How To Celebrate At Home In 2020

If this year has taught us anything, it’s how to have a good time in loungewear. We’re not about to let a little thing like not being able to go out stop us from having a Christmas season fizzing with good cheer and good times. Maybe you’ve joined a Christmas bubble or maybe you’re doing this Christmas alone: whoever you’re with, we all deserve to have a good time and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year to the fullest. And if there’s anything Schweppes knows a thing or two about, it’s bringing the bubbles to the celebration.

Just think of the positives of an intimate Christmas: you can eat what you want and – maybe more importantly – you can eat when you want. You can mix up a cocktail or mocktail of your choice without having to make one for every single extended family member, and you won’t have to wait for everyone else to arrive before you open your presents.

While it may not be the usual Christmas for many, it's still important to make the most of it. To see you through the season, we’ve put together a guide to celebrating at home. Extra special drink recipes, festive outfit ideas, freshly manicured nails and more – we’ve got you covered.

Come 4 o’clock, you’ll be downing tools and switching from the work screen to the party screen, so how can you make sure you’re ready to party without leaving your seat? First up, may we recommend something beautifully bubbly to sip on? This Christmas Classic cocktail takes your favourite gin mixer and adds some sparkle for the festivities. Mix your favourite gin with Schweppes Classic Tonic Water over some cubed ice, and garnish with an orange slice and a cinnamon stick. Deliciously festive and oh so easy. 

The beauty of a video-only office Christmas party can be summed up thusly: party up top, WFH comfort below. Your colleagues will be dazzled by your sequinned top, tinselly earrings and maybe an extra slick of eyeliner, none the wiser to the joggers and fluffy slippers combo you’re rocking on your bottom half. Because, hey, who’s going to know? 

If you’re anything like us, you went all out on the decorations on about 3rd November so you might want to angle your camera towards them. Then again, since you can change your video call background for the festivities, you absolutely should. A cosy fireside scene from your favourite Christmas rom-com or the twinkle of fairy lights flashing gently behind you will get you right into the spirit of things – and as the evening progresses you can always upgrade to disco balls and in-jokes. Consider your lighting, too. The big light should be out of action but a couple of side lamps behind your laptop and the Christmas tree lights gently twinkling behind you will cast a lovely soft lustre over your face. Very flattering, very atmospheric. 

And remember: the private chat boxes probably go to everyone, and always check whether or not you’re on mute... 

Okay, for when you need a really special cocktail, we have two words for you: think pink. The Citrus Spritz combines the berries, carrot and hibiscus of the Schweppes Russchian pink soda with the floral botanicals of Martini Bianco to create the perfect cocktail night dazzler. You’ll want to take a rosé wine glass and fill it three-quarters full with cubed ice; add a splash of Martini Bianco and top it up with Schweppes Russchian, garnish with a slice of pink grapefruit and ooh la la!

Speaking of drinks, you don’t want to be up and down all night and missing the goss, so set up a drinks trolley or bar area near your comfiest armchair – maybe arrange it artfully in the background of your shot so that you look like you’re at the ultimate party venue and not in your bedsit. You’ll want plenty of Schweppes mixers – from the Schweppes Classic range for everyday mixing to the naturally flavoured Schweppes Signature range for those special celebratory moments – and an array of glass bottles (doesn’t matter what’s in them, it’s the look dahling), plus an ice caddy and a dish of garnishes. And don’t forget the snacks! All your favourite canapés within arm’s reach – what a dream.

Now let’s talk nails: if you’re going to be brandishing pink all night, then you’ll want your talons to complement it. We’re waaay past pink and red being a fashion no-no but why not add a metallic accent as a nod to the season instead? Think: hot pink nails with a gold dot on the ring finger nail of each hand. Christmassy but not cheesy, exactly the right vibe for a cocktail evening with girlfriends. 

This year offers the first guilt-free opportunity to spend the big day with your chosen family (or, if we’re being real, the only people to reply while you were flat hunting). When it comes to 25th December there are two types of people: the excitable 5am riser and the eventual 11am emerger. Whichever you are, you can get everyone together by whipping up a round of Jingle and Tonics: a spicy ginger take on the classic G&T, full of beautiful flavours. Simply mix Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger Gin with Schweppes Signature Tonic in a tall glass, and garnish with orange peel and a slice of ginger.

Fill your shared home with the spirit of Christmas with a tree you can all add your decorative touch to. Leave the tinsel in the attic and opt for gently glowing fairy lights and a curated collection of baubles gathered on each of your travels. Why stop there? Drape lights over picture frames, the cheese plant you acquired in lockdown and your kitchen window. And don't forget the chic DIY foliage wreath – if you didn't post it on Instagram, it didn't happen.

Create a shared playlist for the day that everyone can shape with their own festive favourites. We'd recommend sprinkling in a few evergreen songs so that you don't overdo it on the Christmas hits before lunch is on the table.

And sure, we say it’s not all about the presents but the presents are pretty important too; agree a small budget for stockings between the household and go wild in your local shops now they're open again. Need some inspiration? Sheet masks, bath bombs studded with dried flowers, vibrant nail polish shades, chocolate bars and Schweppes mixers with perfectly paired alcohol miniatures would all be welcome in our stocking.

We’re going to say it: 2020 is nearly over and we are going to party with a capital P. Obviously we’re going to do it safely though, which means overpriced club nights are out and sophisticated home festivities are very much in. Whether you’re locked down with your housemates or you’re throwing a party for one, we cannot stress enough how much this NYE should involve dancing: push your furniture back against the walls and clear a space. If you’re alone, so much the better: those moves you’ve always been too intimidated to bust? You bust ‘em, sister. 

Once the room is set up, sit around the dining table and set your intentions for 2021. We’re not talking resolutions because let’s face it, we’re setting ourselves up to fail. But goals? Goals we can do. Whether in person or via video call, talk about the year we’ve just had and reflect on how you’ve grown and changed, then write yourself a letter of plans and ideas for the coming year. Speak them into existence, manifest your destiny – whatever you want to call it, keep the letter somewhere safe and dig it out on 31st December 2021 to see how far you’ve come. 

Okay, quiet time over: you’ll want a drink that is refreshing and uplifting to keep you dancing 'til the clock strikes 12. Enter the vodka and Schweppes Signature Quenching Cucumber tonic. An elegant coupe glass. A generous serving of ice. A squeeze of lime. A dash of crisp vodka from the freezer and lashings of the aforementioned celebratory Schweppes mixer. Just the fizz you need to bid farewell to 2020 and get you dancing into 2021.