How to Celebrate Xmas: Expert Advice on Enjoying the Holidays

A fun guide on traditions, decorations, and family ideas

Christmas is a holiday filled with good cheer, joyful decorations, and time with family and friends. Whether you are celebrating a secular or religious Christmas, it is a day for fun, love, and happiness. To help you make the most of this magical time of year, we met with expert decorators, parenting experts, and more. We’ll even cover some of the less common ways to celebrate the holiday and some fun ideas from other parts of the globe!

Popular Ways to Celebrate Christmas

• Decorate a Christmas tree with holiday ornaments.
• Put lights up in and outside your house to add a festive atmosphere.
• Put up an Advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
• Listen to Christmas music, or sing Christmas carols.
• Make and decorate Christmas cookies with your loved ones.

Steps

Decorating for Christmas

1. Put up a Christmas tree and decorate it. You can choose between a live tree or an artificial one. Then, string lights on the tree by moving from the bottom up, wrapping the lights around each branch. Add garlands to the tree, such as ones made of tinsel, popcorn, or cranberries, by wrapping them around and around the tree. Put your favorite ornaments on the tree, such as Christmas balls, stars, or really any small trinket. To finish the tree, place a tree topper at the tip, such as an angel or star.^[1]
   
   • You can decorate your tree with family heirloom ornaments or try something new by decorating a tree with Star Trek or superhero-themed ornaments, little trains, or Disney characters, for example. You can even use things like candy canes!
   • Fun history fact: Bringing evergreens into the house during winter actually predates the Christmas holiday. It was a way to bring life into the house. Decorating an evergreen tree as a Christmas tradition began in Germany in the 16th century.^[2]
2. Hang stockings over the mantle for small gifts. Traditionally, kids would hang their actual socks (stockings) over the mantle and St. Nicholas would fill them with coins, foods, toys or other small trinkets. Now, stockings tend to be decorative, but you still hang them over the mantle for Santa to leave toys and other small gifts in. If you don't have a mantle, hang them off of your television console, on a stair railing, or anywhere that's near your Christmas tree.^[3]
   
   • The stockings were hung over the mantle because that's where they'd put them to dry after a wet winter's day.
3. Brighten your home with Christmas lights. Try lining the roof of your house with Christmas lights or threading them through bushes or around your trees. Hang them up around your porch or make a boundary around your yard. Inside, try hanging them on the mantle, across bookshelves, or along the length of a wall near the ceiling.^[4]
   
   • You could also wrap them around a handrail on your stairs along with some fake evergreen garland.
   • Always plug your lights into exterior GFCI outlets—do not run an extension cord from an outdoor outlet through a window.
4. Add a nativity scene to focus on a religious Christmas. For Christians, Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth, so nativity scenes are traditional. Nativity scenes depict the birth of Jesus, including Mary, Joseph, the three wise men, shepherds, and all the animals that were in attendance. Baby Jesus is placed in a manger. You can place small ones on your mantle or in other areas of your home, or you can set up a life-size one outside.^[5]
   
   • The history of Christmas as a religious holiday. There’s no evidence that Jesus was born on the 25th of December, but church officials in the 3rd century chose that date because it lined up with Saturnalia—a Roman holiday dedicated to Saturn. The idea was that it would be easy to attract new Christians if the holidays didn’t change.^[6]
5. Put out poinsettias, evergreens, and mistletoe. These plants have come to be associated with Christmas over the years, so you can usually find them all over at Christmas time. Set out poinsettias in pots around your house, and you'll have an easy, festive Christmas decoration. You can also put up an evergreen wreath or decorate with fake evergreen garlands in your home.^[7]
   
   • Mistletoe is traditionally hung in doorways. If 2 people are caught under it, they're supposed to kiss! Mistletoe also predates the Christmas holiday, but it has long been associated with it.^[8]
   • Keep in mind that these plants can be poisonous for pets, so keep them out of reach!
6. Make decorations to put around your home. There are so many for Christmas decorations. Try making paper snowflakes, creating paper chains out of red and green paper, or stringing garlands out of popcorn and cranberries. You can also collect pine cones and evergreen branches to place around your home. Oranges are often associated with Christmas, so place some in a bowl. You can even stud them with cloves to make pomanders.^[9]
   
   • You can also spray paint regular tree branches with gold, silver, or sparkly paint, then place them in vases.
   • Candles are also commonly used for Christmas decorations.
   • The traditional Christmas colors are green and red, but you can also use white, gold, and silver, or really any colors you want to make your home festive.
   • You can also make ornaments out of things you have around the house, such as paper or fabric.
   • You don’t have to spend tons of time decorating. Interior decorator and brand influencer Nissa-Lynn Parson says, “My favorite seasonal decorating advice is to mix items you already have with a few new pieces. You don’t need to go out and replace everything.”^[10]

Getting into the Holiday Spirit

1. Help young children believe in Santa. Kids usually stop believing in Santa around age eight or so, but younger kids will love the story of Santa. Explain who Santa is and how he is going to come visit your home on Christmas Eve.
   
