Now that Thanksgiving is over, everyone can officially begin to celebrate the holiday season. Like people say, Christmas isn’t just a holiday, it’s a lifestyle. Here are 12 things you can do to get in the spirit.

• Decorate

If you didn’t already break out Christmas decorations right after Thanksgiving, or even before, decorating your home or space with store bought or homemade holiday decorations is the perfect thing to do. If you feel brave enough to take on holiday stores like Homegoods and Target, those are popular places to shop. If not, diy projects and homemade items are also great for spicing up your space. Simple things like adding a few decorations are sure to bring out the holiday spirit. 

• Ice Skating

A popular activity that can still be enjoyed outdoors in the winter is ice skating. Reston Town Center is a great local outdoor rink that is open to the public until March 10. Hours are from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm on Sunday – Thursday, and 11:30 am to 11 pm on Friday and Saturday. Get a group of your friends or your family together to enjoy skating around for a couple of hours. In addition, at night, the big Christmas tree is lit up to add some extra holiday cheer.  

• Cozy Movie Night In

The best feeling in winter is cuddling up in fuzzy socks, blankets, and flannels to relax on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in hand. There’s nothing more comforting than to cozy up and binge watch all the classic Christmas and holiday movies. You can watch classic comedies like “Christmas Vacation,” or just regular classics like “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Don’t forget, there is always the Hallmark channel which is constantly airing dramatic holiday rom coms. 

• Baking

Almost everyone has their grandma’s secret cookie recipe sitting up on a shelf ready to be baked for the holiday season. This time of the year is the perfect excuse to constantly have a batch of cookies sitting on the counter. Not only does baking give delicious results (most of the time) but it can also be a fun bonding experience (most of the time). You can experiment with so many things to bake ranging from cookies, to cakes, to breads, to muffins, to pastries, and so much more. Decorating gingerbread houses is also a great option.

• Holiday Market

Another activity to do in the winter months is to visit a holiday market. Lots of people don’t know that there are holiday markets surrounding them during Christmas time. A local market that people come to visit from all over is the Fairfax City Holiday Market. This market is only open two weekends in December, December 1-3, and December 8-10. The hours are 5 to 8pm on Fridays, 12 to 6pm on Saturdays, and 12 to 5pm on Sundays. This market has been a popular event for years with dozens of vendors, live music, dancing, and more. One more local market that is extremely popular is the DC Downtown Holiday Market. This market is open November 17 through December 23, from 12pm to 8pm every day in Downtown Washington, DC. Here you shop through endless small businesses, and find several entrepreneurs.

• Puzzles

Puzzles are not everyone’s cup of tea, but around Christmas, many people tap into their puzzle-loving side. Especially during a weekend or holiday break, breaking out a puzzle to tackle with your family and even extended family can be a great activity. Solving puzzles can be very therapeutic and peaceful, but beware, because once you start, you can almost never stop.

• Matching Pajamas

Something that is always fun to do is get matching Christmas or holiday pajamas with your friends and/or family. You can find cute patterned, plaid, and fuzzy holiday pajamas at most stores including Target, Walmart, and even Amazon. Seeing everyone with festive pajamas is sure to bring out the holiday spirit.

• Build a Snowman/Go Sledding

Although you will need snow to do this, it looks like VA is in for a snowy winter this year. Since snow is so unpredictable, if it does snow, put on some warm clothes and head outside to make snowy, cold memories. If the snow is packed enough, you can build a snowman or fort, but if it’s not the right consistency, then sledding is always a good option as well. You can also make a buck if it snows by offering to shovel driveways, and it would be very helpful for the elderly. 

• Wrap and Give Gifts

What most people think about around Christmas time is gifts. Not only is receiving gifts exciting, but giving gifts can be just as exciting and it is such an important gesture during the holidays. For some, the holidays are their favorite time of the year because of all the gifts, but for others, it can be the lowest part of their year. Something everyone should try to do is give at least one gift to someone else. Not only will it make them happy, but it will also make you happy and fulfilled. You may just make someone’s year by a simple kind gesture. There are many local businesses, churches, and schools holding gift drives that anyone can donate to. 

• Secret Santa/Christmas Party

Who doesn’t love a party, let alone a holiday or Christmas party. Planning something simple like a secret santa or white elephant with your family and/or friends can be the perfect thing to do. Although it’s tough to do around the holidays, find a night where everyone is available, buy each other gifts, share a meal and dessert, and make lasting memories. 

• Look at Christmas Lights

Something to do on a chill or lazy night is drive around and admire the local Christmas lights. There’s always neighborhoods that go above and beyond with their decorations, and driving through these neighborhoods at night can be fascinating. Some neighborhoods are even known for how good their holiday lights and decor are. Turn on your holiday playlist, and take a drive. 

• Hot Cocoa

Lastly, a simple thing to do for your family, friends or just yourself is to make warm hot cocoa. You can keep it simple with a packet of mix (I recommend Swiss Miss), or you can even make it from scratch. There’s nothing better than being able to enjoy a warm, cozy cup of hot cocoa while sitting on your couch in your holiday pajamas while looking at all your holiday decorations.