25 ways to share the Christmas spirit in OC

Erik Per Sullivan said in Christmas With the Kranks, “You’re skipping Christmas! Isn’t that against the law?” If you’re like Erik, Christmas is a big deal and the Christmas season is what you look forward to all year.

It’s officially December so that means it is time to start celebrating. Even with the stress of finals and the lack of Christmas decorations around campus, it does not mean that you can’t get into the Christmas spirit.

In honor of Christmas being on December 25th, here are 25 things you can do to celebrate Christmas this year in Orange County:

1.     Go drive and look at Christmas Lights

2.     Go caroling around neighborhoods

3.     Make Christmas cookies and decorate them

4.     Go to the beach and make a Sand Snowman

5.     Go to Downtown Disney and enjoy their Christmas decorations

6.     Sit by the fire and listen to Christmas music

7.     Attend Christmas at the Beach in Balboa Village December 7th from 2:00-6:00pm and    enjoy the free horse drawn carriage

8.     Watch one of the movies on the Hallmark Channel

9.     Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate

10. Watch a classic Christmas movie like Charlie Brown or How the Grinch Stole Christmas

11. Give out candy canes to strangers

12. Watch the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade December 16-20 from 6:00-9:00pm

13. Go Christmas shopping

14. Create a playlist with all your favorite Christmas music

15. Visit a tree farm

16. Take pictures with Santa

Complimentary photos will be held outside Macy’s in the Irvine Spectrum through December 24th with Orange County-styled Santa, decked out in a Hawaiian shirt and boardshorts.

17. Decorate a gingerbread house

18. Attend a tree lighting event

19. Do a Secret-Santa gift exchange with friends

20. Decorate Christmas ornaments

21. Visit a living Nativity

First Christian Church in Huntington Beach: December 10-11 from 6:00-9:30pm and December 12th from 6:00-10:00pm

22. Watch all the Christmas movies in Netflix

23. Sing Christmas songs with friends and family around the dinner table

24. Go ice skating at the Irvine Spectrum

25. Roast chestnuts over the fire

I hope that this list gives you a little inspiration and possibly even a new tradition. As you finish up your last week of the semester, take a break long enough to remember the Christmas season. There is much to do in Orange County this holiday. Merry Christmas!