Twixmas: What to do between Christmas and New Year

Making the Most of Twixmas

How do you usually feel after Christmas? Deflated that it’s all over for another 12 months? Or are you excited for one of the slowest (and possibly best) weeks of the year?! When the festive season rushing around is over, take the time to relax and enjoy Twixmas: the gloriously slow week after Christmas.

Read on to find out all about Twixmas, how to spend it, and why it’s such a treasured time for so many people.

What on earth is Twixmas?

Twixmas is the period between Christmas and New Year, when the kids are still off school, many people are off work, and the world slows down a bit. The craziness of earlier December has passed, the excitement of Christmas Day is over, and you can enjoy some slow, quiet downtime before welcoming in a New Year.

Also known as “Chrimbo Limbo” (or just “that weird week after Christmas”), this is usually the time you spend at home, with no idea what day of the week it is, and eating random meals made from your Christmas leftovers.

If you’re wondering why it’s called Twixmas, I think it comes from ye-olde-fashioned word “betwixt”, meaning between two things.

What’s so good about Twixmas?

You might think of this as a “nothing week”. Nothing much happens, most people don’t have many plans, and it can feel a little bit like you’re just waiting for New Year. But the beauty of this time is its emptiness. With very little you “have” to do, you can spend the time however you like. It’s like a welcome little break between the busyness of Christmas and the fresh start of the year ahead.

How to spend Twixmas

The only rule for Twixmas is that there are no rules. Any family or work commitments aside, this is the one week of the year when anything goes. Whether you want to relax as much as possible, go for long walks, tackle a DIY project, or simply eat the Christmas cheese and watch old movies all week, it’s your call.

10 ideas for enjoying Twixmas

However you want to spend the Twixmas break, here are some ideas.

1. Cosy up and enjoy something you wanted to do before Christmas

Festive December is typically very busy. Some years it’s frantic and passes in a blur of shopping, wrapping and Christmas prep. And so you often don’t get actually to do all the Christmassy things you’d planned. Every year I have a list of Christmas movies and TV specials I want to watch but I typically only ever get through half of them. This week is the perfect time to catch up. Maybe you bought a Christmas jigsaw puzzle and it’s still in the box? Wanted to do some Christmas baking? Now’s your chance – there’s still plenty of time to enjoy festive fun, but with no pressure.

2. Treat your body and mind

If there was ever the time to indulge in some pampering, this is it. With literally nothing to do, now’s the time to open up any bath scents or body lotions from your Christmas stocking, kick back and relax. Try a hair mask, a face mask, a home pedicure, and even indulge in the ultimate time-off treat: a bath in the daytime!

Don’t forget to recharge your brain: turn on an inspring podcast, try a meditation app, catch up on some extra sleep, or enjoy an audiobook.

3. Think ahead to your New Year’s resolutions

If you’re a resolute resolutioner, try spending this quiet time preparing for next year’s goals and projects. A little bit of planning (and maybe online shopping for supplies) now will mean you’ll be raring to go come the first day of the new year.

4. Go to the pantomime!

Lots of people enjoy a trip to the pantomime before Christmas, but I always buy tickets for after Christmas. We enjoy a great day out after all the general festive excitement is over and things are less busy. It’s a great chance to get the kids out the house when they’ve usually been inside most of the week. In 2020 we had to watch a virtual Christmas pantomime, but it’s still good to have something fixed to look forward to. Other Christmas attractions like seasonal ice rinks and Christmas markets are usually still open too, so this is a great time to see them without the huge crowds.

5. Start reading your Christmas books – or buy some new ones

We give a lot of books as Christmas gifts in our family, and so one of my favourite things about the week after Christmas is looking at my pile of new books and deciding what to read next. It’s also a great time to browse the sales for new books, or spend any vouchers you might have received.

6. Get the kids to write their Christmas thank you cards

This quiet week before school starts is the perfect time to get the kids to write thank you notes for their Christmas gifts. In our house, if we don’t manage to get them done this week then it tends to be the end of January before we tackle them. It feels fantastically organised if we can get it done before the New Year.

If you’ve got a kid who bounds to the table to excitedly write thank you letters, then please tell me your secret. For the rest of us, try tempting them with some fun cards, coloured pens, and general bribery.

7. Do some Twixmas comfort cooking

If you’ve nowhere to be, spend the afternoon in the kitchen trying out a new recipe or cooking up an old favourite. See what you can make with the festive leftovers, or use up some of the Christmas chocolate with this easy chocolate cake recipe.

8. Plan a trip

If you’ve had enough of winter [LINK] and are already dreaming of sunny days ahead, now is the perfect time to start researching activities and holiday for later in the year (pandemic allowing, of course).

9. Revamp your living room

You might be horrified at the idea of taking down your Christmas decorations before New Year. But maybe you’re going back to work straight after New Year’s Day and you’d be really grateful to have it all done before then. Why not use this time to have a revamp? Your room probably always feels really spacious when you remove the Christmas tree, so trying rearranging the furniture and having a clear-out. Starting the New Year with the living room cleared and treated to a mini facelift feels aMAZing!

10. Do nothing!

I doubt anyone will complain if you have an enforced day of pyjamas, books, TV, video games, and takeaway! Think of it as recharging your batteries after the busy Christmas period, and for many people, this is one of the few weeks of the year when the whole family is off school and work together. Make the most of it.

I hope this post gives you some inspiration and ideas for what to over Twixmas. It’s your chance to slow down, cosy up, and enjoy some well-earned rest.