Lumbered with cooking a Christmas Dinner for 12 this year? Dreading the family squabbles after a drink or two? Feeling gluttonous after one mince pie too many? If you're saying yes to all of these, and the prospect of spending Christmas cooped up indoors for days on end with your family leaves you reeling at the thought, then you may want to get out of the box this year and have a Christmas with a difference. We spend most days during the year in the great outdoors, something that makes us feel incredibly alive and happy so why miss out on doing what you enjoy for one day of the year? Create your own Christmas tradition this year, leave the house and do something more interesting than watching re-runs of EastEnders! Explore your options this Christmas and read our 10 alternative ways to spend Christmas in the outdoors!
#1. Open Water Swim
There's nothing more refreshing than a quick dip or a long swim in the sea on Christmas morning or Boxing Day. There's many organised swims that happen around the country for you to get involved in and anyone can take part (weather dependant). You may want to wear a wetsuit though as it's pretty nippy at this time of the year. There's no better way to work up an appetite though than taking a splash!
#2. Go For A Walk
Instead of spending the whole day being gluttonous, grab your walking boots and a coat and head for a brisk walk before lunch. The countryside in general offers complete tranquillity on Christmas Day and it can be a great time to think and de-stress if Christmas starts to get the better of you.
#3. Lend A Hand
It can be too easy to become absorbed in the festivities of the big day and forget about those less fortunate than you. If you can spare a moment on the big day why not lend a hand at a homeless kitchen to make vulnerable people feel at home. You'll truly feel like you've achieved something this year and your time will be worth a 1,000 of any presents you could buy.
#4. Go To Church
With that in mind it's also easy to forget the true meaning behind Christmas and whether you're religious or not, attending a Christmas Day church service is a fantastic thing to do that is full of atmosphere, joy and hope.
#5. Go On Holiday
And when it all gets too much for you, pack your bags and head for the hills! Whether you're looking for a stay-cation or a far flung holiday there's lots of options during the festive season. Whether you want to go skiing, for a beach holiday or even camping it will be a Christmas with a difference that can be spent in the great outdoors!
#6. Cycle
Grab your bikes and go for a peaceful ride during Christmas Day. With the wind in your hair and the crisp cold weather, you'll work up quite the appetite, and it goes without saying that it's a great stress reliever!
#7. Go Out For Food
Eating out for Christmas dinner is the new eating in, many restaurants are open on Christmas Day ready to tend to your every need. Being cooped in the whole kitchen isn't fun for anyone, booking a restaurant for lunch with the family will definitely take a whole weight of your shoulders!
#8. Wildlife Spotting
If you've got children staying with you on Christmas day, get the whole family out of the house on a walk and in search of wildlife. There's lots of impressive wildlife to be spotted in the countryside and make it a competition to see who can spot the most animals!
#9. Go Surfing
What better way to celebrate Christmas than plunging into the icy waters for a refreshing surf? It's slowly becoming a Christmas tradition for many, so don the wetsuit and head for the shore, you'll spot hundreds of people catching the surf on the coast in Devon & Cornwall, and it's a great way to meet with like minded people!
#10. Go Camping
If the prospect of Camping over Christmas doesn't appeal to you, set up camp in your garden which you can retreat to when the going gets tough. If watching Christmas movies all day and the Queens speech doesn't appeal to you why not watch the world pass you by and do some star spotting in the evening.
Christmas is a time full of traditions and spending time with the family, but until you get outside of your comfort zone you dont know what amazing experiences you can have! Do something different this year and it might just surprise you! Would you like to have an alternative Christmas this year? Whatever you choose to do this Christmas, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year from everyone at Waterman's. Keep up to date with our latest blog posts and updates on the Waterman's Facebook page, Twitter and Google+.
