85 Holiday Bucket List Ideas to Make This Year the Most Festive Ever

Every year, I tell myself I’ll make the holidays feel slower, cozier, more memorable, and every year, they seem to fly by faster. Somewhere between gift shopping and end-of-year deadlines, the season slips past before I’ve had time to really enjoy it. That’s why I started putting together a holiday bucket list: a simple way to be intentional about the things that make this time of year special.

These holiday bucket list ideas are pulled from the little moments that stuck with me over the years, from small traditions at home to bigger adventures worth planning ahead for. They’re meant to spark inspiration and help you build a season that feels joyful and memorable.

Classic Christmas Traditions

There’s something comforting about traditions you’ve probably seen in every holiday movie ever. From decorating trees to baking cookies, these activities never get old because they’re the heartbeat of December.

1. Decorate a real Christmas tree in your living room and fill it with ornaments that carry family history.
2. Hang stockings by the fireplace and tuck in small surprises for Christmas morning.
3. Bake gingerbread cookies and let everyone in the family decorate them with way too much frosting.
4. Host an ugly sweater party and make it competitive with prizes for the tackiest outfit.
5. Put up outdoor holiday lights and turn your house into a local landmark for neighbors driving by.
6. Write and mail handwritten Christmas cards to friends and family instead of sending texts.
7. Watch “The Nutcracker” ballet either live in a theater or streamed at home as a yearly ritual.
8. Set up a nativity scene and add one piece at a time to build anticipation.
9. Hang mistletoe in the doorway for a playful holiday tradition.
10. Play Secret Santa with coworkers and keep the spending limit small but thoughtful.

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New Year’s Excitement

New Year’s can be partying in a massive crowd or just clinking glasses at home as the energy builds as the clock inches closer to midnight. Even the most low-key celebrations feel bigger once the countdown starts, and there’s something satisfying about hitting reset as fireworks pop overhead.

11. Count down to midnight in Times Square at least once in your life if you can handle the crowds.
12. Host a New Year’s Eve game night and keep everyone awake with laughter until the clock strikes twelve.
13. Write down your resolutions on paper and burn them in a backyard fire pit at midnight for a symbolic fresh start.
14. Pop champagne at midnight and toast to new beginnings with friends.
15. Celebrate New Year’s on the beach in a warmer destination like Miami or San Diego.
16. Watch fireworks over a city skyline like Seattle, Chicago, or London.
17. Make a time capsule with highlights from the past year and open it the next New Year’s Eve.
18. Dance until sunrise at a New Year’s festival or club party.

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Holiday Food and Drink

Food makes the holidays real. One bite of cinnamon rolls or a sip of eggnog and you’re instantly in December mode. Half the fun is indulging a little more than usual, and the other half is swapping plates with friends and family until everyone is too full to move.

19. Make homemade eggnog and spike it with rum or bourbon for adults.
20. Roast chestnuts over an open fire and try them fresh instead of from a store bag.
21. Host a cookie swap party where everyone bakes one kind and leaves with dozens.
22. Cook a traditional Christmas ham and add your own glaze recipe.
23. Make a holiday charcuterie board decorated with cranberries and rosemary sprigs.
24. Try a Yule log cake and roll it yourself for the challenge.
25. Cook black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for good luck, following a Southern tradition.
26. Host a Christmas brunch with festive pancakes shaped like snowmen or trees.

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Giving and Volunteering

The best holiday stories are about generosity that stretches beyond your own circle. Volunteering, donating, or simply surprising someone in need feels like plugging into the real spirit of the season.

27. Adopt a family for Christmas through a local charity and buy their wishlist items.
28. Volunteer at a food bank in December when demand is highest.
29. Buy toys for a local toy drive and imagine the joy they’ll bring kids on Christmas morning.
30. Hand out hot cocoa to delivery drivers working overtime in your neighborhood.
31. Donate winter coats and blankets to shelters right before the coldest months.
32. Send holiday care packages to troops overseas filled with snacks and small comforts.
33. Write thank-you letters to teachers, mail carriers, and healthcare workers.

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Holiday Travel Experiences

Cities deck themselves out in lights, markets overflow with treats, and even airports feel a little less miserable when carolers show up.

