While our festivals will return to normal in due time, concessions must be made for safety. With a little bit of creativity and motivation, we can all celebrate our festivals together with coworkers, friends, and family despite the distance.

Photo Credit : Credit: Bruce Rosenstein,

Look at the festival season in the era of social distancing, and it’s clear that festivals need to be celebrated in new, unique ways. Consider this year’s Gandhi Jayanti—prayer services took place over Zoom and seminars were held online instead of at universities.

From national holidays to seasonal festivals and beyond, it’s clear adjustments will need to be made in light of the pandemic. This is especially important as businesses seek unique and creative approaches to engaging the remote workforce—the cultural connection to festivals and other celebrations helps employees feel connected and engaged.

Here are some tips for celebrating festivals in the era of social distancing:

Play festival-themed online games

The possibilities with virtual gaming are endless in this hyper-technological world. It’s not difficult to set up a word search or crossword puzzle for Dussehra or Rama Navami that can function as a quick, friendly competition among coworkers. There are plenty of third-person video games where employees compete against each other to save Sita from Ravan and bring her back to Ayodhya.

This past Holi happened to be right at the beginning of the pandemic, so while many people opted out, others took to the street cautiously. People were advised to wear masks and not smear gulal… it was a completely different experience. Some of us even played multiplayer video games with coworkers, friends, and family. Games like Teen Patti Gold and PUBG got creative with in-game Holi experiences like gulal collections, Holi-themed outfits, and paint-throwing abilities. Jump on these opportunities and encourage your team to connect with each other during these special events.

Celebrate with gifts and contests

The festival of lights, of course, is celebrated mostly in the home. Try hosting a series of company-wide competitions: Who has the best at-home diyas and rangoli? Who can make the best mithai? Who has the most embarrassing photos with their siblings for Bhai Duj? You can even host a tutorial session and teach your staff how to make an eco-friendly Ravana-Dahan or Visarjan Kund in the comfort of their own homes.

Last year was Flock’s first Diwali with a team in the US, and the company mailed festive gifts to welcome them. The team took part in their very first game of Tambola, following it up with a virtual quiz using the Kahoot! app. This small celebration functioned to bridge Flock’s vast geographical and cultural divide between folks in Boston, Bengaluru, and Mumbai.

Even a small gift—an e-card in their inbox or a small, special diya sent to each employee—can make your team members feel acknowledged and appreciated.

Take it to video

Just because you can’t be with your coworkers on feast days doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate with them. Video conferencing makes it easy to connect with anyone in the world at any time. While your family can hold their vigil for Krishna Janmashtami over a video call and then breakfast together, you can establish similar calls with your teams or departments to feast for Onam Sadya. With everyone staying mostly indoors, feasts, flag hoistings, and temple visits are now available via video conferencing and live streams, making these festivals more accessible than ever before.

Encourage time off

The best thing any employer can do during the festival season is to give their employees time to celebrate. In this year where distance is the norm, we can use this time to safely come together with our loved ones and find our own sense of normalcy. Giving employees time off to celebrate in peace contributes to long-lasting wellness and job satisfaction. And we all could use a little celebration these days.

While our festivals will return to normal in due time, concessions must be made for safety. With a little bit of creativity and motivation, we can all celebrate our festivals together with coworkers, friends, and family despite the distance.

(The Article is authored by Margaret Dsouza, HR Head at Flock)