   • To complete the tradition, have them leave cookies and milk out for Santa on Christmas Eve. When they are asleep, drink the milk and eat the cookies, leaving some crumbs as evidence.^[11]
   • Have your kids leave carrots out for the reindeer, and when they're asleep, nibble on the carrots, leaving gnawed pieces behind.
   • Lean into the magic even if your kids don’t fully believe. Parenting coach JoAnn Crohn says to play up how Santa won’t come if your kids don’t go to bed and to pretend like Santa magically appears even if your kids are a little too old to fully believe. “They still want to play along,” she says.^[12]
2. Put up an Advent calendar to count down to Christmas. An Advent calendar is made up of 25 spaces that lead up to Christmas Day. Each day, you open the door, space, or present corresponding to the day. Many Advent calendars have small treats in them, such as pieces of chocolate, small toys, or stickers, one for each day. Others may have quotes or sayings in them to get you in the holiday spirit.^[13]
   
   • You can make an Advent calendar or just buy one.
   • While advent calendars were traditionally for kids, you can find many adult-themed calendars these days, such as ones with small bottles of wine.
3. Turn up the Christmas music to put you in a festive mood. Whether you like traditional Christmas carols, hymns, or more contemporary Christmas music, Christmas songs are often ubiquitous at this time of year. Usually, all you need to do is tune into a local radio station to find some Christmas tunes!^[14]
   
   • If you don't have a local radio station playing Christmas songs, find songs online. You can use streaming music services to listen to them.
4. Read Christmas stories with your family to enjoy quality time with each other. Plenty of stories focus on Christmas, and spending time reading them with your family is a great way to get in a festive mood. Try reading a little bit of a longer story each night, for instance.^[15]
   
   • Of course, you can go right to the source and read the story of Christmas in the Bible.
   • You could try classic stories, such as Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol or fun children's stories and poems, such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas or 'Twas the Night before Christmas.
5. Visit outdoor displays of Christmas lights and decorations. If your country celebrates Christmas, then you'll likely find plenty of places to see Christmas lights and decorations. Many towns put together light displays, but even if yours doesn't, try driving or walking through neighborhoods to see what individuals put up.^[16]
   
   • Top off the evening with some hot chocolate and marshmallows!
6. Reflect on the reason for Christmas if you’re Christian. If you're not sure what Christmas means or you're rusty on the background, do some research. In the Bible, you can find the Christmas story in Luke chapters 1 and 2 and Matthew chapters 1 and 2.^[17] Consider reading these chapters aloud as part of your family's holiday.
   
   • You could also look up videos about the birth of Jesus. You'll find many that depict the nativity with scripture as the primary text.
   • Attend a Christmas Eve candlelight service. Many local churches will have candlelight services on Christmas Eve, usually late at night (around 11 p.m.), that mainly consist of a short sermon, scripture readings about the birth of Jesus, and Christmas hymns.
7. Go Christmas caroling. Christmas caroling is when you go to other people's homes and sing them Christmas songs. You can also sing carols at your home or go to a senior living center to sing for them. All you need to do is learn some Christmas songs and gather some friends.^[18]
   
   • For song ideas, try ones like "Frosty the Snowman," "A Holly, Jolly Christmas," "Silver Bells," “Winter Wonderland,” “Jingle Bells,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” “Let it Snow,” or “It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas.”
8. Make Christmas cookies and other holiday baked goods. One classic Christmas cookie is sugar cookies cut into Christmas shapes, such as candy canes, snowmen, stars, and gingerbread men. Then, you can decorate them with icing and sprinkles. Other fun options include gingerbread men, molasses cookies, and thumbprint cookies.^[19]
   
   • You can also make yule logs, fruit cakes, or an apple pie.
   • Mincemeat pie is also traditional in many countries.
   • Making decorative houses out of gingerbread, icing, and candy is also a tradition.^[20]
9. Enjoy Christmas dinner with your friends and family. Traditional Christmas foods include things like turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, and rolls. However, more important than the food is gathering together with your friends and family to eat.^[21]
   
   • If you're looking for festive drinks, try drinking, eggnog, sherry or mulled wine.
   • Don't forget to include some traditional desserts.
   • Don't be afraid to invite more than just your family. Think about people you know who may be alone on Christmas and ask them to come.
   • Set the table with a Christmas theme with folded napkins, table runners and beautiful plates.
10. Come up with your own holiday traditions as a family. Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Jennifer Guttman, PsyD says, "Figure out if there are some family rituals that you want to add to a certain holiday that can become part of a tradition."^[22] Almost every family has their own personal traditions for Christmas, and now is the perfect time to make one!
    

