What to Do When You Can’t Go Home: Alternative Ways to Spend Christmas Day by Caitlin Lydon

Traditionally Christmas is often seen as a time for family, but for many of us, that’s not an option. And this year, more than ever, Christmas is likely going to look very different for everyone. You may be thinking about embracing some alone time this year – for the good of others or for the good of yourself. I have some experience with solo-Christmases, and as my festive gift to you, I’m going to impart some wisdom to help you get through the day.

Volunteering

If you’re not keen on a fully solo Christmas experience, volunteering is a great way to spend the day. Not only will you get to meet new people, you will be able to make a genuine difference to someone else’s Christmas day, and get that ‘giving back’ glow everyone is raving about.

As with everything this year, volunteering is going to look a little different. Crisis, which usually takes thousands of volunteers, is working at a reduced capacity due to Coronavirus, so are looking for help in new, socially distanced ways. But that doesn’t mean no one is needed! Holly Duffy, who works for Crisis, says:

‘Our first priority this Christmas is making sure that people are safe. This means that we can’t run the Christmas centres the way that we usually do but we’ll still be provide vital Christmas services to support people who are homeless and alone. This means that we’ll still need support from volunteers to help provide a life-changing Christmas with Crisis – check our website for how you can get involved in your area’.

If you’re looking for something local, Volunteer Cornwall is a great resource that flags up volunteering opportunities all year round. They have a specific page for Christmas, which already has some opportunities to grab, and Andy Brelsford, Support & Development Manager at Volunteer Cornwall, advises to keep checking the website to see what new opportunities arise closer to the time.

The great outdoors

Whether you like it or not, 2020 has been the year for embracing the great outdoors. I’ve spent a lot of time this year willing myself to become ‘outdoorsy’, and whilst getting up and out of the door continues to be a daily struggle, the mental and physical health benefits when I do are annoyingly obvious. Looking at more than the four wall of your bedroom is especially important on Christmas day – so wrap up and get out.

If you’re staying in Cornwall this Christmas, try something you’d never get to do at home, or always wanted to do during term-time but never found the time – be it swimming in the sea, going rock pooling, or a big walk or cycle from Falmouth down to Lizard Point - for me, this is worlds away from how I’d usually spend my time, and the distraction of being out of my comfort zone is enough to keep me entertained for the day.

If you’re staying in a city, get out to somewhere that’s usually unbearably busy – a city centre, a tourist attraction, somewhere usually crowded with people. One year, I travelled to London Bridge and wandered around alone, 28 Days Later style. It was just spooky enough to feel special.

The great indoors

As much as I do (begrudgingly) advocate outdoors time, an all-day affair may not be on the cards, weather wise. As I tell myself often, it is also completely valid to spend most of the day indoors. If you’re planning on hunkering down for the day, don’t try and wing it – planning is essential, starting with your room: tidy up. Waking up on what might potentially feel like a long day will feel a lot longer if you have to start it with a mountain of mugs to wash. Get your house in order! Trust me, waking up to a clean and comfortable flat will make the day a lot more enjoyable.

Food is another big thing to consider – if you’re the kind of person that derives great joy from cooking a roast dinner for one, more power to you, but most likely, you’re going to want to spend the day with your easy comfort foods – and it doesn’t have to be Christmassy to be comforting. For me, I follow the 3 Ps – Pasta, Pizza, and Potatoes. For you, it could be cake all day and then a slightly different cake for dessert. You make the rules today, so go crazy.

TV wise, you can go one of two ways. If you want to get into the Christmas spirit, watching every festive film known to Netflix or skipping through to every Christmas episode of Friends is a no-brainer option. For me, it’s a bit too close the bone. So, with the ‘Best of 2020’ lists out and making themselves known, why not pick the top TV shows on one of the many lists and plough on through – I spent a very enjoyable 2018 binging Succession with a palate cleanser of Derry Girls. If in doubt, feel free copy me and do the same.

I hope these tips can help you on your way to fun, family-free Christmas. And it’s worth remembering, whether with family or not, Christmas day really is just another day - it can be as special or ordinary as you like, and in 24 hours it’s all over either way.

Words by Caitlin Lydon

Edited by Kate Whittington