Solo Festive Things To Do For M'sians Having Lowkey Year-end Holidays

Solo festive things to do

Holidays can feel lonely for some, especially when you have a lot of things going on in your life – whether they be personal issues or unfortunate circumstances. To see happiness in such concentration and proximity during the year-end holidays, and being unable to experience the festivities in the same way as others, can be difficult.

So whether by choice or circumstance, it’s completely fine to want a merry little Christmas by yourself. There are plenty of activities you can do on your own on Christmas Day and New Year’s – from rediscovering holiday gems on Netflix to baking up a merry storm in your kitchen.

Here’s a list of 8 festive things to do for those spending the holidays alone this year.

Table of Contents

Solo festive things to do

1. Binge on classic festive shows or catch up on new ones

Image adapted from: Movie Anywhere, IMDb & IMDb

When we’re alone with all that time on our hands during the holidays, it’s obvious that we would turn to our TVs. For our fellow introverts, hunkering down with a good film and your favourite snack sounds like the perfect night in – so, why not revel in the spirit of the season by tuning in to some holiday films?

Everyone can agree that Hallmark Christmas movies reign supreme. But there are plenty more holiday movies and series on popular streaming platforms, such as Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV, in Malaysia as well.

Image credit: New Line Cinema

Settle in with popular holiday classics – we recommend The Polar Express or Elf, both available on Netflix – that are sure to warm you up with some holiday joy with just a click of the button. Or get totally immersed in yuletide nostalgia with quintessential movies, such as Home Alone on Disney+ Hotstar and rom-com Love Actually on Apple TV.

Image adapted from: Movies Anywhere & The Galileo

If you’re up for some newer holiday movies, there’s a whole slew of those on Netflix too, including New Year’s Eve, The Holiday, Dash & Lily, Last Christmas, and Let It Snow. If you like your holiday films with a dash of intensity and thrills, go for the action-packed Die Hard, or Tim Burton’s iconic dark Christmas films such as Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. All three of these are available to stream Disney+ Hotstar.

A hidden feature on Netflix that’ll come in handy as you’re searching for holiday movies is their sub–genre codes. Find a list of them on this website – “1394527” for Romantic Christmas Films and “1394522” for Family-friendly Christmas Films included.

Simply key in a code behind the URL – https://www.netflix.com/my/browse/genre/(insert code here) – of your desired genre to dive into on a variety of movies in their respective categories.

The subscription fees for the platforms are as follows:

Netflix: from RM17/month
Apple TV: from RM29.90/month after a free 7-day trial
Disney+ Hotstar: RM54.90/3 Months

2. Decorate your space with DIY Christmas decorations

One of the best ways to lift spirits during the festive season is by livening up your space with holiday-themed decor. But while things like festive red-and-green wreaths and shimmery baubles sound great, some folks may not have the extra time or helping hand to transform their homes into a festive wonderland.

If this describes you, worry not – there are several easy DIY Christmas decorations that’ll add touches of exuberance to your personal spaces and keep you occupied during the holidays.

2.1 Mini Paper Bottlebrush Christmas Trees

Image credit: The House That Lars Built

Materials needed:

Crepe paper, with colours of choice
Wooden skewers or wooden chopsticks
Hot glue gun or any strong glue
Scissors

Steps:

Cut 1-inch wide strips of crepe paper.
Smoothen out the ridges of the paper strips, and fringe them lengthwise by cutting slits about halfway up.
Trim the wooden skewers into varying lengths.
Glue the tips of the fringed crepe paper strip onto the base of a skewer. Then wrap the crepe paper around and up the skewer, adding drops of glue along the way if needed. Once you reach the top, secure the tip with glue.
Fluff up the fringed crepe paper so the “tree needles” are all poking out. Use scissors to add additional fringe or to trim up some ends.

Tutorial adapted from: The House That Lars Built

2.2 Mason Jar Christmas Lanterns

Image credit: Crafts By Amanda

Materials:

Mason jar
Candles
Epsom salt
Pinecones or fake sprigs
Twine, for tying
Ribbons and laces

Steps:

Wash and dry the Mason jars.
Around the rim of the jar, glue the lace trimming and tie the twine with a neat ribbon to finish.
Attach pinecones or sprigs to the lace using hot glue.
Add Epsom salt to the jar and insert the candle.

Tutorial adapted from: Crafts By Amanda

3. Curate your own holiday drinks and cocktails

Image adapted from: Half Baked Harvest & Tastemade

Nothing warms the soul on Christmas like a soothing mug of hot chocolate, and nothing adds the bling to a New Year celebration like a sparkling glass of champagne. Whether you’re in the mood for a steaming sweet nightcap or a festive fizzy cocktail, these simple holiday drinks recipes will have you feeling fuzzy and fancy in the comfort of your home.