Stress-Free Alternative Ideas

1. Throw a Christmas party for your friends and family. Most people have some time off from work or school when it’s Christmastime, so it’s the perfect time of the year to throw a fun holiday get-together. You can host a formal dinner party, or just buy a few cases of wine and beer and have friends over on a weekend night.^[23] Other ideas include:
   
   • Costume party where you choose a fun or wacky theme (like an “anything but clothes” party).
   • White elephant.
   • Potluck (check out our potluck judgment tool before cooking something!).
   • Ugly sweater party.
2. Take an intimate vacation with your loved ones. If you aren’t super religious or into the idea of the holiday, Christmas is a great time to take a vacation. A lot of people go home for the holidays, so hotel resorts and cruises are often discounted, and you should have an easier time getting time off at work anyway, given the season.^[24]
   
   • If you live somewhere cold and you’re not the biggest fan of a white Christmas, this is the perfect time of the year for a beach vacation!
   • Christmas is all about relaxing and connecting with family anyway! Life coach Seth Hall reminds us, “Holidays are more for connection and relaxation than for being productive. You get to be productive the other 11 months out of the year. It's okay to take time for yourself and your family and relax or go on a trip.”^[25]
3. Host a holiday movie marathon. Get some popcorn and hot cocoa, invite a few friends over or snuggle up with your family on the couch, and watch some Christmas classics! There are so many fun Christmas movies and they tend to be oriented for families spending time together, so they’re a great way to spend time with your loved ones. Here are some fun options:
   
   • Fun family-friendly movies: Elf, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Santa Claus, The Polar Express
   • Classic holiday flicks: A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Miracle on 34th Street.
   • “Christmas” movies: Die Hard, Home Alone, Batman Returns, Gremlins, Love Actually
   • An R-Rated adult viewing party: Fatman, Violent Night, Red One, Bad Santa, Terrifier 3
4. Spend a day shopping and having fun. It’s no secret that a big part of Christmas has largely become about consumerism, but that’s not necessarily the world’s worst thing. Pick a day to go to your nearest downtown area or shopping mall (either by yourself or with family/friends) and treat yourself to some new clothes, tech, games, or whatever else your heart desires!
   
   • There are often great sales around Christmas time since so many people are out shopping for gifts.
   • Even if you don’t intend to buy anything, it can be fun to just window-shop and look at all the decorations and window displays!

Christmas Celebrations from Around the World

1. Borrow the Christmas pickle tradition from Germany. In Germany, many families will hide a pickle ornament around the home (kind of like elf on a shelf). The first child to find the pickle is said to get an extra gift on Christmas Day. It’s also supposed to be good luck. We recommend giving each child a chance to find the pickle to avoid any hurt feelings if you have multiple kids, though.^[26]
   
2. Mix it up like the Japanese do and get fried chicken. Christmas is a uniquely European and American phenomenon, so it’s not a naturally big deal in most of Asia. In fact, the Japanese honor the Western popularity of the holiday by getting the most American food possible—fried chicken!^[27]
   
3. Get a little creepy like Austria and celebrate Krampus. Krampus is like an ugly, evil version of Santa who punishes bad children. He’s apparently a gross figure with horns, hoofed feet, and a long tail. Austria enjoys celebrating Krampus as an icon of Austrian heritage by dressing up as him, throwing parades, and getting really weird with it.^[28]
   
4. Clean up your home and celebrate Cats like you’re in Iceland. In Iceland, parents tell the tale of the Yule cat, a giant house cat who eats children who don’t behave. The story goes that the legend was invented to encourage kids and workers to clean up, so you could do a “spring cleaning” in winter to get something productive done. Bonus points if you’re a cat owner!^[29]
   
   • Alternative idea: Hide the brooms! There are actually two cleaning-themed Nordic Christmas traditions, which is kind of fascinating. In Norway, legend says that Christmas is when witches appear to spread mischief. You could hide all of the brooms and lean into the less productive option of doing no cleaning!^[30]
5. Go rollerblading like you’re in Venezuela. If you live somewhere with decent weather in the winter, you might take a page out of Venezuela’s book and go rollerblading. It’s common for the residents of Caracas to rollerblade to mass on Christmas and Christmas Eve. It was just a way of injecting some fun into the holiday, and we can’t say we don’t see the appeal.^[31]
   

Giving to Others

1. Give presents to friends, family, and people in need. Giving Christmas presents is a tradition this time of year. Kids usually get toys from "Santa" on Christmas Day, but it's also customary to give gifts to others you love. Presents don't have to be big or expensive. Even giving a chocolate bar, baked goods, or small handmade gifts is welcome.^[32]
   
