A Very Merry Guide

The Holiday Cocktail

• 1.5 oz. