Now that it’s December, you might have the urge to celebrate the holidays in any way possible. Whether this be through listening to Christmas music, a peppermint coffee or just a bit more of the color red in your daily wardrobe, we all have different ways to spread holiday cheer. However, it becomes harder to celebrate the holidays with finals looming over your head, getting everyone gifts or in a space shared with numerous people. Here are a few ways to celebrate the holidays with roommates and friends, ranging from Christmas-themed activities to fun gift exchanges.

Plan hot chocolate and holiday movie nights

With hectic studying schedules, this may require a few When2meets to be sent into the group chat. However, nothing screams holiday celebration like some quality time with friends while sipping hot chocolate and watching a holiday movie. These movies can range anywhere from the controversial Christmas movie “Die Hard” to classic Disney movies but are best viewed with some hot chocolate (peppermint flavor is highly suggested) and even some pizza to share!

Mini stocking stuffers

Although no one has the time (or resources) to have a full stocking on display in the middle of finals week, mini stockings do just the trick. Whether or not you would like to fill them with a bit of candy or small trinkets, they are small (and cheap) enough to buy for all of your roommates. This way, even throughout finals, there is always the small excitement of opening the stockings on the last day of school. 

White elephant

A holiday game made for groups of friends or roommates, this is always something fun I do every year. The rules are simple: Everyone buys a gift (with a said price limit), wraps it and brings it to a gathering. Then, you give everyone in your group a number (depending on how many people are in the group), and going in numerical order, each person picks a random gift and opens it. On each person’s turn (after the number one goes), they have the choice to steal someone else’s gift and make them choose again, or pick a new gift to open from the pile. Although it may sound a bit complicated at first, this is the perfect game to play with friends if you want a bit of laughter.

Gingerbread house competitions

Nothing screams the holidays quite like a good old-fashioned competition. Although schedules may be tight, this is an activity that only takes an hour maximum (mostly because there is usually a time limit). So, gather up your friends or call a roommate meeting, buy two gingerbread houses, split into teams and prepare to create an amazing piece of art or a slightly unstable dwelling. Who knows?

Collaborative holiday playlists

Now if schedules are really tight during finals week, this is the least time-consuming holiday activity to do with your roommates: Create a holiday collaborative playlist! Although this does not have to be limited to holiday music, it’s always fun and exciting to see what songs get other people into the holiday spirit, and it may help you expand your holiday music taste as well.

These activities are the perfect way to spread the holiday cheer this season, even amid finals! From fun gift exchanges to holiday movies, this will get you in the Christmas mood with your roommates and friends.