While it might not feel like a “normal” celebration without gathering with your loved ones, staying home this year is the responsible thing to do to keep everyone safe and healthy. The good news? The holidays are not cancelled! There are so many creative ways to honor and celebrate the holidays without posing a health risk for anyone. Please visit the CDC’s website for their considerations and safety measures around the Holiday Season.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, health and safety has been at the forefront of our minds. But safety is a dedicated practice that we weave into all aspects of our culture through our Priority Zero corporate safety program. We prioritize health and safety not just on the job site and out in the field, but for the safety of our employees, those we work with and for, and our communities. With that in mind and with the holidays coming up, here are a few ways that we at Fuss & O’Neill suggest to celebrate safety!
Recipe Sharing: We all know that the best part of any holiday is the food! Our Transportation Group in Manchester, CT has traditionally hosted a holiday breakfast that will be greatly missed this year. But not to fret – we want to encourage you to gather the traditional family (or office) recipes and share with your extended family and friends ahead of time. This way everyone can share the deliciousness of grandma’s sweet potatoes (or Stu’s famous breakfast sandwiches!) in different places.
Blast from the past, a holiday breakfast a few years ago
Memory Slide Show: Engineers and scientists are actually well-versed in public presentations and slideshows! We love talking with the community about the projects in their areas. This holiday season we will be putting those skills in action by creating a photo and video montage and sharing it virtually with our loves ones.
Light Up the Night: Our electrical engineers and lighting specialists encourage you to light up your home during the short days and long nights – just make sure you’re not using too many extension cords or overloading your electrical capacity! Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa – string lights inside, bring out multiple menorah or kinara to light, trim a tree outdoors, light up an outdoor menorah or kinara, and let the light shine bright indoors and out!
Electrical Engineers evaluating their light options in last year’s holiday greeting (click the image to view the greeting!)
Bring Nature Indoors: Celebrate the Winter Solstice and clip boughs from pine or fir trees while out on a walk or hike (although our environmental scientists and naturalists remind you to be sure to responsibly harvest them), decorate your mantle, doorways, or put the boughs in a large vase. You can also source locally nature-based decorations; many local artisans make holiday wreathes and decorations for your home.
Movie Day/Night: Each member of the household picks a movie genre from a hat and chooses a movie based on that genre. Enjoy a day of indulgent move watching. Want to get cozier? Create a move theatre in your home with a projector. Sorry, our electrical engineers won’t be on loan to wire up the in-home system, but many local libraries rent easy-to-set-up digital projectors to make it feel like a real movie night in your living room!
Holiday Lights Tour: Find the best spots for neighborhood light shows – take a walk or ride in your car to enjoy them. Our safety experts remind you to drive safely and bundle up if you’ll be walking (as Alfred Wainwright said, “There is no such things as bad weather, only bad clothing”) and to wear reflective gear and bring flashlights. Want to up the festivities? Load up a playlist with your favorite holiday music to enjoy while you’re out!
Festive holiday light display
No matter what you do, savor the holiday season. With any holiday, it’s important to take a step back and remember why you’re celebrating. Take the time to slow down and appreciate all the gifts that you’re given each and every day. Revel in quiet time, enjoy reading to your children, play games, curl up with a good book, or just indulge in doing nothing. In our typically busy culture and traditionally busy holiday season, it can be a blessing to slow down and savor the moments.
No matter how you
celebrate, we at
Fuss & O’Neill wish
you a happy, safe, and
healthy holiday season!
