There are certain activities that are best enjoyed when you're home for the holidays. Of course, you can enjoy all of these holiday activities if you're flying solo this festive season, or if you're not able to make it home for the holidays but there's just something a little more magical about enjoying them with your nearest and dearest and when nestled in the fold of your family home.
As well as being the most wonderful time of the year, the holidays can be a little stressful. First you have to start by actually getting home when it seems that the entire world is travelling home for the holidays. When you arrive home there are many pleasantries to be had and obligatory familial news to catch up on, when you'd actually just rather get in your pajamas and hibernate your travel hangover away. During the holidays you may get asked many personal questions by prying relatives who seem to judge every aspect of your life, such as the dreaded topic of why you might be single during the holidays. Even worse, if you brought someone home for the holidays, your relationship and your new partner will be under scrutiny every second of every day, except when you're alone together.
But don’t worry, there are so many amazing things about the festive season, including this selection of activities you can enjoy while you’re home for the holidays.
1. Decorate Your Family Home
Dressing up your family home in festive attire is such a fun thing to do, plus it gives you some quality time with your loved ones. Things might take a nostalgic turn when you dig out the old decorations and find yours or your sibling's homemade decorations you made when you were kids. Sharing happy memories with your family is always an uplifting experience.
2. Bake Festive Themed Treats
There's nothing like the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg to put you in a festive mood. You could even bake some delicious holiday treats as gifts for your friends and family. Or you could just eat them all yourself. Your call!
3. Have A Holiday Craft Session
Your holiday craft session could include beautiful DIY holiday decorations to compare against your adorable kindergarten crafts from back in the day. On the other hand, as with the baking, you could turn your craft session into an opportunity to make the most thoughtful homemade Secret Santa gifts you have ever bestowed.
4. Have A Christmas Movie Marathon
Get cozy on the sofa with friends or on your own, with a stash of your favorite treats within arm's reach. Pick Christmas movies at random or choose a theme such as retro holiday movies, animated Christmas movies, or even festive films with a scary edge. All that's left to do is kick off your slippers and relax.
5. Have A Board Game Tournament
My friends and I get together each year around Christmas and we play Dungeons & Dragons – it’s turned into a holiday tradition! So pick your favorite game (or multiple games,) invite some loved ones around, and have some old fashioned, technology-free fun.
6. Go Ice Skating
Now I'm definitely no figure skater on the ice (in fact I spend more time falling over and getting back up than I do skating,) but there's something really magical about skating on an ice rink during the holidays. It's even better if the ice rink you choose is an outdoor rink and open to the elements, because then you can get all wrapped up in your hat, scarf, and mittens and channel some snow bunny vibes. Better yet, you could pick up some roasted chestnuts or a delicious hot cocoa on your way home.
7. Go For A Walk
This one could be weather dependent because obviously, if it’s thrashing down with rain, you might not want to venture outdoors. But if you want to build a snowman — because who doesn’t? Aside from Princess Elsa obviously — venture into the great outdoors and cross your fingers for a white Christmas. It’ll be good for you to get some fresh air pumping through your lungs and get your body moving, so you can put your indulgent feasting energy to good use.
8. Snuggle Up By The Fire
If you have a real fire in your family home, throw some logs on it, grab a blanket, and snuggle up with your SO or family pet with some vintage Christmas tunes or Michael Buble. A glass of your favorite wine and a box of chocolates will elevate this experience from magical to heavenly. If you don’t have a real fire, don’t worry! You can either use a Smart TV to stream a picture or a video of a roaring fire onto your screen and turn up the heating to create the illusion of a real life fire, or pop down to your local bar or pub which may have a glorious fire already roaring away.
9. Help Cook Christmas Dinner
On both my mother’s and father’s side of the family, Christmas dinner is left to the matriarchs. It’s kind of an unwritten rule that the women pull together with the oldest and wisest lady at the helm, delegating jobs in order of importance to the next eldest generation and the less important jobs trickle down to me. I’m totally cool with that at this moment in time, because as my cooking skills are slowly improving, I’m still no genius in the kitchen, so it’s great to learn techniques and skills from my relatives. Also, it makes me feel good to contribute to a meal which I will enjoy devouring, instead of just one or two people being responsible for the entire banquet.
10. Host A New Year’s Eve House Party
Let’s face it, NYE is a really exciting, yet really manic night. Why not hold a house party this NYE? It could be family-oriented, you could get all your home town BFFs together, or guests could include a mixture of friends and family. Yes, you may have to ask permission from your parents or family member to host the party at their home, but you can always soften the request by inviting them to the event or treating them to a special evening with their own friends. The cheap alcohol will be flowing, there’ll be buffet food aplenty, and you’ll have everyone you love under the same roof — NYE house parties are total no-brainers if you ask me!
After completing these activities, you'll be glowing with festive cheer, so spread the holiday joy to your nearest and dearest while you're home for the holidays.
Images: NikolaJelenkovic, AliInay, PavanTrikutam /Unsplash; Pexels (4); Giphy
