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The events on the holidays are few and far between, but there are some out there. Here are a few of the possibilities as well as some other ideas for entertainment available to those not taking part in holiday festivities.

As you have probably noticed, Minnesota is pretty much a frozen wasteland this time of year, so a tour of the local parks and lakes is a bit out of the question. Maybe if things warm up a bit, but don’t build your plans around it. Instead the best option is to stay indoors, but with most of the region’s attractions shut down for the day, you will have to look around a bit to find some excitement on Christmas. Fortunately for the culinarily-challenged, there is a selection of area restaurants that will be serving the masses that day. I cannot guarantee a Christmas-free environment, but the likes of the St. Paul Grill and Forepaugh’s in downtown St. Paul are slated to be open. Also Sidney’s, The Lexington, and Chang O’Hara’s in Saint Paul will be in operation. On the Minneapolis side of the metro area, expect to see Basil’s, Jax Cafe, Nicollet Island Inn, and Ristorante TreVina to be among the eateries available for business on the holiday. As a precaution, make sure to call ahead to any restaurant to check on hours or other changes in schedule on
a day like Christmas before setting off for a meal.

And though your Christmas-celebrating counterparts may be packing on the pounds all day long, you should not necessarily be confined to only restaurants all day long. If you don’t mind making a fool of yourself, or if you enjoy watching others who don’t mind, Triple Rock Social Club is hosting Staraoke Karaoke starting at 9 p.m. The event is 21+, and there may be a good selection of participants topping off Christmas celebrations who are still in a somewhat festive mood. While many other cities have large concerts to throw for those not in the Christmas spirit, the Twin Cities seem to be lacking such an event this year, though there are a few smaller shows scattered around bars in the area on Dec. 24-25. And if you are into clubbing or dancing some of the area clubs will be open Christmas night, so call up your favorites and plan ahead.

If theatre is your thing, I’m sorry, but no one around town seems ready to cater to your holiday-free needs. Most stages around town are closed on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and those that are open tend to be specializing in Christmas-themed events. Even the Brave New Workshop Theatre with their annual Christmas parody show is closed on the two days that most warrant the parodying.

It looks like there really isn’t a whole lot available out there for those taking the holiday off. The best bet is to start up a new Christmas tradition for yourself, one devoid of Santa or church or whatever else it is that causes you to pass up on the holiday. Try picking up a new hobby, like knitting yourself a scarf or some mittens to keep you warm in the bitter cold of a Minnesota winter. You could read, maybe learn something, but why do that while not in school? If it isn’t too cold you could go sledding or snowboarding somewhere, though I imagine many snowboarding locales happen to be closed as well. If you are a fan of dumpster diving; Christmas could really become a holiday. No stores are open, so no one else will be around. If this is something new to you, what better day to pick up the practice? You’re a poor college student, why not?

Try gathering some your friends and start some sort of anti-Christmas tradition. You could pick out some anti-Christmas movie, like the recent Bad Santa or this year’s The Ice Harvest. Or better yet, give yourself the experience of The Hebrew Hammer because, judging by sales and viewership, you probably missed it the first time around. You could all get drunk and play Trivial Pursuit-90s Edition, of course, because it is the only decade you can remember. You could try a TV marathon, but chances are the airwaves will be filled with sappy renditions of A Christmas Carol, so perhaps that is not the best option. You could play some poker, or go to the casino, or pick up some addictive habit like smoking.

The important thing is, there is something out there for you to do, just not a lot. Sorry, but all your fears that the world is against you for one day a year are not without merit. It’s a conspiracy and you are stuck in the frozen hellscape called Minnesota. Maybe it is not so extreme; the options exist, they are just limited. So have fun doing whatever it is you find to do on Christmas and maybe next year the Chistmas haters of the world can unite and have a great time in December.