Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year\u2014unless you don\u2019t celebrate it. Then you\u2019re stuck in a mostly shut down world with seemingly nothing to do. Fortunately, you still have quite a few options, whether you\u2019re along or with friends, to make Dec. 25 a fun day off, regardless of your observances.<\/p>\n
Chinese restaurants and movie theaters traditionally stay open on Christmas day for those of us who don’t celebrate and\/or have nowhere else to go. Just getting some orange chicken and seeing what’s playing at the multiplex can make for a fun Christmas day. While this guide will include ways to find other activities, you shouldn\u2019t rule out these tried-and-true non-Christmas activities. They\u2019re staples of the un-holiday for a good reason.<\/p>\n
Finding a Chinese restaurant that\u2019s open on Christmas doesn\u2019t take much work. Just search Yelp<\/a> for options near you. A few phone calls should find you a meal pretty quickly. If you\u2019re in a larger city with a large cluster of Chinese restaurants (e.g. a Chinatown), you can head straight there\u2014but don\u2019t forget to make a reservation, even if it\u2019s just dinner for you or a small party. Popular restaurants sometimes receive so much overflow business on Christmas day that they can\u2019t accommodate everyone. You may not run into a problem, but it\u2019s always better to be prepared.<\/p>\n If Chinese food isn\u2019t your thing (or your reservation doesn\u2019t work out), look at restaurants serving any non-European cuisine. This is a good time to check out that Vietnamese place you’ve been eyeing, or to get some Halah Thai food<\/a>. Plenty of establishments that serve non-Western dishes do<\/em> close on Christmas because they feel they won\u2019t get enough business to justify the cost of staying open, so check the hours online or give them a call to make sure. <\/p>\n For Christmas entertainment, movies are the traditional choice. Several new ones always come out on Christmas day, because theaters attract both people who don’t celebrate Christmas, and people who celebrate the holiday but want to get away from their families. Going to the movies on Christmas is so popular, it’s a good idea to get your tickets ahead of time\u2014hit up Fandango<\/a>, MovieTickets.com<\/a>, or order directly from your theater of choice. Consider hitting up the out-of-the-way or pricier theater with the table service or the cushy recliners that you usually don’t go to, which can make it feel like more of an occasion. <\/p>\n If there’s a nearby theater that provides seat assignments, consider going there even if you have to drive a little further. Christmas is a very busy time at the movie theater and you don\u2019t want to get stuck in the front row. Regardless of assigned seats, however, you should still arrive a little early. People traffic and parking can make you late on a busy day.<\/p>\n Chinese restaurants and movie theaters aren\u2019t the only establishments open on Christmas. A number of other retail chains\u2014and even some local stores\u2014keep limited hours for the minority who do not celebrate the holiday.<\/p>\n Several attractions remain open on Christmas day, especially in larger cities. As always, call ahead before making plans. Here are some options:<\/p>\n Go skiing or snowboarding<\/strong>: Most mountains are open on Christmas and the lift lines are blissfully empty. There’s no better way of celebrating a winter-based holiday than on a wide open mountain. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Pretend to be a tourist<\/strong>: Tourist attractions tend to stay open on Christmas, especially in larger cities. This includes places like Madame Tussaud\u2019s<\/a> and Ripley\u2019s Believe It or Not<\/a> as well as zipline and Segway tours. Find out what\u2019s local to your area and chances are they\u2019ll have special Christmas hours. Of course, many tourist attractions don\u2019t have to remain open for you to enjoy them. If want to check out a monument or historical landmark, they\u2019re still around on Christmas and will cost you nothing.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Visit a park or skating rink<\/strong>: It may be cold outside (in some places), but if you bundle up you can enjoy a park or skating rink. Bring some friends and get a game of snow football together. Take a sled with you if your park has a big hill. When you get home, make some hot chocolate and enjoy being warm again.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Get a room<\/strong>: If you\u2019ve got some spare cash lying around and have nothing better to do, get a room at a hotel. Hotels can\u2019t really close on Christmas, and they typically offer plenty of amenities. As always, be sure to call ahead and find out if there are any Christmas day restrictions.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Volunteer<\/strong>: Not having anything to do on Christmas isn\u2019t exactly a big life problem that needs solving. Other people have nowhere to go and nothing to eat. If you\u2019ve got nothing to do, use that time to volunteer and help people who need it. Check your local homeless shelters and non-profit organizations for possibilities. Look at VolunteerMatch<\/a> if you can\u2019t locate anything easily. Your local Craigslist has a volunteer board you can look at as well.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Use Christmas as a catch-up day<\/strong>: Is everyone out of town? Have you been neglecting chores, work, your hobbies, or even working on a few DIY projects<\/a>? While getting things done may not be anyone\u2019s first choice on their day off, Christmas or otherwise, you can spend at least part of your day knocking a few things off your to-do list and the rest of the time relaxing. That way you\u2019ll get a break and still feel accomplished.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Spend time with friends and family at home<\/strong>: Not celebrating Christmas doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t spend the day with family and\/or friends. Get together with your family )(or family of choice) and play games, watch a movie, cook together, talk, or whatever else you\u2019ll all enjoy. You don\u2019t have to go out to have fun, so don\u2019t rule out staying in with people you care about.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n These are just a handful of options. A few local activities and attractions, such as arcades, laser tag, spas, and sports clubs often stay open on Christmas day. We couldn\u2019t possibly list them all here, but call a few places to find out if they\u2019re open. You might be surprised.<\/p>\n Some national chain restaurants remain open on Christmas day, so if you aren\u2019t a fan of Chinese food you can often count on them. There’s a restaurant chain open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for all tastes, from Applebee’s, to Benihana, to Denny’s, Fogo de Ch\u00e3o, and more. Keep in mind that all franchises often do not follow the same schedule, so while one Burger King may be open on Christmas, another may not. Call ahead first.<\/p>\n You won\u2019t find much to celebrate at a store, but many chains traditionally stay open for a short time on Christmas day, including Walgreens, CVS, and 7-Eleven. Grocery store chains are generally not open on December 25\u2014Costco, Kroger, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and many others will be shuttered for the holiday. <\/p>\n Because so many places are closed on Christmas day, the one thing you must do is plan ahead. This won\u2019t take more than 15-20 minutes in most cases, and can ensure you won\u2019t run into any unwanted disappointments during the day. Just follow these steps:<\/p>\n Make a list of the places you want to go.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Call nearby locations to confirm they\u2019ll be open, as not every chain follows corporate holiday hour recommendations. It\u2019s always a good idea to find out their exact hours for Christmas day, too.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Make reservations at any restaurant(s) you plan to visit.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Put together a basic timeline of the day, accounting for travel time, so you don\u2019t lose any reservations, miss a movie, or arrive after the store closes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n If you follow those steps you\u2019ll be ready to enjoy a very special non-Christmas, whether you\u2019re going solo or enjoying the day with others.<\/p>\n
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year\u2014unless you don\u2019t celebrate it. Then you\u2019re stuck in a mostly shut down world with seemingly nothing to do. Fortunately, you still have quite a few options, whether you\u2019re along or with … Continue reading Going to the movies: A classic Christmas Day activity<\/h3>\n
Some less-obvious options for Christmas day fun<\/h2>\n
Activities<\/h3>\n
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Many chain restaurants are open on Christmas Day<\/h3>\n
Drug and convenience stores are usually open. Grocery chains often are not<\/h3>\n
Plan ahead<\/h3>\n
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\nSource: LifeHacker – What to Do on Christmas When You Don’t Celebrate<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"