Solo things to do during Christmas and New Year’s
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 7 things to do during Christmas and New Year’s for those spending the holidays alone this year.
Table of Contents
- Solo things to do during Christmas and New Year’s
- 1. Binge on classic festive shows or catch up on new ones
- 2. Decorate your space with DIY Christmas decorations
- 3. Curate holiday drinks and cocktails
- 4. Have a Christmas baking spree
- 5. Blast Christmas songs or create a holiday playlist
- 6. Take yourself out on a solo Christmas date
- 7. Buy and decorate your very own Christmas tree
- Solo things to do for a festive Christmas & New Year’s
1. Binge on classic festive shows or catch up on new ones
Image adapted from: Movie Anywhere, 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 via YouTube
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 a variety of movies in their respective categories.
The subscription fees for the platforms are as follows:
- Netflix: from RM18.90/month
- Apple TV: from RM29.90/month after a free 7-day trial
- Disney+ Hotstar: from RM24.90/month
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. These easy DIY Christmas decorations below will 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 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 drink 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 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 confectioner 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 a holiday playlist
Image adapted from: Wikipedia Commons, YouTube, Spotify
It’s that time of the year again – your ears are bombarded with endless jangles of jingle bells, as our malls and shops blast chipper Christmas music on a 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
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: Suria KLCC via Facebook
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. Shopping malls in Klang Valley, for starters, have decked out their spaces with festive decor, including Suria KLCC which has the tallest Christmas tree in Malaysia, dazzling all in its grandeur.
Image credit: @sfl_symphony via
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. Else, you can 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 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.
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 during 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 holiday no matter how you choose to spend them.
You might also find these reads interesting:
- Restaurants in Klang Valley for a festive meal
- Christmas gift ideas for her
- Christmas gift ideas for him
Cover image adapted from: freestocks via Unsplash, The Gardens Mall, Half Baked Harvest
This article was updated on 23rd December 2024.