Spending time with your partner around the holidays is important, but it can feel like all of the holiday date ideas out there are cheesy AF. If you're not into the glittering lights and cozy fire feeling of it all, you may want to go into full hibernation mode — but it's important to fight that urge. "I have seen way too many relationships head into the holidays strong, and come out of them as if they had never met," Nora Dekeyser, a matchmaker at personalized dating and matchmaking service, Three Day Rule, tells Bustle. So it's important to make some time together, even if building a snowman and frolicking in a winter wonderland isn't really your thing.
The truth is, almost all holiday dates seem a little bit cheesy — with snow, scarves, and hot cocoa at every turn, it’s hard not to have a little cheese-factor. Even if you live in a warmer climate, you’re still going to have holiday lights and saccharine advertisements to contend with — so there really is cheese everywhere you look. If your inner cynic isn’t ready for a cheesy holiday romance — or you just want a break from it all — it is possible to arrange a date that’s not cheesy. Well, that’s not that cheesy. You just have to choose your locations — and your activities — carefully.
Here are nine date ideas that aren’t that cheesy, but holiday dating doesn’t have to be all snow angels and whipped cream.
1Volunteer
Volunteering is never a bad idea. And if you find the consumerism and intensity of the holidays all too much, then volunteering your time is a good way to break away from it all for a while — while still doing some good.
2Visit Family Or Neighbors
If you have family members or neighbors who you know might be spending a lot of time alone this year, consider taking your partner to visit them. It may not be the most romantic way to spend an evening, but it gets back to the real spirit of the holidays — without the cheesiness.
3Watch A Horror Movie
You can disconnect from the holidays completely by going to a non-holiday movie — even better if it's a horror movie, thriller, or something totally not cuddly and warm.
4Find Nice Cocktails
Slam back a few drinks and let your inner cynic out — it can be a great way to cut loose from holiday pressures. Bonus points if you trade in your mulled wine and opt for a dirty martini instead.
5Go To A Museum
Go to an art exhibition or a gallery that's decidedly not holiday-themed — you can feel smug for bettering yourself and escaping the holiday madness at the same time.
6Workout Together
Breaking a sweat together may sound cheesy in theory, but watching your partner get sweaty and gross is about as far away from holiday cheesiness as it gets.
7Order In Pizza
Sometimes, the best way to escape is to shut yourself in and avoid the world around you — and pizza is always a great option.
8Wrap Presents Together
Sure, wrapping presents may still feel holiday related, but there's nothing that takes the joy and light out of the holidays more than having to wrap 20 presents in a row. You and your partner can make a night of it and curse the holidays together.
9Play Board Games
Finally, you can always opt for staying in with a board game — some strategy games are so consuming that they might keep you busy until the New Year.
The holidays might feel impossible to escape, but you and your partner can get some quality time together without indulging in the cheesiness of the season. Find activities that have nothing to do with the holidays or, if all else fails, lock yourself in and away from it all. January will be here before you know it.
