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Mother and two children eat a meal together in kitchen while conducting video call on laptop computer

Celebrate the holidays together, virtually

Everyone has their own vision of what makes a perfect holiday, but there’s one thread that unites us all: coming together to celebrate with loved ones.

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Carve out time to catch up with friends and loved ones

The holidays are the perfect time to comb through old memories and forge new traditions. Video calling makes it easy to spend time together, even when you’re time zones apart. Here are some ideas for how to spend your time while connecting:

  • Keep traditions alive. Light candles or lanterns, decorate your house or tree, open presents, sing carols around the piano, enjoy holiday baking sessions, and more. The memories you plan on making this year can still be shared with your loved ones via video call.
  • Give thanks. Make your holiday dinner an online party using Meet Now. You may not be able to pass potatoes in person, but you can share what you’re grateful for, swap stories, and enjoy time with your loved ones virtually.
  • Craft holiday fun. Whether it’s a gingerbread house with graham crackers or cutting out paper snowflakes, create your masterpieces together and then send and share your “nailed it” photos.
Photo credit: JohnnyGrieg/E+/Getty Images. Woman and man on couch at home use digital tablet.

Get on everyone’s schedule

Make time for your family gathering using an Outlook calendar invite. Outlook keeps track of time zones and daylight saving time so events automatically appear at the correct time on your calendar.

Don’t let distance get in the way of celebrating with your friends and family this holiday season. With Meet Now, you can easily get together on a video chat. From virtual holiday gatherings with your family or spontaneous chats with your friends, you can connect no matter where you are. The best part is you don’t need to download an app or sign up for an account to video chat! Just add the Meet Now link to the Outlook calendar invitation you created above.

Skype video chat on a laptop computer screen

Make it an online party: free group video calls

Connect with your favorite people across the country or the world. Use Meet Now to video chat and talk for free all day or night* on just about any mobile device, tablet, or computer.

Make a yearbook video

This has been a year like no other. Whether you want to document your life at home, work from home, or your adventures beyond your home, capture and share those moments with a Video Recap in Microsoft Photos.

Photo credit: Maksym Azovtsev/iStock/Getty Images. Man looks at photos on his digital camera connected to a laptop computer.

Create and share a Video Recap

Movie editing is easy when you organize, edit, and share your memories with Microsoft Photos. Pick a theme, choose a soundtrack, or generate a movie with one click.

Stroll down memory lane from different perspectives

See the events in your life from the eyes of your friends and family with Shared Albums in OneDrive. Invite everyone to combine their photos and videos to get fresh, unique perspectives of memories. Remember, unless it’s a selfie, the person most likely not to be in the picture is the photographer. So make sure everyone’s included with Shared Albums!

Mobile phone next to a tablet computer

Collect and enjoy treasured family photos

Create a Shared Album with OneDrive and invite your loved ones to contribute and enjoy memories of vacations, celebrations, and more.

Design your own holiday card

Create and customize heartfelt holiday greetings for friends and family that you can mail, email, or text. In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can transform each card into something truly special with your own personal touches.

Holiday greeting card and envelope

Start from a template and customize it

Make someone feel special when you create a custom card just for them. Short on time? Send everyone the same card that best matches your personal style.

While this holiday season will be different, it can still be extraordinary. Group video calls, shared albums, and digital cards can help you stay in touch with your friends and family over the holidays. Use these tips to make and share new memories you will cherish for a lifetime.

*Calls up to 24 hours each, but just call back to start a new call and keep talking!

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