Christmas doesn’t feel the way it used to, and the magic seems to fade a little more each year. As a result, it’s become harder to get into the holiday spirit. It is also challenging to find festive ways to meet with friends, as sometimes, simply hanging out over coffee is not engaging enough. Winter break is a great opportunity to do something more with all the free days and actually make it feel like Christmas. In saying that, here are some fun festive hangout ideas to do with friends and family over the holidays this year.
At home ideas:
- Decorate wreaths– Drop by a craft store like Michaels or Hobby Lobby and buy a plain base wreath, botanical accents, ribbon, ornaments, letters(optional), hot glue, scissors, hangers, strings and fairy lights (optional) to get creative with a fun, unique wreath.
- Watch classic Christmas movies– Some examples of classic Christmas movies are Home Alone, The Grinch, Polar Express and Elf.
- Secret Santa– Write friends’ names on papers and throw them in a basket. Randomly choose which one to get a gift for! Make a budget, set a date and consider making a wishlist. Some common gift ideas are Christmas-themed snacks and candy, festive candles, cozy socks or blankets and gift cards from the recipient’s favorite store.
- Bake Christmas cookies– A homemade snack that can be made with a lot of fun and eaten with a lot of fun. Buying cookie dough from the store would also suffice.
- DIY ornaments– Search up a salt ornament recipe on the internet and make an inexpensive and fun decoration for the tree. For an easier method, grab some pasta from the pantry, hot glue, paint, a paint brush and some string to create an interesting ornament with endless possibilities. Add personalization and creativity to each ornament on the tree!
- Decorate the Christmas tree– A tree decorated with friends and family would be the most meaningful and memorable Christmas decoration there is.
- Hot chocolate bar– Grab some hot chocolate mix, whipped cream, marshmallows, syrups, candy canes, sprinkles, drizzle, and cinnamon and make a fun hot chocolate bar to mix up a personalized drink.
Outdoor ideas:
- Christmas light drive– Get in a car and drive around to see who has the best Christmas lights. Some good locations in the Triangle include Piper Lights, Fieldstream Farm and Christmas Lights, Lake Myra Christmas Light Show and Happyland Lights.
- Ice skating– Go to the nearest ice rink and have fun! Try skating for the first time or watch people skating for the first time. Downtown Cary Park Ice Rink is an outdoor rink that anyone can use for free. Just make sure to check the schedule and hours on the website!
- Christmas market– Visit a Christmas market and try and see some new things. Holiday Pop-Up Market at Sheraton Imperial, Handcrafted Holiday Market, Holiday Market at Raleigh Iron Works, Fenton Holiday Maker’s Market and Mayton Holiday Market are all holiday markets in the Triangle.
- Christmas gift shopping– Going to the mall to buy Christmas gifts is even more fun than going to the mall to buy regular things. Almost all the stores in the malls would be having holiday sales so it is a good opportunity to save on gifts!
- Christmas-themed photoshoot– Find a nice spot indoors or outdoors that looks festive and take pictures with friends and family that can be kept forever.
Many friends enjoy hosting a fun, cozy meet-up at their house. “Last year, my friends and I got together and made gingerbread houses, which was really fun and a great way to bond. I liked it a lot because we normally wouldn’t do many creative hangouts on regular days,” says Prathyusha Mahapatra (’29), a student at Green Hope. Marielle Conlon (’29), also a student at Green Hope, shares, “I always have fun mini parties at my house like sleepovers or cookie swaps, where everyone brings a type of cookie so that there are a lot of different variations that we can all eat together.”
Winter break doesn’t have to be spent just staying at home or waking up late. It could be a great opportunity to have interesting outings that will be memorable for years to come. It’s easy to keep the holiday spirit, as long as it is known that the spirits come from spending time and spreading love to friends and family, and everyone close to the heart.
