Creative ways to celebrate Xmas
After last year’s Christmas lowkey celebrations during the pandemic, many of us have been hoping for something more spirited this festive season. While this year’s revelry won’t be very different, we can still look forward to ringing in merriment with heaps of indoor and virtual festive activities.
Whether you’re planning to spend the holidays with your loved ones or indulge in one-on-one activities, here are six creative ways to celebrate Christmas without gathering in big groups:
1. Pack Christmas goodie bags for neighbours and loved ones
Image credit: Aliexpress
Feasting and gift shopping are synonymous with Christmas. But ‘tis the season to also share our blessings with those less fortunate than us. If you’re looking to gain good karma points, take on a family project together by packing Christmas goodie bags.
It’s a simple enough activity that even young ones can get involved in. Choose a bunch of snacks and treats, like chocolates and holiday crackers then get your kids to pack them into bags.
Gift something meaningful by adding soaps from Soapsdaily to the packs too. Any soaps bought from their website from now till 31st December 2021 will help to raise funds for the Singapore Hospice Council (SHC).
Image credit: Soapsdaily
If you’re hoping to spread a little more joy this holiday season, purchase and directly donate a Christmas Hamper from Soapsdaily to patients under palliative care and their caregivers from SHC.
Then for a personal touch, write a note of well wishes before you drop your gifts off to your neighbours. With these goodie bags, you’ll also be able to minimise the need to mingle in large groups, while letting the ones that matter know you’re still thinking about them.
Singapore Hospice Council x Soapsdaily
Date: Now till 31st December 2021
Buy Christmas hampers for hospices at Soapsdaily
2. Make Gingerbread cookies or cocktails on your own
While festive treats are aplenty, nothing beats an annual Christmas tradition like baking good ol’ gingerbread cookies. But if you want to skip fiddling with exact measurements and go straight to assembling, frosting and decorating, pick up a gingerbread house kit instead at Spotlight for $31.50.
If you’re running around the clock and have no time to bake from scratch, Wishes Cookies is selling a selection of burnt cheesecakes for the holiday season. From now till 24th December 2021, treat yourself to a 12-piece box of Original or Oreo Mini Burnt Cheesecake ($30) or a 6-Inch Burnt Cheesecake ($25).
Although considerably indulgent, you’ll easily earn karma points with each purchase, as 50% of the proceeds from the sale of these bites will go towards the Rainbow Centre.
Besides tucking into delicious holiday goodies, some of us look forward to unwinding from the year’s hustle with a strong drink. Have a go at shaking up your own Christmas cocktail with an alcoholic bubble tea and cocktail making class ($68/pax).
You’ll get to work hand-in-hand with a top mixologist and learn to make your bubble tea with an adult twist with the addition of Whiskey or Baileys. On top of this, you’ll also get to make three other cocktails during the 1.5-hour workshop.
Rainbow Centre x Wishes Cookies
Date: Now till 24th December 2021
Buy desserts to make a donation at Wishes Cookies
3. Create your own holiday scented candle
Now that we’ve reached December, it’s time to swap out your favourite autumn cinnamon-spiced pumpkin candles for ones with a hot chocolate scent. But unless you’ve already stocked up on candles from your favourite store, you can add your own personal touch by making your own scented candle.
Newbies can sign up for a basic candle making workshop where you’ll get to work with an experienced instructor for $89.90/pax. You’ll get to bring home two soy candles from the workshop, and the first 100 attendees get to take home a candle-making kit worth $29.90.
If you’re on a tighter budget, you can pick up a beginner candle-making kit at Spotlight for $21. With simple instructions to guide you through, you’ll be able to make up to three candles from a selection of scents, such as ocean rose, white tea and jasmine.
4. Go all out with a DIY Xmas photoshoot
With fluctuating regulations, it’s hard trying to remember the last time hanging out in groups was a thing. This Christmas, commemorate spending time with loved ones with a DIY festive photoshoot. You’ll have fun spending time together doing creative poses, and you’ll get photo keepsakes to boot.
There’s no need to visit a studio just for this. A phone camera and a few inexpensive tools like a cloth backdrop and ring light are enough to transform your home into a makeshift photo studio. As for getting into a Christmassy mood, add trees, tinsel, presents and festive decors like inflatable candy canes and holiday bunting.
You can even have a go at making your own Christmas decorations like a Christmas elf or reindeer from a sock crafting workshop. With complimentary materials available, you’ll be able to DIY your own doll with the fam bam at the sock babies edition session for kids ($39) and Mr/Miss Freckled edition session for adults ($58).
5. Bond with your friends by playing a Xmas themed board game
Christmas may be a season of altruism, but a little competition never hurt anyone. Take turns contending with loved ones and your little ones with Christmas-themed board games as a way to bond with them.
