How to Zip Up Your Christmas Zooms

For most of us - at least those of us in the United States and Canada - there will be one major difference in the way we celebrate our Christmases this year.  Those of us who are paying attention, and wanting to keep our friends and families alive, will be staying home instead of traveling to visit everyone.  As a result, there will be a lot of get-togethers over Zoom and Facetime and whatever other way is out there.

Like a lot of people, my family has been catching up with each other via Zoom for the last few months.  And we realized that during this time, there were certain things that happened or were talked about each time.  So my niece Amanda and I decided that to make things more interesting and more fun, there needed to be a drinking game to accompany our family Zooms.

Now before you start lecturing me about excessive drinking, let me assure you that the drinking part does not require an alcoholic beverage - even a glass of water let's you drink when one of the prompts happens.  During our Thanksgiving Zoom, my 5-year-old great-niece had a glass of chocolate milk, and was one of the most enthusiastic participants!

All that needs to happen is that you mutually decide on a set of things that lead to everyone taking a drink when it is said or when it happens.  For example, here are some of the ones we have used.

Take a drink if/when:

1. Anyone mentions a geographic location (this was inspired by my sister Nancy, who always manages to start multiple sentences with "Here in California ...").

2. Whenever my niece Amanda's husband Pat makes a joke or says something slightly inappropriate and no one reacts at all (he is famous for this).

3.  Every time The Tim repeats something I just said because he wasn't listening in the first place (this alone could lead to you passing out on the floor if you had an alcoholic drink).

4.  Whenever a family member not in the Zoom call is mentioned (both of my sisters tend to mention specific children regularly who NEVER participate).

5.  Whenever someone changes subject without any obvious segue (we are all really good at doing this one).

Trust me, it's really fun.  We end up laughing more than drinking, because it's so ridiculous.  And I love hearing the little kids say, "She said a town - everybody drink!", or even better, "Uncle Tim just said what Aunt Bridget said a minute ago - everybody drink!"  At one point, my sister Mary Ellen had to get up and put her drink on a table because she was laughing so hard she was afraid she would spill her wine.

Granted, a lot of family groups would not find this as hi-larious as all of us do.  But if you think your group of friends or family would get a kick out of this, consider it a gift from my family to you.  

You're welcome.  😉