{"id":119851,"date":"2020-12-05T02:01:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-05T09:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dherbs.com\/?p=119851"},"modified":"2022-04-18T05:02:39","modified_gmt":"2022-04-18T12:02:39","slug":"how-to-politely-decline-holiday-invitations-during-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dherbs.com\/articles\/how-to-politely-decline-holiday-invitations-during-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Politely Decline Holiday Invitations During COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Did you receive an invitation or two to some holiday gatherings? Are you having trouble declining these invitations without saying something like, \u201cWhy would I gather with a bunch of strangers when COVID-19 cases are at an all time high?\u201d It\u2019s easy to respond this way because, if you\u2019re like most people, you are frustrated with 2020. You don\u2019t want to be tempted to do things that you shouldn\u2019t do and bite people\u2019s heads off because of it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep this in mind: an invitation is not an order. It\u2019s not like you are being summoned for jury duty. You don\u2019t have to make up an excuse to decline an invitation in this day and age. The person or people who invite you to gatherings want you to be there, otherwise they wouldn\u2019t invite you. The love for you is there, but you want to stay safe and follow public health recommendations. You don\u2019t want to attend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dherbs.com\/articles\/what-you-need-to-know-about-silent-spreaders-of-covid-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a potential super spreader event<\/a> where all of your friends contract COVID-19. After all, there have been more than 250,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How To Politely Decline An Invitation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Letting someone down is never easy, but declining an invitation does not let someone down, especially during the pandemic. If the people who invite you are truly your friends, they will understand and respect your decision, no matter what it is. The most important thing you can do is to inform the person that you cannot accept the invitation as soon as possible. The quicker the response, the better. We have more tips on how to politely decline a holiday invitation below.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Always Use \u201cI\u201d Statements When You Decline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s almost too easy to shame someone for throwing a holiday party in the middle of a pandemic. The last thing you want to say is something like, \u201cWhy would I attend your party? Are you trying to jeopardize the health of your friends?\u201d It\u2019s better, and more polite, to say something like, \u201cI would love to attend, but I\u2019m just not comfortable going to any gatherings right now. I hope you guys stay safe.\u201d This raises concern about the party without judging your friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep It Short And Sweet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no need to drag out your reason for declining the invitation. You aren\u2019t spinning the yarn to entertain people; you\u2019re declining a party invite. Keep it short and to the point, and don\u2019t make them feel bad for having a party. You cannot control how others live their lives, and you have to be comfortable with your own decision to decline. Use the aforementioned tip to decline the invitation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don\u2019t Expect People To Accept your Decision<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You should get ready for a negative response when you decline the invitation. This is a natural response because people just want to be with each other. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dherbs.com\/articles\/5-mental-health-tips-for-coronavirus-social-distancing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">We\u2019ve spent so much time apart<\/a> and people are ready to party with friends, even if that means dramatically increasing their risk of COVID-19. Accept the response, whatever it is, just as your friends or family accept your response. It may be difficult, but acceptance brings relief.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Offer Another Way To Celebrate Without<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you plan to decline whatever holiday party invitations come your way, offer an alternative way to celebrate. Not only is is this a respectful way to decline, but it also shows the person that you want to be with them; the circumstances simply prevent that from happening. Propose the idea of a Zoom lunch or a present opening session over FaceTime. You can also do a holiday breakfast cook off and suggest a secret ingredient that you have to incorporate into the dish.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Phone Call Is Always Better Than A Text<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This may be a little old-fashioned, but it\u2019s good to connect and hear inflection or tone of voice. It\u2019s too easy to misinterpret a text based on wording, whereas a phone call allows you the opportunity to explain your reasoning or situation. The phone call that\u2019s about you declining a holiday invitation may turn into an hour-long conversation that catches you up on everything that\u2019s been happening in the other person\u2019s life. That\u2019s a beautiful thing! After all, holiday parties are all about catching up and socializing, which you can easily do over the phone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you need to avoid holiday parties because of COVID-19? Here\u2019s how to politely decline invitations to holiday social gatherings? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":119854,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,50],"tags":[6735,7149,7262,7437,8440,2153,2226,2322,2672,2743,2963],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How To Politely Decline Holiday Invitations During COVID-19 - Dherbs.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do you need to avoid holiday parties because of COVID-19? 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