1. Bake And Decorate Cookies
This season is a great opportunity for you to bake some of the holiday recipes you’ve pinned on Pinterest but forgot about. You can invite friends and family members over to join in on the fun, and even make miniature cookies of them. Whatever and however you choose to decorate, baking festive treats is a great opportunity to bond with friends and family and feel the holiday spirit while doing so.
2. Go Gift Shopping At The Mall
Shopping in itself is fun, unless you’re broke like me. Whatever the case, the mall is free and is usually well-decorated during the holiday season. I personally always feel like I stepped straight into a winter wonderland when I step foot into a mall. You get to hear Christmas songs, see frantic shoppers trying to buy last minute gifts, and enjoy all of the beautiful winter decorations the mall has to offer. Sometimes, depending on the mall, Santa will be taking pictures with shoppers, so take that opportunity to snap a cute Instagram photo with Santa and ask for everything on your wish list!
3. Create An iTunes Or Spotify Playlist
I love listening to Christmas music. Whether that be in the car on my way to work, in my room while I’m getting ready, or singing it in the shower, Christmas music always gets me into my holiday cheer. I usually create an album with all the classics and the good old Michael Buble covers so that I can always listen to it and never have to shuffle through YouTube to find my favorites.
4. Snuggle Up With A Movie
Movies always make the holidays more festive. As cheesy as they may be, they always seem to encapsulate the beauty of winter. Whether you watch it with friends or by yourself, classic movies are definitely a surefire way of getting yourself into the holiday spirit. Check out ABC this holiday season as they air their 25 days of Christmas spectacular broadcasting all of the season’s classics.
5. Hot Chocolate
Curl up by a fire with a book and a hot chocolate this winter. It’s warm, delicious, and always makes me nostalgic about when I was younger drinking hot cocoa after a long day out playing in the snow.
6. Check Out Some Festive Houses
This one has probably got to be my favorite on the list. My family doesn’t decorate for the holidays, so I always love touring around my neighborhood and checking out what everyone else puts up for the season. If your neighborhood is pretty bare during the holidays, don’t fret; search online for some festive hot spots and go on a road trip with your friends to check them all out!
7. Decorate
By simply putting some candy canes, snowflakes, or even some festive colors around your dorm room or home, you can immediately get into the holiday spirit. I personally don’t have money to spend on expensive, store bought decorations, so I usually like making my own decorations and turn it into a fun activity I can enjoy with my friends. Check out Pinterest for some fun activities or even try taking a few from Good Housekeeping!
8. Eat All The Food
It’s the season of candy canes, eggnog, pumpkin pies, mulled drinks, and roasted foods. Whether you do it yourself, or pick up some yummies at the grocery store, eating some festive treats can put you right into the holiday mood.
9. Go Ice Skating
I love ice skating with friends in the wintertime. It gives me an opportunity to bundle up into my warmest clothes and slip and slide (more so slip in my case) all across the ice! If you don’t have a skating rink nearby or live in warmer climates, then check out an indoor hockey rink and skate around during their open skate hours.
10. Get Outside
Getting outside during the holidays is one of the best and most therapeutic ways to enjoy the winter time. So many people coop themselves up inside all winter long, but I say take advantage of the snow and build snow snowmen with friends, visit a Christmas tree farm, or even go sledding or skiing! The opportunities are endless. Even if you live in a warmer climate, so many places nowadays can take the beauty of a winter wonderland indoors and create an event people of all ages can enjoy.
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or don’t choose to celebrate at all, partaking in some festive activities can get you into the holiday and winter spirit! Plus, these activities are a great way to bond with friends and family members and create some long-lasting memories. For all of you MoHo’s out there, you can even check out Vespers to not only get yourself into the holiday spirit, but also join the Mount Holyoke community in a special celebration!
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