Gathering with the people we love is a common theme for all ages during the holidays. While getting together during this season comes with challenges, finding space to do it shouldn’t be one of them. Good news! Marquette has a number of gathering spaces for seniors and their friends or families to use.
Whether you’re looking for a cozy game night or book club space, or a larger scale festive celebration with food involved, Marquette has you covered. Just because you’re considering a move to senior living doesn’t mean you can’t host Christmas or New Year’s anymore.
The Benefits of Holiday Gatherings in Senior Living
In fact, the beauty of gathering in one of Marquette’s private dining spaces or common areas means less stress for you.
- Don’t worry about getting your spouse or adult children to shovel the sidewalks for parking.
- Skip the stress over food preparation and serving.
- Opt for more time to decorate and focus on the party itself, rather than the physical efforts of setup and cleanup.
These are among the benefits of choosing to celebrate social events at Marquette, instead of an adult child’s home. Another perk: that means you can stay in and enjoy a glass or two of wine!
4 Inspiring Ideas for Hosting Family in Senior Living
Here are four ideas to spark new ways of getting together, whatever the reasons for celebration:
#1. Start a new tradition.
Sometimes keeping up with longstanding traditions is hard but letting go feels harder. While there’s comfort in sticking to what you know, there needs to be room for adaptation as you grow through the years. That being said, starting new traditions doesn’t always mean replacing others. Consider if there are new ways of honoring traditions you’ve faithfully observed, like eating the main Christmas meal on a Sunday afternoon instead of a Friday evening — or enjoying your family’s festive dinner at one of Marquette’s dining spaces instead of putting pressure on one person to host.
Also, new traditions can be simple, like getting hot chocolates at a coffee shop drive-thru then going for a drive to see holiday decorations. Perhaps this is the year to skip the late night of New Year’s Eve with younger family members and enjoy it with friends and peers at our community. The possibilities are endless, and the spaces at Marquette are open to you.
#2. Think about your priorities and values and plan accordingly.
As you think about the season and its celebrations, do some planning ahead by thinking about how to spend your time:
- Who do you want to make sure to see over the holidays?
- How much time do you want to spend with each group of friends or relatives on the list?
- What time is best to see them and are the weekends fully booked? Is a weeknight an option for gathering with fewer crowds or conflicting events?
If you feel overwhelmed by large groups — even if you’re not hosting at your home — smaller gatherings might be more appropriate for this season.
Remember any milestones or hard memories when choosing dates for holiday celebrations. Some people who are missing loved ones or grieving changes in their family or friend groups may need to rethink timing. Stay focused on the joy of gathering, knowing that the best part of any celebration is being with those who mean the most to you — friends, family, or both. Keep the joy of gathering as the priority, no matter what you plan and where you go to celebrate.
#3. Follow a theme to make it extra special — and keep the focus on time together.
Give new traditions a personal touch (or old ones a refresh!) and keep things upbeat and fun with a theme. Silly Christmas song karaoke, family holiday picture night with pizza, holiday storytelling and singing with a white elephant gift exchange and everyone’s favorite desserts.
Whatever you choose, Marquette has cozy spaces for cuddling with the youngest grandkids as well as spacious rooms for festive gatherings with your extended family.
Wear Christmas pajamas and watch a movie with your grandkids in your apartment, or in a private community room if you have a large group. Or, reserve a table for a celebratory dinner before everyone heads out to candlelight mass or choral concerts.
At Marquette, we want to help you enjoy all the joy of the season, without the stress of prep or cleanup.
#4. Save enough room for downtime.
All holiday gatherings are more fun when you feel rested and refreshed, rather than stretched thin. Set boundaries on your time to prevent overwhelm or stress. Perhaps saying no to evening events—many holiday concerts are now available to livestream or watch online—or limiting large-group gatherings makes sense this year to keep things simple and savor the most important moments with those you love.
Celebrating With Family at Marquette
Come visit us to see our gathering spaces and envision new ways of celebrating traditions in senior living — during the holidays and all year! Start imagining the possibilities: schedule a visit today.
