Celebrate the Holiday With a Mix of Classic and Unique Christmas Dates  

‘Tis the season to be jolly—grab your spouse, friends, and family, and start chipping away at (or at least marking time on your calendar to participate in) a few of the festive, fun Christmas activities below. We know it can be controversial dropping Christmas content mid-November, but we want your family to enjoy everything the holidays have to offer by way of making loads of memories together this year, so we’re giving you Christmas date ideas now to start thinking about. Consider opting for more experiences and less gifts this season. Check out our list of 40 cute and cozy Christmas dates! 

1. Decorate for Christmas 

Decking the halls should certainly count as a Christmas date! It’s likely some of you have already decorated. If you’re holding out a bit longer, make the experience as fun as possible. Put on your Santa hats, nibble on snacks, and blast Christmas music while you’re fluffing trees and hanging lights. 

2. Go to a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony 

Don’t miss this annual event—search for a Christmas tree lighting ceremony near you to attend with your spouse or the whole family. It’s a great way to kick off the holiday season! 

3. Attend a Holiday Concert 

Do you see why we dropped these Christmas date ideas now? Don’t delay searching for holiday concerts in your area. If you’re a Christmas music lover, head to town for a musical evening where you’ll hear classic carols. 

4. Visit a Christmas Tree Farm 

Some people go to cut down a tree; others go for the experience! Either way, head to a Christmas tree farm near you—many will also have snacks, hot cocoa, fire pits, shopping, and maybe a visit from Santa. 

5. Do an Advent Study 

Spend the days leading up to Christmas studying scripture with your spouse or your entire family. Anticipate celebrating the birth of Jesus by reflecting on this sacred time together. 

6. Attend a Christmas Show or Play 

Check out holiday calendars around town to see if any local theaters or even schools are putting on Christmas plays or shows you can attend for date night.  

7. Go Holiday or Window Shopping 

Whether you have a long list to work through or not, head out with your honey to Christmas shop or window shop. Grab a latte or hot cocoa, and stroll hand in hand amid the hustle and bustle of the season. 

8. Host or Go to an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party 

Pull out your tacky holiday sweaters for a fun evening with your spouse. Wear them to a party, or wear them to dinner—who cares?! It’s Christmas—anything goes! 

9. Explore a Christmas Market 

Opt to purchase unique gifts for your friends and family this year. Rather than going to the mall, see if there’s a Christmas market nearby where you and your sweetie can spend the morning or afternoon browsing. 

10. Wrap Christmas Presents 

We didn’t say you should forego all gift giving this year. Pull out wrapping paper, tape, scissors, bows, and name tags, and spend an afternoon or evening wrapping presents you’ll give to each other or family members this season. Don’t aim for perfection; aim for turning this tedious task into a family fun date night! 

11. Look at Christmas Lights 

Whether you love attending a fancy light show or throw on your jammies, hop in the car, and drive the surrounding neighborhoods, take an hour to check out all the Christmas lights around town—it’s one way to make the evening brighter! 

12. Create a Christmas Playlist 

Christmas music…you love it or hate it. If you and your spouse fall in the same camp of loving it, spend a little time creating a Christmas playlist featuring your favorite songs and artists you can listen to all season long. 

13. Watch Holiday Movies 

This Christmas date can last all season long—have everyone pick at least one Christmas movie they want to watch this year, and then throughout the days leading to Christmas, cuddle up on the couch for holiday movie nights—a classic holiday experience you can’t skip. 

14. Cook a Christmas Recipe 

Escape the cold, and warm up in the kitchen with your spouse, cooking one of your favorite holiday recipes together. Enjoy an evening at home having intentional conversation while sharing your delicious dinner or dessert. 

15. Make Your Own Christmas Ornaments 

Making your own Christmas ornaments shouldn’t just be for little kids to do at school—plan a family craft night where you create homemade ornaments to add to the Christmas tree. 

16. Bake Holiday Cookies 

There are so many Christmas cookie recipes to choose from. Pick one to tackle together, or have a Christmas cookie bake-off to see whose recipe turns out the tastiest. 

17. Deliver Sweet Treats to Your Neighbors 

See above for date idea number 16—do you have extra? You could bake several sweet treats and deliver them to your neighbors at some point during the holiday season. 

18. Volunteer 

Let’s face it—volunteering is a great idea year-round; however, specifically during Christmastime, consider spending the afternoon volunteering at a local soup kitchen or purchasing presents to donate to a toy drive.

19. Travel to a Romantic Christmas Destination 

Turn this Christmas date idea into a weekend trip! Take an adult only trip or bring the whole family on a Christmas vacation. Maybe, you’ll head to a cute town a few hours from home, or you’ll fly to a winter wonderland—wheels up! 

20. Decorate Christmas Stockings 

You likely already have Christmas stockings hung, but you could decorate other stockings to hang as additional décor, for example as decoration on everyone’s bedroom door. 

