Staying Safe at Home During the Holidays [2020]

December is certainly one of the most wonderful times of the year—but the winter holidays can also be fraught with safety hazards, especially this year, when the COVID-19 pandemic looms large. Check out these simple safety tips, organized by hazard category, to help ensure you and your family have a happy and safe Christmas season.

COVID-19 Safety

The threat of COVID-19 in the 2020 holiday season creates additional safety concerns and considerations that wouldn’t usually be included in a list like this. Yet the pandemic is one of the biggest and most immediate threats Americans will face this year, so it is worthy of inclusion.

The CDC has an entire page on its website devoted to holiday celebrations during COVID. They are advising people not to travel during this holiday season and warning that any small gathering with people not in your household raises the risk of getting or spreading coronavirus.

When planning for the holidays, some of the most important points to remember include:

• “Don’t share your air.” Dr. Lucy Jones, whose primary focus is seismology, coined this phrase in the summer to help distill health advice into a memorable phrase that highlights the importance of mask wearing and social distancing.
• If you do gather, take precautions. While any gathering involves some degree of risk, there are things you can do to reduce the possibility of infection. Short, distanced, outdoor gatherings with fewer people are highly preferable.
• Consider other people’s behavior. Both the community levels of COVID-19 and the behavior of other attendees prior to gathering are key to gauging the level of risk.
• Follow local and CDC guidelines. As local guidelines vary immensely by state and/or county, these may not match. It’s best to follow whichever is stricter.
• Choose safer alternatives. If you don’t want to risk getting or spreading coronavirus, there are plenty of things you can do to celebrate the season safely. You can mail gifts to loved ones, host a virtual paint and sip, or drive around to look at Christmas light displays.

Cooking Safely

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, cooking fires are the top cause of residential fires. While the day with the most cooking fires is Thanksgiving, all the cooking during the December holidays can also lead to an increased risk of fire. Additionally, improperly cooked food and pets getting into human food can harm both people and pets. To keep your family safe, do the following:

• Never leave food cooking unattended on the stove
• Keep children and flammable materials away from the cooking area
• Ensure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms are working properly. Replace alarms every 10 years and check batteries every 1-3 months.
• Learn the proper temperatures and times for cooking, serving, and storing food. Undercooked food and spoiled leftovers can lead to foodborne illness.
• If you have pets, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with this list of foods that can be dangerous or poisonous to pets.

Decorating Safely

Holiday decorations are part of what makes this time of year so special. But they can also be dangerous, as December is the deadliest month for electrical fires. Take caution when decorating and remember to follow these tips:

• Before putting them up on your house, inspect Christmas lights for frayed cords and cracked lamps. Once they’re up, get in the habit of turning off the lights when you go out for the evening and before you go to bed.
• If you use a real Christmas tree, be sure to water it daily and keep it away from fire hazards like space heaters, candles, and fireplaces.
• Never leave a lit candle unattended or alone with children or pets. Electric candles are a safe alternative that reduce the risk of a house fire.
• If you’re using lots of decorations, it’s a good idea to spread decorations and appliances across multiple circuits to prevent a power overload.
• Follow all manufacturer’s directions when using toys and decorations. If you or a loved one is injured by a defective product, contact a local personal injury lawyer for help.

Preventing Theft

Between porch pirates and home break-ins, theft is unfortunately quite common during the holiday season. Use these tips to keep your property safe:

• If you’re traveling, avoid posting your plans and travel dates on social media. If you declare when you’ll be out of town, you’re leaving your home wide open to opportunistic thieves.
• Keep your home secure through sturdy door locks, motion-activated lights, and smart technology. You want to make an effort to make it look like someone is home when no one is, since that will deter potential robbers.
• Notify a trusted neighbor when you’ll be traveling. This person can keep an eye on your house, pick up your mail, and let you know about suspicious activity.
• To deter porch pirates, plan out how you'll receive packages. Consider getting a doorbell cam or renting out a package locker if you’re expecting lots of deliveries to arrive when you’re not home.
• Keep Christmas gifts and other valuables out of view. They look nice under the tree by a window, but an easily visible location can be an open invitation to thieves to break the window while you’re away or asleep.

Following these 20 holiday safety tips can be the difference between a happy, safe holiday and a memorably disastrous one. While we can’t guarantee absolute safety for ourselves or our families, there are lots of things we can do to be prepared and reduce the risk of common holiday hazards putting a damper on this merry season.