   • It's also a good time of year to offer gifts to those in need. For instance, you can give toys to toy drives for families who are down on their luck or send packages to troops overseas.
   • For a bit of fun, try opening one gift on Christmas Eve. Books or pajamas make good Christmas Eve gifts.
   • However, while gift-giving is fun, there's no reason to get into debt for it. Make sure you spend only what you can afford.^[33]
2. Mail greeting cards to friends, family, and those in need. Sending Christmas cards is a tradition this time of year, and it's a way to let people know you care. Include a little note about how you're thinking of the person and wish them well.^[34]
   
   • You can also send Christmas cards to nursing homes or troops overseas to let them know they're remembered at Christmas.
3. Donate to your favorite charity. Charity is a hallmark of Christmas, and one way you can participate in that is to pick a charity to give money to. Some common charities that people give to at this time of year include food banks, homeless shelters, and other charities that serve those who are in need.^[35]
   
   • You won't have to look hard to find someplace to give, as many charities put up donation centers and boxes this time of year.
   • You could also buy groceries anonymously for a family you know is struggling.
4. Give your time to charity and neighbors to spread Christmas cheer. You don't have to give money to help out this time of year. Offer to hang Christmas decorations for a neighbor who can't do it or send them baked goods. Collect food, blankets, coats, or other supplies for local charities, or volunteer at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen on Christmas Day.^[36]
   
   • If you want to keep Christmas going throughout the year, try volunteering your time once a week.

wikiHow Holiday Cookbook

Holiday Cookbook

Holiday Cookbook

Video

Tips

• Be aware that some people can find Christmas a hard time, especially if a loved one is ill, there are family problems, or a loved one has died. Do your best to be respectful of their grief.

Related wikiHows

• How to Make a Christmas Cake
• How to Decorate a Christmas Tree Elegantly
• Have an Eco Friendly Christmas

References

Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/christmas/trees/how-to-decorate-a-christmas-tree/
2. ↑ https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-christmas-trees
3. ↑ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/christmas/0/best-christmas-traditions-uk-santa-claus-story-why-presents/
4. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/christmas/parties/all-time-favorite-christmas-traditions/?slide=slide_70412#slide_70412
5. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/christmas/parties/all-time-favorite-christmas-traditions/?slide=slide_112345#slide_112345
6. ↑ https://www.moas.org/The-History-of-Christmas-1-37.html
7. ↑ https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/poinsettia.shtml
8. ↑ https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/mistletoe.shtml
9. ↑ https://www.countryliving.com/life/g3868/christmas-traditions/
10. ↑ [v163249_b01]. 22 Jan 2025.
11. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/christmas/parties/all-time-favorite-christmas-traditions/?slide=slide_112401#slide_112401
12. ↑ [v165380_b02]. 9 May 2025.
13. ↑ https://www.countryliving.com/life/g3868/christmas-traditions/
14. ↑ https://www.countryliving.com/life/g3868/christmas-traditions/
15. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/christmas/parties/all-time-favorite-christmas-traditions/?slide=slide_48726#slide_48726
16. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/christmas/parties/all-time-favorite-christmas-traditions/?slide=slide_112377#slide_112377
17. ↑ https://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/bible-christmas-story.htm
18. ↑ https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/carols_history.shtml
19. ↑ https://www.countryliving.com/life/g3868/christmas-traditions/
20. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/christmas/parties/all-time-favorite-christmas-traditions/?slide=slide_108393#slide_108393
21. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/christmas/parties/all-time-favorite-christmas-traditions/?slide=slide_112324#slide_112324
22. ↑ [v161860_b01]. 26 Jul 2021.
23. ↑ https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/holidays-celebrations/g32392394/christmas-party-ideas/
24. ↑ https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-christmas-vacations/
25. ↑ [v162019_b01]. 16 Nov 2021.
26. ↑ https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/christmas-pickle
27. ↑ https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/kfc-christmas-tradition-japan
28. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Krampus
29. ↑ https://www.npr.org/2023/12/23/1221454825/youve-heard-of-santa-maybe-even-krampus-but-what-about-the-child-eating-yule-cat
30. ↑ https://www.internations.org/magazine/unusual-christmas-traditions-from-around-the-world-39709
31. ↑ https://www.internations.org/magazine/unusual-christmas-traditions-from-around-the-world-39709
32. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/christmas/parties/all-time-favorite-christmas-traditions/?slide=slide_112388#slide_112388
33. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/christmas/parties/all-time-favorite-christmas-traditions/?slide=slide_112401#slide_112401
34. ↑ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/christmas/0/best-christmas-traditions-uk-santa-claus-story-why-presents/
35. ↑ https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas#section_6
36. ↑ https://www.countryliving.com/life/g3868/christmas-traditions/

source How to of the Day https://ift.tt/tGfV4j5