You can get hands-on with family-friendly games, like Christmas-opoly ($76) and Christmas Carols & Songs ($85) on desertcart.sg for rounds of cordial competition. For the tots and kiddos in your fam, keep things educational with Santa’s Sleigh Ride ($77) to learn more about geography by delivering presents for Santa.
Game nights in December don’t all have to be related to Santa, of course. Check out these other unique board and card games to spice up competition within your family.
And if all that competitiveness gets you hungry, fuel up on sustenance at Shake Shack at Jewel Changi with their concretes ($7.50 single, $9.50 double) from now till 31st December 2021. You won’t just get a satisfied belly, you’ll be doing some good too, as 5% of the sales will be donated to Club Rainbow Singapore.
Club Rainbow x Shake Shack
Date: Now till 31st December 2021
Address: 78 Airport Boulevard #02-256, Jewel Changi, Singapore 819666
Opening hours: 10.30AM-10PM, Daily
6. Learn to knit a cosy or “ugly” Christmas sweater
When it comes to being jolly at Christmas, nothing beats busting out festive “ugly” sweaters to put everyone in a good mood. And if you don’t have one, you can always knit your own sweaters at home.
Knitting equipment is affordable and can be found in most craft shops. With different coloured yarns and embellishments like pom poms available, making a sweater that shouts your personality is definitely possible.
No skills, no problem either, as you can easily pick up knitting at Wish I Were Stitching. Grab a friend for a knitting party with their personable 2-pax workshops (from $55) at their store. The lessons will get you acquainted with the basics so that you can make your sweater in time for Christmas.
Spread the joy this Christmas during SG Cares Giving Week
Despite another year of mellow Christmas celebrations, we can still end 2021 on a high note without having to gather in big groups. Apart from just soaking up the merrymaking and splurging on gifts, come together as a community to celebrate the spirit of giving with SG Cares Giving Week.
From now till 31st December 2021, volunteer or donate to a cause of your choice by participating in The Great Singapore Give campaign.
It is not just the less fortunate that could use our time and money. Communities and causes supporting arts and culture, education, sports, animal welfare and the environment could do with our help too. Check out various causes under People, Passion and Nature causes for meaningful ways to give back.
On the flip side, you’ll also be able to participate in heaps of micro-giving activities, under the Everyday Giving Initiative, where you can Eat, Play and Shop while giving back to the community, just by donating a small sum while doing your daily activities. Here are three other ways to do good:
Get around and do good at the same time
For those who regularly use car rental services, use these opportunities to make a charitable donation when you download the Tribecar app for $1.90 from 14th December 2021 onwards. They will match every download and donate $3.80 to the Singapore Red Cross to support Community Health on Wheels, and Medical Chaperone and Transportation.
On top of that, as part of Gojek’s Go the Extra Mile week campaign, you’ll also be able to show your appreciation to underappreciated drivers and donate $1 back to them when you take a ride from now till 5th December 2021.
Do your Xmas shopping on eCapitaMall
While you’re getting your fill of retail therapy for the holidays, you can channel shopping into doing some good on eCapitaMall. From 11th November – 31st December 2021, shoppers can purchase items like books and handicrafts from charities listed under CapitaLand’s #iShop4Good.
Whether you’re shopping for yourself or getting stocking stuffers for your loved ones, CapitaLand Hope Foundation (CHF) will donate $5 for every item purchased.
Burn calories after feasting
Image credit: Discovery Loyalty
With the year coming to a close, don’t let unused and expiring credits on your ClassPass go to waste. From now till 7th December 2021, ClassPass users can pay it forward by purchasing a 30-minute foot massage treatment at St Gregory Spa for 18 credits. The treatment will be given to caregivers of those with disabilities at ExtraOrdinary People as a treat.
You can also head on over to SG Giving Week to find other opportunities to help those in need. For example, Technolite S’pore is running a fundraising campaign that aims to support the operational cost of St John’s Home for the Elderly.
It goes without saying that giving back to our communities shouldn’t be confined to just a week a year, and you can start your giving journey with SG Cares Giving Week. There are plenty of other ways to make donating and volunteering a part of our daily lives that you can find on Giving.sg. Or to access giving opportunities right at your fingertips, download the SG Cares app.
As the saying goes, small ripples make big waves. Any contribution, great or small, will help grow our community to one that cares.
Note: Tune in on 5th December 2021 at 2.30PM to Channel 5 (repeat telecast) on how you can play a part in SG Cares Giving Week this year.
Find out more about SG Cares Giving Week
This post was brought to you by SG Cares Giving Week.
SG Cares Giving Week is jointly organised by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, the National Council of Social Service, and the SG Cares Office.
Photography by Huiwen Chen.