Not all of us spend Christmas with family or friends, and this can be for various reasons - work commitments, travel, etc. But this article should give you a good idea of what you can do when you find yourself alone on December 25th. Whether by choice or not, if you're alone this Christmas, you should know that you're one of many, and there's a vast list of activities you can do to get you through those 24 hours.
Plan
I know that you probably think you can just get through the day as you would any other day, but at the very least, you should take into account that the majority, if not all, businesses are going to be closed.
When you're shopping for food, take that into account. Make sure you buy some extra frozen and cupboard food to last you through Christmas and Boxing day. Pay your bills, top up your gas and electric meters if your home runs off of key cards. If you find yourself thinking "I need to go to the store before Christmas day," do it and do it soon.
Gifts
Personally, this won't be the first holiday I've spent alone for a long period of time. Getting yourself a little gift bag to open on the day works wonders for keeping festive spirit alive, and even though you know exactly what you got for yourself, it's still exciting, because suddenly you have new, thoughtful things that you'll use. Unlike the strange gifts that you get from relatives and get re-gifted, or sold when no one's looking.
Everyone does it.
You should ensure that you've posted or given out the gifts you've bought/made for others before Christmas day, too. The majority of people are going to be unavailable, and if you, like me, rely on public transport, you likely aren't going to be able to get them their gifts otherwise.
Visiting
Consider, if you can, going and visiting a few people on Christmas Eve.
It really lessens the shock of spending a holiday by yourself if you can see a few people. If not Christmas Eve, what about traveling after Christmas, or making New Year's plans? Just because you're alone on Christmas day doesn't mean you need to spend the entire week by yourself.
Solo Christmas
Before we start, you should consider how you feel about Christmas.
Are you an overly festive person? Religious? Spiritual? Is it just another day? You should plan your Christmas the way that you want to, honor any traditions you hold dear, attend Mass, decorate in advance, or just go about your day as you normally would, and enjoy the day off work.
Ideas
And finally, here's a list of suggestions for what you can do on the day to pass the hours:
- Cook. Just because you have the day to yourself, doesn't mean you should just eat something instant or microwaveable. Put some effort into lunch, think back to the Sunday lunches you had when you were younger, and go from there. Make yourself a dessert, too! Even a batch of cookies would make the day more fun.
- Clean. Yes, yes, I know no one wants to clean on Christmas, but you have an entire day to waste, so why not sort a few things out that you've meant to do for a while?
- Presents. Saved any of co-workers/friends? Have any arrived in the mail? Have you bought yourself something? Open it, bask in the love.
- Movies. Watch several, plan out a list of them that you want to watch - perhaps an entire set? Harry Potter is always good for the holidays or Lord of the Rings. Watching fantasy movies will keep you in a magical mindset. Unfortunately, most movie theatres will be closed, but they'll be open up to Christmas Eve, and back open on Boxing Day.
- Binge watch a TV Series. Doctor Who comes to mind, among most series' on Netflix, and several Christmas specials that are inevitably coming.
- Write. Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean you can't do a little work. If you're a writer, or you have coursework or office work to do, why not spend an hour or two on it? You could even do this while you have a movie on in the background. Multitasking will get you through your day.
- Craft. Create something, anything. Even cutting paper snowflakes would be something fun to do, and because they're not strictly Christmas-y, you could hang them and keep them up until the end of winter.
- Read. Pick up that book you brought on sale and read it, or perhaps one that you were brought for Christmas? That's a few hundred pages of potential entertainment.
- Game. Are you an avid gamer? Perhaps you just play casual Facebook games - either way, it doesn't matter. Load up your PC, console, Facebook account, and have at it. If you play MMOs, you'll find a lot of people around on Christmas. You literally won't be alone. If you're looking to have interaction, logging onto Overwatch, TeamSpeak, or Discord may surprise you. There's always someone online. Or play a few hours of Animal Crossing and level higher than your friends.
- Learn a Language. Start your New Year's resolution early and download Duolingo. It's free, and a very efficient way to learn.
- Social Media. Make a post on social media, let people know you're alone, invite other people soloing Christmas to message you. There is someone else you know in the same boat as you this year.
- Go for a walk. The streets will be calm, quiet, and mostly empty. It's perfect.
- Exercise. Why not? Start up the Nintendo Wii, grab "Just Dance" on your XBox. Just because the gym's closed doesn't mean you can't work out.
- Light some candles, relax.
- Indulge in a long bath. With candles, and a book, or Netflix on your phone.
- Wear whatever you want. Stay in your pajamas all day, who would know?
- Volunteer. Somewhere a Soup Kitchen is looking for assistance, or a hotline that needs more staff. Christmas isn't always the best time of year, and some people need help.
- Listen to Music. The best way to get through a long day is to find a good playlist on YouTube and dance around the house or sing at the top of your lungs. It's cathartic.
With all of that: Happy holidays.
