14 Overrated Outdoor Activities During Christmas

It’s that time of year when cozy sweaters, warm drinks, and twinkling lights take over the season. Families and friends reunite to share memories of the year and catch up on life events. In deciding what Christmas activities to do with friends and family, some activities tend to be overrated.

These are often the first places people go to capture that picture-perfect Christmas vibe, only to end up cold, tired, and sometimes, disappointed.

Ice Skating in Crowded Rinks

Ice skating is fun and magical, but if you’re new to it or inexperienced, the ache in your ankles afterward may not be worth the hassle. It’s also quite cold and slippery, so you may fall over while skating around in front of so many other skaters zipping about expertly, which is no fun at all.

Tree Lighting Waiting Hours

Tree lightings are festive, but are they worth standing in the cold for hours to hear a countdown? There’s a huge crowd, the wait is interminable. Then there’s the mad dash to the exits afterward.

Snowman Building Marathons

Building a snowman is fun and exciting, but sculpting the snowballs into shape, rolling them, and gathering decorations can take hours. Let’s face it, by the time you’re done, your masterpiece could be a lopsided marshmallow, not Frosty the Snowman.

Outdoor Christmas Markets

Christmas markets may look magical, but they often feel like a crowded theme park of overpriced trinkets and long lines for mulled wine. Freezing temperatures and crowded walkways begin to fade the charm pretty quickly. Sipping hot cocoa at home sometimes sounds like a better plan.

Caroling Around the Neighborhood

Caroling sounds like a heartwarming activity, until you realize you’re freezing while singing to people who might not even open their doors. We shouldn’t forget the awkwardness of hitting that one house with an overly enthusiastic audience who wants you to sing more.

Sleigh Rides in the Cold

A ride through a winter wonderland on a sleigh sounds like a pretty Hallmark movie scene. In reality, it’s freezing, and sitting on a hard bench with the icy wind whipping your face is anything but dreamy. The experience is quite lovely, but you may be too focused on how cold you are to enjoy it.

Cutting Your Own Christmas Tree

Chopping down your own Christmas tree may be the ultimate holiday adventure, but it’s more work than it looks. The first challenge is finding the “perfect” tree. Then lugging it back to your car, getting sap all over your hands, and hours later cleaning up fallen needles. The idea of a pre-cut tree starts to sound appealing after having to do all that.

Holiday Light Displays in the Outdoors

Driving through glamorous light displays is a delightful experience but seeing them while walking can be difficult as you spend more time shivering from the cold than truly enjoying the elaborate designs and setups.

Skiing on Christmas Day

Skiing is fun, but skiing on Christmas Day might be more trouble than it’s worth. The lines are long, the slopes are packed and by the time you hit the lift, the magic of the day is a little lost.

Outdoor Winter Performances

Outdoor performances are romantic until you’re sitting on cold, hard benches, shivering in layers that still don’t feel warm enough. You might want to enjoy a live show, but it’s nearly impossible to focus on the performance when all you can think about is getting to the nearest heater.

Polar Plunges

Diving into freezing water in the middle of winter is not for everyone. The cold is harsh and you stand a chance of getting sick from the freezing temperatures. Some people do it for a good cause, but you could also support your cause from the comfort of your home.

Winter Camping

Camping in the winter is an adventure until you’re wrestling with a frozen tent zipper and sleeping in multiple layers of clothing to stay warm. Winter camping is that fine line between being adventurous and torturing yourself.

Hiking Frozen Trails

Hiking through icy paths is not only cold and uncomfortable but also quite slippery and hazardous. It presents a challenge to stay upright and is more an exhausting exercise than a peaceful climb through snowscapes.

Outdoor Fireworks Displays

Watching fireworks outside in freezing temperatures might seem exciting, but it won’t be long before you realize it may not be your thing, and start to wish you could view it all from the cozy indoors.

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