34. Visit New York City during December to see Rockefeller Center’s giant tree and ice rink.
35. Take a Christmas market tour in Germany and drink glühwein while browsing stalls.
36. Stay at a ski lodge in the Rockies and spend evenings by the fireplace.
37. Ride the Polar Express train ride offered in several U.S. towns.
38. Spend Christmas in London and hear carolers outside Westminster Abbey.
39. Travel to Quebec City in winter where the cobblestone streets look like a snow globe.
40. See the holiday parade at Disneyland where every character wears festive outfits.
41. Book a New Year’s Eve cruise to watch fireworks from the ocean.
42. Visit Lapland, Finland to meet reindeer and Santa’s village.

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At-Home Holiday Fun

Not every holiday highlight needs a boarding pass. Staying home means leaning into cozy traditions that make your own living room feel festive.

43. Build a gingerbread house with your family and make it as chaotic or elegant as you want.
44. Watch a holiday movie marathon with classics like Home Alone and Elf.
45. Host a hot chocolate bar night with whipped cream, marshmallows, and candy canes.
46. Set up a holiday photo booth with props for silly family pictures.
47. Make paper snowflakes and tape them on the windows.
48. Play holiday trivia during family gatherings for fun competition.
49. Read “The Night Before Christmas” aloud before bed on Christmas Eve.
50. Create a playlist of your family’s favorite holiday songs and play it on repeat.

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Holiday Romance Ideas

Winter holidays were practically designed for couples. Between twinkling lights, fireplaces, and mistletoe, every moment feels like a rom-com setup.

51. Go ice skating hand-in-hand at an outdoor rink.
52. Take a carriage ride through a decorated town wrapped in blankets.
53. Have a candlelit dinner on Christmas Eve at home with just the two of you.
54. Exchange personal letters instead of store-bought cards.
55. Take New Year’s photos together with silly hats and confetti.
56. Kiss at midnight under fireworks for the perfect New Year’s tradition.
57. Book a weekend getaway in a snowy cabin.
58. Make a couples-only ornament every year to add to the tree.
59. Cook each other’s favorite holiday dish as a surprise.
60. Go stargazing on a cold clear night wrapped in blankets.

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Fun with Kids

If kids are in the picture, rheir excitement over small traditions makes the whole season brighter, and suddenly every task becomes a big deal. Watching kids light up is the fastest way to remember what made the holidays magical for you too.

61. Leave cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for reindeer.
62. Track Santa online with NORAD on Christmas Eve.
63. Read holiday books at bedtime for the entire month of December.
64. Host a Christmas Eve box tradition with pajamas, cocoa mix, and a movie.
65. Write letters to Santa and actually mail them.
66. Have a Christmas morning scavenger hunt for small gifts.
67. Make reindeer food with oats and glitter and sprinkle it on the lawn.
68. Do holiday crafts with glitter no matter how messy it gets.
69. Watch animated Christmas specials like The Grinch and Frosty.
70. Let kids decorate their own mini tree in their bedroom.

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Unique Bucket List Extras

Beyond the usual trees and stockings, there’s a whole world of quirky traditions worth adding to your December. These are those “why not” activities.

71. Attend midnight Mass even if you’re not religious, just for the tradition.
72. Host a holiday costume party and come dressed as elves or snowmen.
73. Take a sleigh ride in snowy woods with hot cocoa.
74. Do a 12 Days of Christmas countdown with small daily gifts.
75. Plan a “white elephant” exchange with hilarious gag gifts.
76. Light sparklers on New Year’s Eve in the backyard.
77. Try ice fishing during the holiday break.
78. Build a snow fort and decorate it with lights.

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Reflecting and Resetting

The end of the year invites everyone to pause, take stock, and start fresh. The important part is creating a ritual that marks the shift from one year to the next, reminding you that every January is a clean slate.

80. Journal your favorite moments from the year and read them aloud with family.
81. Make a gratitude jar with slips of paper to read on New Year’s Eve.
82. Set realistic goals for the new year instead of vague resolutions.
83. Create a vision board for the next year with magazine cutouts.
84. Do a digital detox on New Year’s Day and enjoy offline peace.
85. Declutter your home before January for a fresh start.