3.1 Classic Hot Chocolate

Image credit: Bites With Bree

Ingredients:

1 cup (236ml) milk
5 tbsp (13g) unsweetened cocoa powder
18g of dark chocolate
1.5 tbsp (18g) sugar
1 tbsp (18g) cream
¼ tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt

Makes 1 comforting mug.

Steps:

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk constantly.
When the mixture comes to a simmer, pour it into your favourite mug.
Finish off with optional toppings of your choice – marshmallows, a dollop of soft cream, grating of chocolate, or a sprinkle cocoa powder.

Recipe adapted from: Bites With Bree

3.2 Non-alcoholic Christmas Punch

Image credit: Entertaining With Beth

Ingredients:

3 cups (720ml) pineapple juice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp (5g) cloves
150g-300g pineapple chunks

Serves 6.

Steps:

In a saucepan, add pineapple juice, cinnamon sticks and cloves.
Let simmer for 10 minutes, then drain through a strainer into a bowl or a pitcher.
Cover the bowl and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for at least a day.
To serve, pour the spiced punch into glasses filled with ice, and garnish with pineapple slices and cinnamon sticks.

Recipe adapted from: Entertaining With Beth

3.3 New Year’s Eve Mimosas

Image credit: Delish

Ingredients:

1 cup (240ml) sweetened cranberry juice
1 bottle of champagne
2 tbsp sugar
1 halved lime
Fresh cranberries, optional
Small sprigs of rosemary

Serves 4.

Steps:

Line champagne flutes with lime and dip rim in sugar.
Pour 1/4 cup cranberry juice into each glass and then top with champagne.
To garnish, use a toothpick to poke a hole through cranberries. Thread rosemary skewer through cranberries.

Recipe adapted from: Delish

4. Have a Christmas baking spree

Image credit: Jia-Ju

When Christmas rolls around, most of us ditch our #fitspo plans to indulge in the festive desserts that are often the star of the menu. Instead of purchasing them from a local bakery, try whipping up your own fresh festive bakes to make your Christmas morning a whole lot sweeter.

Gingerbread houses or a classic panettone may be tough to nail if you’re a novice to baking, but there are plenty of easy holiday recipes out there that’ll have you baking all Christmas long.

4.1 Nutella Christmas Tree

Image credit: Easy Weeknight Recipes

Ingredients:

¼ cup Nutella spread
2 sheets of frozen puff pastry
Egg wash (1 egg + 1 tbsp of water)
Icing sugar

Makes 1.

Steps:

Lay out the sheets of puff pastries onto a baking sheet and cut out a huge triangle.
On one of the puff pastry sheets, spread the Nutella evenly, leaving about ¼ inch around the edges. Then, place the top triangle of the pastry sheet on top of it.
Lightly score two lines down the middle of the tree to create a ½-inch thick “tree trunk”.
Starting from the base of the triangle, create branches by cutting horizontally through the pastry, starting at the scored guidelines and going all the way through to the outer edge of the triangle. Continue cutting lines ¾ inches apart, to make ¾ inch strips on both sides of the “tree trunk”, until you are about one inch away from the top.
Gently twist each branch away from you, 2-4 times, until all of the branches are twisted.
Lightly brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash mixture.
Bake the tree at 200°C for 15 minutes, or until the top is golden-brown and the pastry is puffed up.
Once the baked puff pastry Christmas tree has cooled, sift confectioners sugar evenly over the top.

Recipe adapted from: Easy Weeknight Recipes

4.2 Shortbread bites

Image credit: Delish

Ingredients:

155g all-purpose flour
110g unsalted butter
3 tbsp (63g) icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
Red and green sprinkles

Makes 20.

Steps:

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, and butter until they come together to form a dough. Add in the sprinkles and knead them into the dough.
Roll out the dough into a large rectangle that is about 1.5cm thick. Cut the dough into bite-sized squares – alternatively, you could use a cookie cutter to make shapes out of the dough.
Bake the cookies at 160°C for 18-20 minutes, until they are golden brown.

Recipe adapted from: Delish

5. Blast Christmas songs or create your own holiday playlist

Image adapted from: Wikipedia, Spotify, Wikipedia, Youtube & Wikipedia

It’s that time of the year again – your ears are bombarded with endless jangles of jingle bells, as our malls and shops are blasting chipper Christmas music on loop. Whether you love or dislike them, there’s no escaping Mariah Carey’s crooning and no denying the joy that a great Christmas tune can bring.

Image credit: Spotify

You don’t have to head out to delight in holiday music. At home, tune in to specially curated Spotify playlists as you go about with your chores – Christmas classics such as Last Christmas and Jingle Bell Rock will surely bring on the festive cheer. Or dance along to Famous Christmas Hits and Christmas Pop Songs which feature radio-station favourites from artists like Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, and Kelly Clarkson.

