A romantic Christmas Eve at home: an evening plan for two

The weeks before the holidays are loud. There are parties, travel, wrapping, family plans and a long list of things to pick up. By the time the night itself arrives, a lot of couples realize they haven't had a quiet hour together in a month.

This is a plan for taking that hour back, and then some. It works for Christmas Eve, the night of the solstice, New Year's Eve or any cold night in December when you can close the door on everything else. Use it as written or take the parts you like.

The evening, in short

• Do the work early, so the evening itself has nothing on it.
• Light the room low and warm, with the overhead off.
• Pick one scent and start it an hour before.
• Make a playlist long enough that nobody touches it.
• Keep dessert simple, something you can make ahead or put together in ten minutes.
• Exchange one small gift each.
• Put the phones away and give yourselves the whole night.

Clear the night first

The evening only feels slow if nothing is waiting on it. Do the prep in the afternoon: wrap the gifts, tidy the room, wash the dishes from lunch, and decide on anything you'll need tomorrow morning. If you're hosting family the next day, get as much of that done as you can now, too. It's hard to relax with a list running in your head.

Then agree on a time when the evening starts. Something like "seven o'clock, and after that we're done for the day."

Set the light

Holiday light is most of the mood. Turn the overhead light off and let the room run on lamps and strands.

• Lamps on warm bulbs, 2700K or lower, turned down if you have dimmers.
• The tree on, or a strand of warm fairy lights along the headboard or across a shelf.
• Flameless candles by the bed and anywhere near fabric. A real candle or two can go across the room on a tray, in glass, away from curtains and greenery.

If you'd like the bedroom to glow for the night, our holiday bedroom lighting guide covers the setup.

One scent, started early

Choose one winter scent and stick with it: pine, cedar, a little clove or orange peel, or something warm like amber or vanilla. Start it an hour before the evening so the room smells like it rather than like a candle that was just lit.

A pot of water on the stove with orange slices, a cinnamon stick and a few cloves makes the whole house smell like the season, and it's free. Keep it on low and keep an eye on the water. Our guide to scent in the bedroom has more ideas.

Music that doesn't need you

Make a playlist in the afternoon, at least three hours long, so it never runs out in the middle of something. Mix a few holiday songs you both like with slow jazz, soul or soft instrumental music. Two hours of carols on repeat gets old fast. A few in the mix is enough to make it feel like the season.

Keep the volume low. You should be able to talk without raising your voices.

A simple dessert

This isn't the night for a project in the kitchen. Choose something you can make ahead or put together in a few minutes, and eat it somewhere comfortable instead of at the table.

• A small cheese plate with dried fruit, honey and dark chocolate.
• Chocolate-dipped strawberries or orange slices, made in the afternoon.
• Store-bought cake or pastries, plated nicely and shared.
• Hot chocolate, made from real chocolate and milk, with whipped cream.

Bring it to the living room floor by the tree, or to the bed on a tray. Eating together slowly, with nowhere to be, is half the point.

A small gift exchange

Agree on this ahead of time: one small gift each, opened tonight, just between the two of you. The big presents can wait for the morning with everyone else.

Small is the point. A handwritten note, a book you think they'll love, a pair of warm socks, a framed photo from this year, a "coupon" for a breakfast in bed or a massage. The best ones say "I was paying attention." Our romantic gift ideas guide has plenty more if you're stuck.

Open them one at a time, slowly. Ask about the choice. Let it take a while.

Slow down

This is the part that's easy to skip. Once the dessert is done and the gifts are open, don't reach for the remote or your phone.

• Put the phones in another room, on silent, until morning.
• Talk about the year. What was the best part? What surprised you? What do you want more of next year?
• Stay close. Share a blanket, trade a shoulder rub, lie by the tree with the lights on and the room dark.
• Let the evening go where it goes. There's no schedule after this point and nothing that has to happen.

The next morning

Leave the lights on a timer so the tree is glowing when you wake up. Sleep in if you can, and save the dishes for later. If the plan worked, the best part of the holiday will already have happened, and it was just the two of you.

For more ideas on setting up any evening at home, see our guide to planning an intimate evening.