Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year—unless you don’t celebrate it. Then you’re stuck in a mostly shut down world with seemingly nothing to do. Fortunately, you still have quite a few options, whether you’re along or with friends, to make Dec. 25 a fun day off, regardless of your observances.
The Obvious Stuff: Chinese restaurants and movies
Chinese restaurants and movie theaters traditionally stay open on Christmas day for those of us who don't celebrate and/or have nowhere else to go. Just getting some orange chicken and seeing what's playing at the multiplex can make for a fun Christmas day. While this guide will include ways to find other activities, you shouldn’t rule out these tried-and-true non-Christmas activities. They’re staples of the un-holiday for a good reason.
Chinese food is a great Christmas option, but it's not the only choice
Finding a Chinese restaurant that’s open on Christmas doesn’t take much work. Just search Yelp for options near you. A few phone calls should find you a meal pretty quickly. If you’re in a larger city with a large cluster of Chinese restaurants (e.g. a Chinatown), you can head straight there—but don’t forget to make a reservation, even if it’s just dinner for you or a small party. Popular restaurants sometimes receive so much overflow business on Christmas day that they can’t accommodate everyone. You may not run into a problem, but it’s always better to be prepared.
If Chinese food isn’t your thing (or your reservation doesn’t work out), look at restaurants serving any non-European cuisine. This is a good time to check out that Vietnamese place you've been eyeing, or to get some Halah Thai food. Plenty of establishments that serve non-Western dishes do close on Christmas because they feel they won’t get enough business to justify the cost of staying open, so check the hours online or give them a call to make sure.
Going to the movies: A classic Christmas Day activity
For Christmas entertainment, movies are the traditional choice. Several new ones always come out on Christmas day, because theaters attract both people who don't celebrate Christmas, and people who celebrate the holiday but want to get away from their families. Going to the movies on Christmas is so popular, it's a good idea to get your tickets ahead of time—hit up Fandango, MovieTickets.com, or order directly from your theater of choice. Consider hitting up the out-of-the-way or pricier theater with the table service or the cushy recliners that you usually don't go to, which can make it feel like more of an occasion.
If there's a nearby theater that provides seat assignments, consider going there even if you have to drive a little further. Christmas is a very busy time at the movie theater and you don’t want to get stuck in the front row. Regardless of assigned seats, however, you should still arrive a little early. People traffic and parking can make you late on a busy day.
Some less-obvious options for Christmas day fun
Chinese restaurants and movie theaters aren’t the only establishments open on Christmas. A number of other retail chains—and even some local stores—keep limited hours for the minority who do not celebrate the holiday.
Activities
Several attractions remain open on Christmas day, especially in larger cities. As always, call ahead before making plans. Here are some options:
Go skiing or snowboarding: Most mountains are open on Christmas and the lift lines are blissfully empty. There's no better way of celebrating a winter-based holiday than on a wide open mountain.
Pretend to be a tourist: Tourist attractions tend to stay open on Christmas, especially in larger cities. This includes places like Madame Tussaud’s and Ripley’s Believe It or Not as well as zipline and Segway tours. Find out what’s local to your area and chances are they’ll have special Christmas hours. Of course, many tourist attractions don’t have to remain open for you to enjoy them. If want to check out a monument or historical landmark, they’re still around on Christmas and will cost you nothing.
Visit a park or skating rink: It may be cold outside (in some places), but if you bundle up you can enjoy a park or skating rink. Bring some friends and get a game of snow football together. Take a sled with you if your park has a big hill. When you get home, make some hot chocolate and enjoy being warm again.
Get a room: If you’ve got some spare cash lying around and have nothing better to do, get a room at a hotel. Hotels can’t really close on Christmas, and they typically offer plenty of amenities. As always, be sure to call ahead and find out if there are any Christmas day restrictions.
Volunteer: Not having anything to do on Christmas isn’t exactly a big life problem that needs solving. Other people have nowhere to go and nothing to eat. If you’ve got nothing to do, use that time to volunteer and help people who need it. Check your local homeless shelters and non-profit organizations for possibilities. Look at VolunteerMatch if you can’t locate anything easily. Your local Craigslist has a volunteer board you can look at as well.
Use Christmas as a catch-up day: Is everyone out of town? Have you been neglecting chores, work, your hobbies, or even working on a few DIY projects? While getting things done may not be anyone’s first choice on their day off, Christmas or otherwise, you can spend at least part of your day knocking a few things off your to-do list and the rest of the time relaxing. That way you’ll get a break and still feel accomplished.
Spend time with friends and family at home: Not celebrating Christmas doesn’t mean you can’t spend the day with family and/or friends. Get together with your family )(or family of choice) and play games, watch a movie, cook together, talk, or whatever else you’ll all enjoy. You don’t have to go out to have fun, so don’t rule out staying in with people you care about.
These are just a handful of options. A few local activities and attractions, such as arcades, laser tag, spas, and sports clubs often stay open on Christmas day. We couldn’t possibly list them all here, but call a few places to find out if they’re open. You might be surprised.
Many chain restaurants are open on Christmas Day
Some national chain restaurants remain open on Christmas day, so if you aren’t a fan of Chinese food you can often count on them. There's a restaurant chain open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for all tastes, from Applebee's, to Benihana, to Denny's, Fogo de Chão, and more. Keep in mind that all franchises often do not follow the same schedule, so while one Burger King may be open on Christmas, another may not. Call ahead first.
Drug and convenience stores are usually open. Grocery chains often are not
You won’t find much to celebrate at a store, but many chains traditionally stay open for a short time on Christmas day, including Walgreens, CVS, and 7-Eleven. Grocery store chains are generally not open on December 25—Costco, Kroger, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and many others will be shuttered for the holiday.
Plan ahead
Because so many places are closed on Christmas day, the one thing you must do is plan ahead. This won’t take more than 15-20 minutes in most cases, and can ensure you won’t run into any unwanted disappointments during the day. Just follow these steps:
Make a list of the places you want to go.
Call nearby locations to confirm they’ll be open, as not every chain follows corporate holiday hour recommendations. It’s always a good idea to find out their exact hours for Christmas day, too.
Make reservations at any restaurant(s) you plan to visit.
Put together a basic timeline of the day, accounting for travel time, so you don’t lose any reservations, miss a movie, or arrive after the store closes.
If you follow those steps you’ll be ready to enjoy a very special non-Christmas, whether you’re going solo or enjoying the day with others.