Image adapted from: Spotify & Spotify

If you’ve had enough of popular Christmas songs, run through the rest of the gamut to discover more festive gems, including Lesser-Known Christmas Songs and Christmas K-pop.

For those who adore the lull of Christmas ballads or simply want to drown in Christmas blues – no judgement here – there are soothing playlists such as Sad Christmas Songs and Christmas Instrumental. Sometimes, a good cry is all you need to feel better again.

6. Take yourself out on a solo Christmas date

Image credit: The Gardens Mall

It’s easy to start getting too comfortable being cooped up at home watching reruns of holiday films and scrolling through Instagram to see everyone but you enjoying festivities out there. While it can be daunting to be out in public all alone during the celebrations, remind yourself that you’ve come out to have fun just like everyone else.

KL has plenty of holiday activities to offer that are perfect for solo dates. So, treat yourself to a shopping spree at malls festooned with extravagant Christmas decorations and events.

Image credit: Suria KLCC

Head to Suria KLCC to gape at the tallest Christmas tree in Malaysia, dazzling all in its grandeur. Or be enchanted by a Gilded Christmas celebration at The Gardens Mall, which will be holding a bewitching Masquerade Ball performance and a Santa Meet & Greet on the weekends till Christmas Day.

Image credit: @sfl_symphony

Malls aren’t the only places to feel the holiday cheer. Christmas-related or not, December is filled to the brim with plenty of activities and events for anyone to enjoy.

Get entranced by a Disney-themed orchestral performance or a live musical stage of The Sound Of Music. Or sing your heart out to all the Taylor Swift songs you know by heart at the Swiftmas Season event, and have a good laugh at Joanne Kam’s stand-up comedy show Christmas Is Kam-ming.

Image adapted from: @_threeyearsold & @mrnmrsbrownie

Another no-brainer idea to get in the merry mood – feast on good food. If fancy Christmas buffets and full-blown afternoon teas sound too much for one, you can head to a quaint cafe or a restaurant and treat yourself to a Christmas special on their menu, and bask in dining spaces bedecked with garlands and wreaths to feel the holiday cheer.

Or, chill and sip on a steamy cuppa at these all-white cafes in KL for a very White Christmas.

7. Buy and decorate your very own Christmas tree

Image credit: IKEA

If small touches of Christmas decorations in your house aren’t doing enough to lift your spirits, a self-decorated Christmas tree should do the trick.

Setting up a Christmas tree is no easy feat, but with all that time in your hands, try putting yourself up to the challenge of decorating one. Seeing the splendour of a regal tree in your home will be worth the effort.

Image credit: S&J Co.

There are a host of markets, home, and DIY stores in KL that have great selections of Christmas trees – whether you’re looking for an affordable tree or a variety of baubles, these places in Malaysia will have what you need.

Start by shopping for a tree that will fit your space, then narrow down on the aesthetics and decorations to suit your preferences.

Image adapted from: @fahfah+friends & S&J Co.

If you’re looking to go all out with your Christmas set-up, Nu Lycie and IKEA have varieties of live Christmas trees that won’t break your budget. Opt for a plain one and go ham on the decorations – whimsical, frosty, vintage, or chic, whatever tickles your fancy.

Or buy a pre-decorated one from FNC – they also offer everything you need to decorate a glorious Christmas tree such as ornaments, baubles, lights, tinsels and candles – so you don’t have to travel between different stores to get all the goods.

8. Pamper yourself to a Christmas care package or send one as a gift

Image credit: Hallmark

‘Tis the season for a little extra care, be it for a loved one or for yourself. It doesn’t matter if no one is around to put a smile on your face – give yourself a warm hug in the form of a Christmas care package that consists of everything on your Christmas wishlist.

After all, you know yourself best.

Image adapted from: @messengerco.gift & Brown & Sugar

While you’re at it, consider surprising a loved one with their own personalised care package as well.

Start with a theme that suits them – for instance, a “Movie Night-themed Box” for film geeks that contains a medley of snacks, a bottle of wine, some scented candles, and a good bar of chocolate. If you’re not sure where to shop, try these local homegrown brands that offer an array of meaningful gifts.

Solo things to do for a festive Christmas & New Year’s

It’s easy to be a Scrooge about the fuzziness and overwhelming jubilee at this time of year, especially when you’re spending the holidays alone. But know that you don’t have to dwell in loneliness in the midst of the festivities, as this list proves that you can still have fun all by yourself – after all, the more mulled wine, spiced lattes, and gingerbread men for yourself, the better.

Here’s wishing you a happy holidays no matter how you choose to spend them.

8 Festive Activities For Malaysians Spending This Christmas & New Year’s Alone