.

Zurich Zoo w Masks on indoor parts on quiet days.

Outdoor Ice skating Rinks, sledding.

Once organized dog sledding day for kids.

Looking into special birthday hot air balloon ride but don't know how to proceed.

Not sure if Gelmerbahn open in winter .... lesser known spectacular ride.

Zoom games for adults and kids.

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The quarantine has solved the problem for us. UK guests not coming.

3
Foxtrail is mostly outdoor (sometimes you do have to take public transport for a few stops, normally not longer than 5-10min though at least the ones I have done)

Visit castles like Lenzburg, Kyburg etc, cant imagine a lot of ppl go there in winter and normally they have large gardens etc anyway

I really liked what my colleagues office did for 'xmas' dinner last year: the boss ordered everyones fav meal via eat.ch to their homes, had sent a bottle of wine and small present before (open only on xxx) and then they held a virtual xmas dinner with toasts etc each enjoying the delivered food. apparantely it really worked well that all food arrived at everyones home within 5min of the specified time.

the d Vino in Zurich Wiedikon has outdoor fondue where you get blankets etc, or alternatively organize your own outdoor fondue with a large camping pot, the special enourmous forks etc over a campfire, have done that too and it's quite fun.

rent a Waldhuette for your group of people and do fun things there like games indoor/outdoor, fire building etc

4
If you are high risk, there is no low risk way to socialize with people.

We have a 91 year old to protect, I’m retired, my wife works from home and of our grown up kids, one has been doing university remotely while the other works three days from home.

We are very careful and only very occasionally hold limited social events, yet we have had to go through the isolation/testing a couple of times now in the past 6 months because we came into close contact with someone who had the virus. And none of them were family members!

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Go to an igloo hotel. Usually not crowded and ventilation is better. Nothing will be zero risk but this probably better than traditional hotel.

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Don't lose hope. I saw a 20 Minutes notification stating that the flight bans and quarantines might be abandoned in favour of keeping the ski season and, I assume, the WEF. We might hear more this afternoon.

For the OP, there are fondue wagons too in some mountain resorts. That may be too enclosed for you as the ones we have used in Klosters have plastic sides and windows. Sleigh rides are lovely. We did one last year and took champagne and nibbles. We stopped in the forest at a BBQ spot to eat and drink. It was quite magical.

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Maybe with a little imagination Switzerland could host a re-enactment of 'The Great Escape ' on ski's.

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Don't you feel that truly outdoors only (not we do most outdoors and then end up moving indoors or driving together, etc) is safe?

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There is no such thing as safe... it’s a reduction in risk in comparison to an indoor meet up, but it is still a risk.

My son went on an orienteering camp in the middle of July. There were 31 of them and they took over a small hotel for a week. They tested on Sunday when they arrived and on the Wednesday, four were positive. They were outdoors most of the time and mainly interact within the group. They thought they were being very careful....

It’s a question of risk versus reward. I think the Irish deputy Prime Minister, who is a medical doctor, put it very well - take the minimum risk necessary not the maximum available. We all have to decide what is worth the risk and what is not. And no doubt our decisions will be different.

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Thanks for thoughts. Don't want to turn this into a covid risk discussion thread.

Hoping this could be a thread we could keep going all winter long and people could come to get and share fun ideas.

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For those in and around Zürich/Zug we'll be doing our Xmas Day morning walk in the great outdoors again for those who can't get home for Xmas given the travel restrictions et al and anyone else who wants to join. We'll do a separate thread closer to the date.

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They are abandoned.

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This event ends on the 12th of Dec. but it's worth checking out - food, live music, light art installations and fun activities for kids, everything outdoors, in Flughafen Park in Kloten:

https://www.myswitzerland.com/de-ch/...kunst-im-park/

14
Here's outdoor idea to walk around outside on new year's eve in Zurich.

They had to cancel it last year but perhaps it will still go ahead this year:

https://www.silvesterzauber.ch/home-e

Silvesterzauber Light 2021

Experience impressive and unique light shows by Zurich artist Gerry Hofstetter on various buildings in the Limmatquai area and Zurich's city center on New Year's Eve between 5pm and 2am.

I find myself in a funny situation ...... In the spirit of friendly, creative crowd-sharing, I'd like to exchange ideas of safe things to do but then again I don't actually want loads and loads of people to all turn up.

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Luzern has scheduled a light festival from 6-16 January.

https://www.lichtfestivalluzern.ch/en/

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OP, since your group is mixed, might there be scenarios in which the persons at high risk could stay indoors (each in his/her own place) and the rest of the people could walk from home to home, and stand outdoors and sing, or dance, or do a mime show? This is sometimes done for children who are sick, to cheer them up.

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Thanks for giving my situation some thought. Kindness on EF !!

I was also hoping more generally this thread would serve people who also just want some "play it safe" ideas during winter past the holidays as well.