Christmas during a pandemic was obviously not the plan for any of us, and with so many of us in varying degrees of lockdown until at least the end of December, all of our celebrations will look different this year. Whether you will be spending Christmas all alone or surrounded by family members, here are 51 ways to get into the festive spirit.
Make Your Home Festive
As you spend so much time at home, making it feel cozy and festive is an easy way to start beating any bah-humbug blues. Here are a few easy, low-cost ways to make your home look and feel Christmassy.
- Decorate your Christmas tree
- Put Christmas decorations up
- Put a wreath on the front door
- Put out lots of fairy lights
- Put stockings out
- Switch out regular cushions for festive cushions
- Use festive blankets
- Get a Poinsettia
- Put your plants and flowers in festive pots
- Elf on the shelf
- Festive scented candles or oils
- Use a Christmas mug (mine says Happy Holidays)
- Put Christmas or winter-themed pictures up
- Add some sparkle and glitz
Enjoy Festive Fun
One of my go-to ways to get into the festive spirit is to do activities like watching Christmas movies and going to see light displays. Here are a few ideas of fun things to do to get you started.
- Watch Christmas movies
- Play Christmas music
- Read a Christmas rom-com
- Visit nice hotels to see their festive displays
- Play festive games
- Go and see Christmas light displays
- Attend Christmas parties
- Explore Christmas Markets
- Go to the cinema
- Get outside and go on a winter walk
- Visit local tourist attractions over the holidays
- Go to local festive events
- Take a festive vacation
Treat Yourself To Festive Food & Drink
Is it even Christmas if you don’t eat and drink lots of festive food that you can’t get at any other time of year? It’s OK to treat yourself over the holidays. Here are a few ways to get into the festive spirit with yummy treats.
- Countdown with a chocolate advent calendar
- Bake Christmas Cookies
- Eat Festive Treats
- Make a Christmas cocktail
- Make hot chocolate bombs with festive moulds
- Drink a Festive Drink (or 3!)
- Make a gingerbread house
- Enjoy a festive happy hour
- Bake a Christmas cake
- Have a festive cocktail in a nice bar
- Decorate Christmas cookies
- Go on a festive pub crawl
- Go out for dinner
Do Creative Activities
Creativity is great for your emotional and mental well-being. If you are feeling low over Christmas or want things to do to stay busy, there are a lot of creative activities you could do. Here are some fun ways to get into the festive spirit in creative ways.
- Participate in Blogmas
- Make Digital Christmas Cards on Canva
- Give homemade Christmas presents
- Make Christmas Decorations
- Do festive adult color-by-numbers on your devices (Happy Color is the app I use)
- Sew a Christmas cross-stitch
- Make a Christmas Wreath
- Do a diamond art kit
- Paint a festive picture
- Create Christmas-themed social media content
- Make a Christmas mood board on Canva
- Adult color-by-numbers book
- Complete a festive jigsaw puzzle
Beauty & Clothing
Prioritize your self-care, and feel more festive with some pampering and festive clothing over the holidays. Here are a few low-cost ideas to get you started.
- Use a festive-scented shower gel or bath bomb
- Paint your nails a festive color
- Wear festive socks
- Use a festive-scented hand cream
- Enjoy an at-home spa day
- Wear festive pajamas
- Use a festive-scented body lotion
- Wear a Christmas jumper
- Use a festive hot water bottle
- Enjoy a long hot bath
Experience The Gift of Giving
No list of ways to get into the festive spirit would be complete without a few ideas for gift-giving.
- Do Some Christmas Shopping Online
- Buy gifts from small businesses
- Donate presents to a local charity
- Buy Yourself A Christmas Treat (or 2)
- Write Christmas Cards
- Wrap Christmas Presents
- Make a donation to a local charity
- Volunteer over Christmas
- Participate in a Secret Santa
- Support local small businesses on social media
- Read, comment on, and share festive blog posts
- Make a Christmas stocking for your pet/s
…and there you have 75 ways to get into the festive spirit. Most of these activities I do every year to lift my mood and feel festive. How about you, what do you like to do to get into a festive mood? Are your favorite festive activities on this list?
Michelle says
Hello from Kitchener, Ontario! I have hated hearing “Christmas is cancelled this year”. It’s not cancelled. It’s just different. This is a fantastic list of ideas to get in the Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas to you!
Jeanine Byers says
Those are awesome suggestions! I do a lot of them, and like you said, they really have helped me this year!!