12 Dates of Christmas
Christmastime, if you ask me, is the most romantic time of the year. The time when all we want to do is cozy up to each other in front of the fireplace while we sip on hot chocolate and watch wonderfully sappy movies.
In the spirit of the Christmas season, I would like to share 12 dates for you to do with your significant other this December! I challenge you to fit all of these activities within this time between Thanksgiving and the New Year. There are some shorter ideas in here, perfect for a weeknight, along with others that are great for a weekend outing.
Don't Forget the Music
If you do not have a Christmas playlist yet, you’ll need one! I recommend putting one together as a couple before starting the 12 Dates of Christmas activities.
Our playlist has a bit of variety to it, I enjoy the classics much more than Daniel, who listens to mostly country Christmas music. So, our playlist is a mix of the old crooners, holiday tunes that were popular when we were growing up, and country songs. The thing is that it’s all Christmas music, so to me it doesn’t really clash! Of course, you can make a few playlists for different genres and styles if you prefer.
We were able to decorate the tree at this lighting ceremony!
Date 1: Tree Lighting Ceremony
On the first date of Christmas, my true love and I… went to a Christmas Tree Lighting. (Be sure to read that in a sing-song voice).
Most towns hold their tree lighting ceremonies at the start of December, often on that very first weekend. Whether it’s a single giant evergreen tree or a whole town display, it’s always a great community event to kick off the season. If you’re lucky, the downtown shops will still be open and you can stroll around for a bit afterward. I have been to lighting ceremonies with carolers, live bands, and even shops providing cocoa and cookies. There’s often some type of additional festivity happening rather than just the lighting itself.
Date 2: Decorate Your Tree
Now that you’ve attended a tree lighting ceremony, you’re no doubt ready to decorate your own tree! This is always a fun activity to do together. Who wants to decorate the tree all by themselves?
If you get a real tree each year, try cutting down your own! It makes for such a cute date, and it’s fun to walk around in search of the perfect one for your home. See if there’s a tree farm near you (much to my surprise there was one in Florida!) or perhaps one of the National Forests sells tags.
Most tree farms will provide a saw and wrap the trees for you, but be sure to check before you go. If you are getting a tag to cut your own in the forest, be sure to bring a hatchet. I would also recommend packing a tarp to help keep any sap off of your car.
Date 3: Try a Winter Sport
Let’s get a bit more adventurous today! Pick a winter sport you love or have been wanting to try. Go ice skating (a great option for those of you who don’t get snow where you live), skiing (we like cross-country), snowmobiling, or snowshoeing. Enjoy being out in nature!
Date 4: Bake Cookies
An absolute must for any Christmas season! Whether you are baking for the two of you or making enough to take to friends, neighbors, or coworkers, this is always an activity to look forward to.
Not much for baking but enjoy eating cookies? Here is one of our traditional Christmas cookie recipes that you can whip up in 5 minutes or less! These are super moist and taste a lot like brownies. They also get that nice crinkle crack on top from the powdered sugar.
Crinkle Cake Cookies
- 1 box Duncan Hines devil’s food cake mix
- ¼ c. oil (canola or vegetable)
- ¼ c. water
- Powdered sugar (approximately ½ cup for rolling & sprinkling)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats (you can also use parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray).
Mix cake mix, water, and oil together in a bowl with a large spoon. (Do not use a mixer, this will overbeat the batter and result in hard cookies). Do not overmix! Mix lightly, just until combined (still having small clumps of dried cake mix is normal).
Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop (or use a spoon and roll it into balls with your hands). Roll dough in powdered sugar and place onto a prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes until done. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar and allow to cool on the pan for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes:
I like to underbake my cookies so they are extra gooey, this usually means 9 minutes. I wouldn’t recommend baking them for more than 11 minutes.
It is best to have 2 cookie sheets to rotate, baking one batch at a time, allowing each sheet to cool between batches.
You really must not overmix the batter, using a large metal or wooden spoon works best.
I like using silicone baking mats on my cookie sheets, they bake these cookies really well!
Date 5: Take a Sleigh Ride
Is there anything more romantic than a sleigh ride? They can be a bit pricey but are well worth it for the experience. Try getting a private ride if you can!
If nearby places only offer group rides, try getting a group of friends and family together to rent out a sleigh. It will make it way better than riding with a bunch of strangers and should be cheaper per person if you get a large group to commit.
If you don’t have snow where you live, look into carriage rides instead. These can be found in many downtowns around the holidays. A wagon ride is another alternative, and local farms or ranches sometimes offer these during the Christmas season as well.
Date 6: Have a Movie Marathon
It is cuddle season, and a movie night is the perfect occasion for this! It’s also a great time for takeout, a frozen pizza, or appetizers for dinner. There are so many great Christmas movies out there that it’s hard not to watch more than one!
Date 7: Play in the Snow
Time to get bundled up and have some good old-fashioned fun outdoors! Whether it’s sledding, building a snowman, making snow angels, or having a snowball fight, just enjoy embracing your inner child today!
No snow? How about getting a puzzle with a winter scene on it? Build it together this evening while you reminisce about your favorite winter memories.
Lights at a local ranch. They had goats in sweaters you could pet too!
Date 8: Walk Through Lights
See where you can experience walk-through Christmas light displays in your area. Drive-through lights are also an enjoyable alternative, but there’s something to be said about taking your time strolling through the displays while holding hands.
Be sure to grab some hot cocoa beforehand! It makes for a much cozier experience. I also like to pack a few cookies for this type of outing. Food trucks at light displays seem to be becoming increasingly popular, although I still haven’t seen a cookie truck at any of these events…
Date 9: Read Together
I’m not sure about you, but I still have some of my favorite childhood Christmas books that I like reading this time of year. If you don’t have any, you can rent them from the library. Many of these books have beautiful illustrations to go along with the story.
It may sound a bit silly but reading your favorite childhood books aloud to each other is a fun way to share some old memories. If you prefer not to read children’s books, you can grab a classic such as A Christmas Carol or one of the seasonal Christmas romance novels instead (if you’ve never read one of those, it’s like the book version of Hallmark).
Date 10: See a Play
There are a lot of acts going on during the Christmas season. From The Nutcracker to Trans-Siberian Orchestra, you’re bound to find something that interests you.
Take a look at the theatres, concert halls, and playhouses in your area. There’s probably a lot going on! Elf the Musical, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, or an Orchestra performance of the Christmas classics. We saw a musical version of “It’s a Wonderful Life” at our local playhouse and it was fantastic!
If you are unable to find a play, see if they are showing any Christmas movies. Often some of the classics will be back on the big screen this time of year, especially at the smaller locally owned theatres.
Date 11: Visit an Ice Display
SOme of the most unique holiday activities we have done was visiting the ice castles. This activity is only in a few states at the moment (the ones we went to are in 5 states currently, you can check out the details on their website here). If you don’t have any ice castles near you, see if there are ice sculpture displays nearby. These can be some very creative works of art!
If you live by the beach, there are often sand sculptures as an alternative, and you might be able to see surfing Santas as well!
Date 12: Make a Romantic Dinner
The Christmas season is the perfect time to cook a romantic meal together. Sip some wine while you play some Christmas jazz in the background. Light the fire (or at least some candles) and set the table with your best dishes, or Christmas dishes if you have them!
This doesn’t have to be a fancy meal. I recommend keeping it simple but delicious, serve meat, roasted veggies, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of your favorite wine. Of course, dessert of some sort is always a must in our house!
Embrace the Season
That concludes the 12 dates of Christmas! I hope that you now have some date ideas to look forward to experiencing together this season. Take the time to share with each other, explore, and feel the romance that winter brings.
