After the joyous Christmas Day celebrations on December 25th, the return to average life can feel abrupt. The festivities and laughter have ended and now it’s back to real life. This doesn’t have to be the case though! Even though the day has ended, the Christmas spirit doesn’t have to. If you want to keep the joy and magic of Christmas all year long, it’s not only possible but doable. Here are a few festive ways to bring the wonder and fun of the Holidays to your daily life. It’ll be like Christmas never ends!

Volunteering and Giving Back

Christmas is the season of giving and many folks around the Holidays spend time volunteering and helping others in need. Whether it’s working at a food pantry, donating to a homeless shelter, or delivering toys to needy kids, there are countless ways to give back to our communities. The problem is, as great as all the giving is during the Christmas holiday, the needy in our communities are needy year-round. Many organizations could use that same level of help every single day of the year. So, a great way to keep that joy of giving all year long is to volunteer your time or donate whenever you can. I know those that need assistance in your community will greatly appreciate you giving your time to help.

Reach Out to Loved Ones

For many, Christmas is one of the only times of the year where we can get to be with extended family. Being around loved ones, especially after a long absence, is what we look forward to around the holidays. Now that the day is over and your relatives have gone home, there’s a palpable finality to the proceedings. However, it doesn’t have to be the end. Luckily, we live in a time where telecommunications are the most advanced they've ever been. Why not try once a month to call, Facetime, or Facebook Portal a loved one? It’ll make the time until you see each other again feel shorter and each month that much more special.

Plan a Weekly Family Game or Movie Night

Christmas is the time for many to be with family and not just on the day itself. The whole lead-up till Christmas is filled with wintery outings, holiday movies, and fun. Once the day is over though, it can feel as if a festive rug is pulled out from under you and it’s back to normal life. Everyone is busy with their things. Whether that’s work or school or just life in general. However, all is not lost. Despite the season being over and everyone having full schedules again, you can still make time to be together. If you pre-plan fun activities, people can make sure they are free to spend time with the family that day. Whether it’s to stay home for a family movie night or make time to play a game, everyone will appreciate the advanced notice and the quality time with one another.

Bake or Buy a Christmas Treat and Freeze It

The flavors of the Christmas Season aren’t normally prevalent around other months or celebrations. Gingerbread on Easter isn’t usually a family favorite, nor is eggnog part of Fourth of July. That doesn’t mean it can’t ever be! Christmas treats are the perfect thing to bring the smells and tastes of the season into any month. You can buy baked goods or snacks from the store or even bake one yourself and then freeze them. Whenever the Christmas mood strikes, you can chow down on a Yuletide favorite, even if it’s St. Patrick’s Day.

Christmas in July

The dead heat of summer, also known as July, is usually considered the complete antithesis of the wintery Christmas Season. This is probably the exact reason why people started having Christmas fun in the middle of summer! They just want to be reminded of the most wonderful time of year, even when it feels far away. It’s even celebrated by some television channels that’ll air movies like Elf and Home Alone when it’s eighty-five degrees out. Why not participate with your family in some type of way? It might seem silly, but it can be a fun way to bring a little bit of that Christmas magic into your lives, no matter the month.