1. Hot chocolate date
Go on a hot chocolate date. One of the cheapest ways to connect with your spouse this holiday is to leave your phone at home (or at least tuck it away in your wallet!) and go on a hot chocolate date. Find a local cafe that serves hot chocolate and spend the evening talking. Or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, turn your evening into a “hot chocolate crawl” where you visit several locations, taste several cups of hot chocolate, and rate each one to find the best one.
2. Christmas illumination tour
Take a drive and see the Christmas lights. Another budget-friendly holiday outing is to drive around town looking for Christmas lights. It’s especially fun to find neighborhoods that are more upscale than your own and see how beautiful their stately homes look while you’re on vacation. Spending time alone in the car is sure to bring you conversation and connection in a fresh way.
3. Costume date night
Let’s add a twist to your usual date. Before heading to the theater or your favorite restaurant, stop by a thrift store or thrift store to pick out some cheap holiday gear for your partner to wear on their date. Then act natural and go on your date as usual, whether you’re wearing Santa suspenders, reindeer antlers, or elf stockings. As you spend the evening laughing and taking selfies, you’re sure to do a double take and bond with your spouse.
4. Get to know game night
Remember when you dated and got to know your spouse? You wanted to know every detail about them and enjoyed the process. Let’s play some social games and reminisce about those days. Pull out your holiday cookies and have a night of connection. Play Two Truths and a Lie. Your spouse must guess which of the three things you said is true and which is a lie. There’s always room for a good old game of truth or dare.
5. Holiday Intimacy
With the stress and hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it’s easy to lose touch with your spouse. So why not book a night for some intimacy? Send the kids to grandma’s house for a sleepover, invest in some festive lingerie that makes you feel cute, or spend some quality one-on-one time with your spouse in the bedroom.
6. Progressive Dinner
Put on your fanciest holiday attire and hit the town for a progressive dinner. Enjoy appetizers and drinks at one location, delicious entrees at another, and dessert at a third location. The change of scenery is sure to create a buzz for an extended date night. You also don’t feel rushed like you often feel when sitting in one restaurant.
7. Enjoy Christmas movies with popcorn
Don’t want to dress up or go out? Wait until the kids are in bed and then stream your favorite Christmas movie. Pop some popcorn, share it from the same bowl, and cuddle up on the couch with your spouse. Feel free to make a double feature and choose your favorite holiday movie from when you both were little.
8. Gift wrapping with Christmas music
Wrapping gifts together not only allows you to spend some one-on-one time, but it can also be super productive. My husband and I waited until a few days before Christmas, dropped the kids off at their grandparents’ house, and spent the evening wrapping presents while watching “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Spend a fun evening sharing your favorite wrapping tips and tricks with each other. You can spend time together and cross holiday chores off your list.
9. Go Caroling
If you’re feeling brave, arm-in-arm with your spouse, or find another couple to join you, and head out into the neighborhood to sing some good old carols. You might be surprised how much people love this vintage trend that’s filled with the holiday spirit. With a mobile phone or iPad, it’s now easy to provide your own music. All you need is your voice and your courage. As quoted by Elf in the movie, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing it loud enough for everyone to hear.” Enjoy!
10. Let’s decorate a gingerbread house together
Bring out the candy bowl! Decorating a gingerbread house together can be a fun opportunity to bond with your spouse. You can also go online and ask your friends on social media to vote for their favorite finished product. If making a house out of graham crackers and other materials is too much work, buy a kit of ready-made non-edible structures and decorate them with icing and candies. May the spouse who celebrates the most win!
11. Bake and decorate Christmas cookies
If you want to bake this from scratch or are too lazy, it would be fun to buy pre-made sugar cookie dough and decorate it with icing and sprinkles. If you’re ready to go all out, you can make a few batches and deliver them to your neighbors as a special holiday treat. If you want to make things interesting, one spouse can decorate the cookies while blindfolded and following the other spouse’s instructions.
12. Shop at the Christmas market
If your city is like mine, there’s always a Christmas market in December. Food trucks, Christmas lights, and plenty of local vendors make for a great date night. Get red and green sprinkled donuts and Christmas shops from talented artisans in your community.
13. Attend a holiday concert
Let’s go to Christmas concerts and holiday events! Most often, “carols and candlelight” services are held in churches, and sometimes there are big events like the Nutcracker ballet or performances by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Check out local arenas for opportunities and get into the holiday spirit together at a play or musical.
14. DIY Ornaments
Couples who create things together stay together forever! Browse Pinterest to find DIY crafts you and your partner can make together. These can be given as gifts, to decorate a tree or children’s room, or just for fun. From red and green Christmas countdown chains to glittery ornaments and paper snowflakes, this date night has the potential to be therapeutic and cheerful.
15. Overnight in a cozy cabin
If your budget allows, a quick vacation during the busy season can be a great way to reconnect with your spouse. Many state parks host special events during the off-season, so you may be able to find a scenic getaway for a low price. What better way to reconnect than by cuddling up by a fire in the middle of a winter forest?
16. Indoor Christmas Picnic
Spread a blanket by the fireplace and have an indoor Christmas picnic! Spread out your giant charcuterie board on the floor and spend a wonderful evening sharing your holiday wishes. Or do the same thing outside by your fire pit and stargaze. PS – You can use s’mores ingredients to make a delicious dessert charcuterie!
17. Write and mail a Christmas card
Another productive holiday chore that’s fun to do together is working on your Christmas card list. Make some hot apple cider and write cards to friends and family while sitting together at the dining room table. While one person writes the address on the envelope, the other person can lick and stamp it. This is quick, especially if you have some festive movies or music playing in the background.
18. Christmas present for your city
Feeling adventurous? Think of small items that you can buy or create in bulk, then drive around town and hide gifts in different places for strangers to find. Spread the Christmas spirit by leaving a candy cane with an encouraging message tied with a ribbon, a painted stone that says Merry Christmas, or a big red smiley face on a green sticky note. Be creative and leave a blessing. It will bond you and your spouse and make someone else smile during the holiday season.
19. Buy and decorate a small tree.
Craft stores often sell small tabletop trees at low prices during the holiday season, so you and your partner can pick one up and decorate it for a fun night out. Each person decorates half of the tree by choosing (or making!) ornaments that reflect your personality.
20. Photo shoot with Santa
Take a photo with Santa at the mall. Reminisce about your childhood and take a photo with Santa at the mall! Couples sit on his lap and smile cheesy for the camera. Those photos and memories will stay on your fridge for a long time.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Image source
Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of more than 20 romance novels and novellas. She lives in north Louisiana with her husband, two daughters, lots of coffee mugs, and one furry toddler Schnauzer. Betsy has a BA in Communications and has a deep-rooted passion for seeing women brought back to their truth. When she’s not writing her next book or trying to prove that unicorns are real, Betsy can be found somewhere near an iced coffee. She is a regular contributor to iBelieve.com and provides author coaching and editing services through Storyside LLC.
