Christmas is the best time of the year – even if there’s a pandemic that has caused us to put some of our plans on hold!
But the holiday season can be quite easily ruined by one small slip-up, usually something that you could have prevented in the first place.
If you want to keep yourself and your family happy and protected this Christmas, these 15 holiday caution tips are well worth a read.
1. Put your Christmas tree in a suitable location
Christmas trees are the true epitome of Christmas, but they’re not always installed safely. Be sure to keep your tree away from open flame, or any other source of heat, for that matter. Make sure to keep your tree nice and hydrated by watering its bucket regularly. A dry tree poses a major fire hazard.
2. Prevent intruders from entering your home
It’s sick but true: some intruders prey on family homes come Christmas time because they know they’ll have easy access to hundreds of dollars worth of new gifts sitting under the Christmas tree. Make it impossible for intruders to get into your home this Christmas by locking doors and windows and installing a home CCTV system.
3. Check your interior decorations for faults
You can’t have a Christmas tree without decorations – but are yours safe to use? If you’ve been using the same electrical decorations for over a decade, check that everything is working properly, and there are no cracks in bulbs or tears in wires.
4. Do the same with your exterior decorations
The same goes for your exterior decorations! None of us want a “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” moment of realizing we’ve put up the entire reel of lights, only to discover that they won’t switch on. And while we’re on the subject, remember to stay safe and vigilant if you’re climbing ladders or installing decorations at a height.
5. Be careful with candles and fireplaces
We all love a pretty Christmas candle, and there’s nothing cozier than a warm fireplace on a cold day. But the last thing you want to do is set your home on fire this holiday season. Be careful not to position anything too close to a lit fireplace – and that includes your Christmas stockings! Keep candles on high counters away from pets and children, and make sure your smoke alarms are working just in case.
6. Eat mindfully – if you can!
Christmas might be renowned as the time to stuff your face, but come on – nobody feels good when they’ve eaten that much turkey. Know your limits and eat mindfully. Say no to that extra serving if you don’t want to feel full for the rest of the week. You’ll thank yourself for it come January.
7. Keep your pets safe
Pets get just as excited as us when Christmas comes around, but, like little kids, they can often cause trouble with the holiday decorations. Cats are especially crazy – they enjoy tearing down Christmas trees, eating the pines, and even biting through your Christmas lights. Cage the tree if you’re genuinely concerned for your kitty’s safety.
8. Put electrical safety first
Checking for electrical hazards at your plug sockets is just as important as checking your decorations. Make sure you don’t overload an electrical circuit, which is surprisingly easy to do nowadays. Extension cords might be an incredibly useful invention, but many people don’t realize that adding extension cord to extension cord to allow for more plugs can cause a power outage – or even a fire.
9. Remember food safety when cooking
The pressure of cooking Christmas dinner gets too much for some people – and the next thing they know, they’ve chopped off part of their finger. Yep, chopping veggies, stuffing the turkey and preparing the cranberry sauce can get a bit stressful, but letting something burn or go slightly cold is better than a Christmas day injury.
10. Be sensible with fireworks
We all love a firework display on New Year’s eve, but if you’re inexperienced in setting them off, you might just end up getting seriously injured. Make sure to carefully read the instructions on your fireworks package before using – even if you’ve set off fireworks before. It goes without saying that only adults should set them off, too.
11. Follow your local area’s COVID guidelines
Check your state’s rules carefully for COVID travel advice to ensure you’re not breaking any rules come Christmas time. And if you don’t feel comfortable seeing your family this year, just don’t. When this is all over, we can all have the biggest family parties of our lives, but staying away for now might just save a loved one’s life.
12. Buy children’s toys carefully
Cheap children’s toys pose a risk of electrocution, especially those sold unofficially by foreign sellers. If it looks dodgy, don’t risk it. And for goodness sake, don’t let your uncle have a go on the kids’ new segway after a drink or two – it’ll only end in disaster.
13. Travel safely
The holiday season naturally sees more people on the roads, traveling to and from family homes. While road accidents are bad enough on an average day, they’re particularly devastating around Christmas. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe by sticking to the speed limit, especially in unfamiliar territory.
14. Beware of winter weather
The last place anyone wants to be on Christmas day is the ER. If Christmas brings snow and ice to your hometown, make sure you’re well prepared with some good-grip boots and salt for your driveway. Keep wrapped up warm when you head outside, too, unless you want to be sniffling and sneezing all Christmas.
15. Go steady on the alcohol
We all deserve a drink or two this Christmas after the year we’ve had. But Christmas – or any other time of the year, for that matter – is not a cause for getting so intoxicated you pass out on Grandma’s couch. Be sensible – and stick to water if you’re driving. That Christmas tipple just isn’t worth getting into trouble for.
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