Welcome to the second annual How do I celebrate Christmas after Christmas feature story. As Christmas enthusiasts, one of the worst times of the year is the period right after New Year’s when the holidays suddenly seem so far, far away. But the new year doesn’t have to be blue! For my second annual How do I celebrate Christmas after Christmas spotlight, I’ll share what I’m doing after the holidays this year to keep my spirits bright.
- Christmas movies!
Every holiday season we’re all inundated with Christmas movies. I’m not complaining, it’s just that there’s no way you can watch all of them and still keep a job, eat, or sleep. So, I take advantage of my DVR and record all the movies I want to see and let them sit there until I’m ready to watch, after the holidays. I also borrow Christmas movies on DVD (for free) from my local library. Not only do I get to see all the movies I didn’t have time for during the rush of the holiday season, but it keeps the Christmas mood going well into spring and sometimes even summer. And in the case of Christmas movies that are in the theatre during the holidays, they often don’t come out on DVD until months after Christmas, which is when your local library comes in handy. I’ll be looking for 2024’s Dear Santa with Jack Black and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with Pete Holmes as soon as these DVDs are available in my library.
And you can also hit your streaming services for Christmas-themed movies after the holidays with one caveat. Many of the streaming channels get rid of a percentage of their holiday fare after Christmas so don’t count on being able to watch whatever you saw pop up there during the holiday season after Christmas is over. However, I’ve found that there are still plenty of Christmas shows and movies that remain on the streaming channels all year long to keep you entertained and in the holiday spirit.
To help you along your Christmas movie journey, I’ve also got a section on this website that includes an ever-growing list of mini movie reviews (and their soundtracks too!). You can view them here. The latest movie review is a spotlight on Love Actually.
- Christmas podcasts!
One of my favorite ways to keep the holiday vibes going long after Christmas is over is through the plethora of Christmas-themed podcasts available all year long. I’ve mentioned three alone on this website (Christmas Morning, Christmas Cousins (which I’ve appeared on), and my latest fave, The Christmas Specials We Love. The great thing about podcasts is that even if they aren’t producing new ones, they still remain on the platform (I use Apple podcasts) so you can go back and listen to archived episodes.
As a first step, I recommend you simply type in “Christmas” in the podcast search and take it from there. The neat thing about many of the podcasts is that they continue to produce new ones all year long so you can bring the holiday spirit into your office, while driving in your car, commuting, or even while kicking back at night with a warm cup of hot chocolate.
- Christmas books!
Throughout the year, I collect Christmas-themed books through a variety of sources, including used book stores, library book sales, flea markets, or anywhere used books are sold. Sitting down with a Christmas-themed book after the holidays is a great way to keep those festive feelings flowing.
You can also buy new books, ebooks for your Kindle, or eBay to find those Christmas-themed books. I have a huge stack of Christmas-themed books on my nightstand right now waiting to be read that I’ve acquired from all the sources I mentioned above. In fact, I purchased three in the last week alone, including Santa, My Life and Times by Martin Green and Bill Sienkiewicz (used from eBay $6), Pretty Paper, A Christmas Tale by singer Willie Nelson (library book sale $2), and The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evens (library book sale $2).
If you need recommendations, check out my Mini Book reviews, our growing list of Christmas-themed reading recommendations, including the ones I mention above. Well, as soon as I finish them!
- Christmas sales!
While it’s now a month out from Christmas, you can still find sales on holiday-themed stuff. In fact, now is the time to really make out on deals. At this time of the year, stores like CVS, the Paper Store, Target, etc. are desperate to get rid of their Christmas stuff and mark down their holiday merchandise by 75-90%. This is the time to load up!! I was just in my local Paper Store over the weekend and saw three sections loaded with Christmas stuff (Hallmark ornaments, holiday wrapping paper, and a corner with random Christmas-themed swag). All 75% off!!
This is where I do so much of my holiday shopping for wrapping paper, boxes, bows, and more. You can get Christmas stuff for nearly free in some cases and there’s no limit on how much you can buy (well, your wallet might have a say). I never ever pay full price for holiday wrapping paper, which costs a pretty penny in November and December. You can also find deals online if you have the patience to search.
- Christmas lists!
It’s never too early to start your Christmas lists for the following holidays. Once Christmas is over, I put away my old lists and start anew. That allows me to shop all year round for my family, friends, and furry companions. I put all of it on my iPhone so I have easy access. This includes stocking stuffers as well as presents. Not only does it help me find more meaningful gifts all year round, but I also tend to save money via sales and it keeps the holiday vibes going all year round.
On a completely unrelated gratuitous plug, I LOVE lists of all kinds and have created a section on the website called The Christmas Lists, which have all sorts of Christmas-related lists from the best Polar Express train rides, to the best Christmas-themed horror movies, to the worst Christmas songs, and so much more. And like any good lists, our list of lists just keeps growing and growing so keep coming back.
- Other Christmas stuff you can do all year long!
There are more ideas featured in last year’s article on How do I celebrate Christmas after Christmas that you can find here.
Although there are plenty of additional ways to celebrate Christmas after Christmas, this should help get you started and on your way to celebrating the holidays throughout the year.
