To learn more about how to celebrate this joyous season, we reached out to a Christmas expert, Jay Roberts, creator of The Christmas Everyday Club. First, we wanted to know what Jay loves most about this special time of the year. "I love the build up to the big day," he told Bored Panda. "The excitement and the chance to do lots of festivities."

"My sons and I watch a pantomime, we go to a drive-in and watch a Christmas movie, we visit the Christmas markets, listen to Christmas music, watch lots of Christmas movies," Jay continued. "But my favorite little thing that we do is we have a book that we created and sell on Amazon. But whatever money we make, we buy lots of them, wrap them up, and we go and give them out to local strangers to lift the Christmas spirit."

We were also curious if Jay has ever seen any particularly special Christmas card photos. "There is a simple one, yet I like it, and it's a family all stood there with the heading 'I'm dreaming of a...' and each family member has a thought bubble with something in it that they are dreaming of. I find it funny. Simple but effective."

And when it comes to decorations, the Christmas enthusiast says he loves any Grinch decorations. "They are always creative, especially ones where it looks like he has jumped through the door and has just his legs on one side and the rest on the other side. This was only £15."

We also asked Jay if he has any advice for those of us who tend to get a little stressed out during the holiday season. "I wish I knew the answer to help, but what I do if I feel like I am getting stressed is take 5 minutes out and listen to music," he shared. "It always seems to help. Then, after a little break, I feel much better to carry on with whatever I was doing at the time."

"People stress and worry about money a lot at Christmas because they want to get the best things for their loved ones," Jay added. "I get that, as I do too, but we have to remember that Christmas isn't about expensive gifts. It is about spending time with your loved ones. A simple hot chocolate together or a walk in the park, watching a Christmas movie or doing some arts and craft are all inexpensive ways to enjoy quality time together and those little memories are far more expensive than any gift."

If you'd like to embrace the Christmas spirit even more, be sure to visit Jay's site The Christmas Everyday Club!

The Christmas season can often become cluttered with the stress of entertaining guests, scheduling holiday gatherings, baking for the masses and purchasing presents for all of your loved ones that might break the bank. But the reality is, all we need to enjoy the day is a little bit of holiday spirit and a great sense of humor!

The photos on this list are excellent reminders that we don’t need a fridge full of eggnog or a huge tree with dozens of presents underneath to have a lovely time. We can enjoy time with our friends and family members by taking silly photos, making the most out of a tiny Christmas tree and dressing our pets up like Santa’s reindeer. 

Christmas is one of the most widely celebrated holidays around the globe, with over 2 billion people from over 160 countries considering it a special day. Of course, we don’t all celebrate it the same way, but there’s no wrong way to gather with loved ones, enjoy some delicious food and watch nostalgic films that fill you with the magic that your childhood Christmases did.

Depending on where you live, you might celebrate on the 24th or the 25th, you may have a feast of meats and cheeses or serve only pescatarian food, you might bake cookies and cakes from scratch or dine out at KFC. You might exchange gifts with each of your family members or host a White Elephant game where everyone brings a surprise item that’s up for grabs. As long as you’re having fun, you’re doing the holiday correctly!  

As someone who grew up in Texas and later lived in California, I had only experienced warm Christmases until 2 years ago. I was used to wearing shorts, playing yard games outside and eating ice cream on the big day. However, the past couple of years, I’ve been living in countries that actually experience white Christmases. I have to admit, it feels pretty magical to see fresh snow on Christmas morning, and I finally understand all of the holiday films that feature the magic of snow as plot points. But warm and cold Christmases both have their perks, so I hope one day I’ll get to experience a Christmas wearing sunglasses and a tank top again.   

One of my favorite aspects of the holiday season has always been driving around to look at Christmas lights. In the United States, there are specific neighborhoods that go all out in regards to decorations, and some even hold competitions to see who has the most spectacular set-up. But embracing the holiday season can quickly become expensive, as the National Retail Federation reports that Americans spend an average of $875 per year on gifts, decorations, food and other seasonal items.   

Now, the vast majority of the money Americans spend on Christmas does go towards gifts, with the average person spending about $620 to channel their inner Santa Claus. But those who celebrate Christmas still tend to spend around $255 on seasonal items like decorations, candy and food. However, nowadays, many of us accomplish our Christmas shopping without even leaving our homes, as 58% of consumers say they shop online, 49% like to visit department stores, and 48% will make trips to discount stores.

When I was a kid, my mom always decorated an entire door in our home with all of the Christmas cards we received that year. Starting in early December, cards would come flooding in with photos of my friends, family members, random acquaintances my parents hadn’t spoken to in years, and more. It seemed like everyone was sending out Christmas cards! And while the internet seems to have killed off many other pieces of mail, the Washington Post reports that Americans are still sending 1.6 billion holiday cards a year.

Christmas cards are an excellent way to say, “I love you” to friends and family members who you won’t see this year, and it’s even better when there’s a funny photo of yourself attached. If you live alone, you can edit a silly photo featuring yourself and your plants. If you have pets, you can put them in ugly Christmas sweaters and force them to strike a pose. And if you have roommates, you can all join in on the holiday fun by recreating scenes from classic Christmas films.   

Are you feeling prepared to embrace the Christmas season with jokes and laughter, pandas? We hope you’re enjoying this list and remembering that, despite how stressful this season can be, it’s really all about spreading joy and enjoying precious time with loved ones. Keep upvoting the pics that you find particularly wholesome and hilarious, and if you’re interested in checking out even more Christmas joy, you can find Bored Panda’s article from last year on the same topic right here!