It’s the same every year. We think we have ages to get all the presents sorted, order the turkey, and organise a family get together, but we always seem to be rushing to get things ready for Christmas. Well, this year, why not try something different to celebrate the festive season? If you can’t face the thought of peeling sprouts this Christmas, this guide gives you some alternative celebration ideas!
Change your Dinner Plans
The key thing if you want to celebrate the festive season with a difference is to step back from the norm. So, if you always have a traditional home-cooked dinner, why not book a restaurant and have the whole meal cooked for you?
This saves you the stress of getting everything ready, or spending the whole of Christmas morning in the kitchen, and there is no clearing up to do afterwards.
Don’t Send Gifts
Yes, you heard it right… stop wasting money on gifts that you don’t even know your relatives will like or want. Confer before-hand and pool together your money to do something else instead, something that you can do to spend time with each other. That could be a family day out, tickets to a fun show, or attending an event that you all enjoy.
If you have children who come to expect and enjoy the gifting tradition, then don’t disappoint them! However, your other relatives might actually appreciate doing something different, and it also saves them the stress of finding gifts too.
Join in with Charity Projects
Christmas is not a fun time for everyone, so if you want to make a difference this year then why not join a charity project and help brighten someone else’s festive season? This could mean raising money, collecting food donations, or simple spending an hour of your time on Christmas Day to talk with people who are lonely. Making an effort to do something to help others gives you a good feeling, and it is also what the spirit of Christmas is all about.
Go on Holiday
If you are fed up with the cold weather, then why not spend Christmas somewhere hot and sunny? Going abroad for Christmas gives you the opportunity to experience another culture, and you will have a new set of festive ideas that you might like to make your own. Organising a winter sun holiday can be just the thing you need to escape the build up to Christmas, and you can return feeling refreshed and ready for the New Year.
Christmas Day is a day of traditions, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t swap things around now and then, or start new traditions! Christmas time is all about spending time with the people you love, and doing things to help others. That could be by cooking a meal, being charitable or simple doing something nice. Where and how your spend Christmas doesn’t really matter, as long as you have fun together!
Will you try something different this year for the festive season?
*Disclosure: Collaborative Post
Thanks for stopping by,
Love you all ❤️
Franca 💋
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I would so love to go away for Christmas one year to stay in a cosy cottage with an open fire somewhere 🙂
Stevie x
That sounds so amazing! I haven’t gone away for Xmas either but I really wanted to do it this year but I guess it is a little bit too late now xx
What a lovely post. This year, I think I am going to go on holiday to the Bahamas with my friends.
Love Bei-Bei x
That sounds amazing! Enjoy! 🙂 xx
So true, I always think I have lots of tume to sort Christmas, I only started shopping last week, I would love to book a restraunt for Christmas dinner, my fiance was a chef for 15 years so usually sorts the dinner while I help the children with their toys etc but he suffered a heart attack in March, he stayed at home for 21 hours in pain, so has severely damaged his heart, so I will be taking charge this year (wish me luck) xxx
Oh no! I am so sorry to hear that Kayleigh! What a big scare! I hope he is better now! I am sure everything will be okay for Xmas this year but sure I wish you luck lovely! 🙂 x
Christmas day is the one day that I have a meal cooked for me and the only time I will drink alcohol through the day. Going out for a meal would be very difficult with my kids,niece and nephew lol! My change comes in the form of being more prepared. Every year since my 5 year old was born we have had terrible Christmas Eves and end up having just a couple of hours sleep and lots of stress. Last year he chicken pox and Christmas Eve being the worst part with him crying until 2.30am – had to then bring all the presents downstairs, sort stockings out and as soon as my head touched the pillow at maybe 3.30am our oldest woke up and was looking through his stocking! It’s a good job I don’t have to cook a meal. This year I am buying 4 stockings, 2 will be filled ready, I’ll set my alarm for maybe 5am and all will go well for the first time in 5 years.
Great post, I think when the kids are older we may do other things at Christmas. We are not exchanging gifts with certain family members this year as its just too expensive and our kids get too much stuff.
Yes we are reducing the gifts too but I really wish to go away from Xmas one day! 🙂
Now kids are older spend our Christmas at a restaurant no need for expensive gifts then
Ah that sounds ideal!