21. Have a Peppermint Tasting Party 

Gather a bunch of peppermint flavored foods and drinks—peppermint bark, peppermint cookies, peppermint hot chocolate, etc.—and have a tasting party. Which is the best? 

22. Decorate Gingerbread Houses 

Are you going old school by hot gluing graham crackers to milk cartons, or are you going to purchase a gingerbread house kit? Either way, encourage everyone to display their creativity—who will decorate the best gingerbread house? 

23. Go to a Christmas Eve Church Service 

You likely already participate in this tradition, but you could use Christmas Eve as an opportunity to visit other churches in your community or watch different Christmas Eve services online. 

24. Go on a Christmas Scavenger Hunt 

You could approach this Christmas date idea several ways. One example is to hide a specific number of candy canes around the house and see who can find the most. Or, search online for different Christmas-themed scavenger hunts you could do in your home or around town like, “Find a picture of Santa,” and “Hear bells ringing.” 

25. Have a Christmas Photo Shoot 

Whether your favorite photographer is hosting sessions in front of Christmas trees or you set up a tripod in your living room, make sure to get a snapshot of your family this Christmas to look back on! 

26. Go to a Holiday Themed Restaurant 

This time of year, many restaurants decorate their space with lots of festive decor. Sometimes, you can even find a restaurant that has decked out their dining room with a theme like “Home Alone” or “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Search for one near you. 

27. Pack a Christmas Picnic 

If there’s a reasonably warm day this December, head out for a Christmas picnic. Pack hot cocoa in a thermos, gingerbread cookies, little sandwiches in the shape of Christmas trees, and more! 

28. Put Together a Holiday Puzzle 

Slow down a bit this Christmas season and spend a few, uninterrupted, unplugged hours putting together a Christmas puzzle. If you like it enough, you could even get it framed to hang as decor next year. 

29. Go On a Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride 

There’s not a more romantic Christmas date idea than going on a horse-drawn carriage ride with your sweetie through a park or city that’s decorated for the season. What a sweet evening you’ll have! 

30. Play a Holiday Themed Escape Room 

If you’ve done an escape room, you know how fun and challenging it can be. For Christmas this year, consider giving your spouse the gift of an experience—a unique one like a holiday themed escape room. 

31. Have a Fireplace Chat 

There’s no money required for this date. Just light a fire and spend some time chatting with your spouse—no bills, no calendaring, no kids—just old fashion conversation. We’ve got over 250 conversation starters to get you going—you’ll be in front of the fireplace all night! No fireplace? No problem. Bring our WinShape Retreat cozy Christmas fireplace straight to your living room via the television.

32. Go Ice Fishing 

If you don’t live in a cold weather climate, here’s your excuse to take a Christmas vacation. Try ice fishing with your spouse! If your wife or hubby enjoys fishing, try your hand at a brand-new-to-you type of fishing this season. 

33. Go to a Christmas Parade 

Plan ahead and search for any Christmas parades happening near you this December. Don’t skip out early—most Christmas parades end with an appearance from Old Saint Nick! 

34. Make Homemade Eggnog 

Make this classic Christmas drink with your spouse! Don’t just pick up eggnog from the store—turn this experience into an entire Christmas date by selecting a recipe, picking up the ingredients, and creating the delicious drink yourselves.

35. Take Photos With Santa 

We know little ones look forward to meeting Santa every year, but have you ever thought about heading out to see Santa with your spouse? No judgement here—go see the man in red himself and snap a photo for a keepsake. Send Christmas Cards 

36. Send Christmas Cards 

Whether you use photos from Christmas date idea 25 or you write handwritten notes in cards, mail your friends and family a special message to bring them holiday cheer this season. 

37. Sing Christmas Karaoke 

This Christmas date idea is specifically for the Christmas music lovers. What will you sing? “Jingle Bells,” “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” are a few classics you can’t pass up. This would also be a great date idea to do with friends!

38. Make DIY Snow Globes 

Time to embrace your artistic side! Spend an afternoon crafting DIY snow globes. Here’s one way to make your own in just a few minutes. 

39. Play Christmas Charades 

It’s another great Christmas date idea to involve friends and family! Gather a group together for an evening of yummy appetizers, cozy Christmas drinks, and Christmas charades. 

40. Create New Year’s Resolutions 

This date idea is perfect for those few days in between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Spend some time with your spouse talking through any resolutions you have for the upcoming year. We’re here to help you get started with a list of 12 ideas for couples to do together. 

Be intentional this year about experiencing all the joy of the season—reflect on the birth of a savior, see a smile spread across someone’s face as they open a gift, or look for the sparkle in your little one’s eyes as they’re mesmerized by the twinkling lights. Find ways to spread joy and receive joy with your spouse and your family. From WinShape Marriage, we wish you a very merry Christmas season!