How to Help Residents Celebrate the Holidays Away From Home

While the holiday season often brings warmth, festivity, and a sense of togetherness, for many residents living far from friends and family—like students, young professionals, or anyone who’s relocated for work—this time of year can feel lonely. As a property manager or residential life leader, you have a unique opportunity to help them find comfort, celebrate traditions, and build new bonds within their new home.

Here are a few suggestions to create a welcoming, inclusive holiday atmosphere at your property, along with ways Invited’s community-building platform can simplify the process for you.

1. Host a “Home-Away-From-Home” Potluck

DIY: Encourage residents to prepare their favorite holiday dish from their own cultural background, then share it with neighbors. These potlucks help everyone experience a taste of home—literally—and discover new traditions. You can coordinate sign-ups, send reminder emails, and stick a sign-up sheet in the lobby.

With Invited: Residents RSVP digitally, coordinate timing, and indicate what dish they’re bringing. Invited groups and introduces residents with similar interests, helping newcomers find like-minded neighbors to break the ice with.

2. Offer a Holiday Décor Exchange

DIY: Create a “give and take” holiday décor corner in a common area where residents can exchange ornaments, wreaths, or holiday lights. This lets newcomers contribute their own flair and adopt some seasonal cheer from others.

With Invited: Set up a digital bulletin on Invited’s platform announcing the décor exchange. Residents can post what they have to offer or request specific items they’d like. No endless email chains or taped-up flyers required—just one central place to make connections happen.

3. Promote Cultural Celebrations

DIY: The holiday season isn’t just about one tradition. Recognize and encourage events like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, and the Lunar New Year, and invite residents to share their customs. Identify who’s interested, set a schedule, and manage various invitations.

With Invited: By having residents list their cultural interests in their profiles, Invited can suggest small groups who may want to celebrate together. Imagine a Hanukkah candle-lighting or a Lunar New Year dumpling-making session formed easily through interest-based matching.

4. Plan Small Group Activities for Holiday Shopping or Outings

DIY: Coordinate a holiday market trip or a group outing to see festive lights. Spread the word with flyers and emails, find a central place to meet up, and encourage residents to get to know each other.

With Invited: Residents who enjoy shopping, seeing holiday displays, or visiting local attractions can match and connect directly. Your job is simply to approve the event—Invited then ensures it reaches the right people who’ll be excited to participate.

5. Foster Connections Through Volunteer Opportunities

DIY: Partner with a local charity or food bank and encourage residents to volunteer together.

With Invited: Publish the volunteer event on Invited’s platform and invite residents to join. The platform handles RSVPs, sends automatic reminders, and allows residents to coordinate all in one place.

6. Set Up a Holiday Movie Night Series

DIY: A classic holiday movie can help everyone feel that cozy sense of nostalgia. You can gather interest by hanging up posters, collecting votes for which movies to screen, and encouraging residents to show up.

With Invited: Run a quick poll through Invited to pick the most popular holiday films. Let Invited help schedule the events, send automated reminders, and collect votes for community favorites right within the platform. Less guesswork, more merry movie marathons.

7. Spark New Traditions with Mixers and Gift Exchanges

DIY: Secret Santa or White Elephant gift swaps are always fun but do require you to manage who brings what and ensure no one is left out.

With Invited: Allow residents to sign up for gift exchanges in-app. Invited assembles the most relevant groups and ensures your Secret Santa pairs are more likely to connect well and enjoy the holiday spirit.

Why These Efforts Matter

For residents far from home, the holidays can feel like a reminder of what they’re missing. By offering them opportunities to create new holiday memories, meet neighbors who may be in the same boat, and celebrate traditions old and new, you can help them feel less alone. This sense of belonging not only improves their wellbeing, but it’s also great for your property’s reputation and retention—happy residents are more likely to renew their leases.

How Invited Can Help

While all of these strategies can be done the old-fashioned way—flyers, group emails, hallway sign-up sheets—they often demand a lot of your time and energy. Invited streamlines the entire process, from organizing events and facilitating sign-ups to intelligently matching residents with compatible groups. Instead of juggling communication methods and reminders, Invited does it all for you and provides you with on-demand insights to measure community engagement. The result? A happier, more connected community that thrives—even during the holidays when loved ones are often miles away.

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Helping residents feel less isolated during the holiday season is both a thoughtful gesture and a strategic investment in your property’s long-term success. By fostering meaningful interactions, encouraging cultural exchange, and creating opportunities for residents to celebrate together, you can turn “lonely holidays” into “memorable traditions”—with a little help from Invited. You still have time! Reach out via the chat below to get started.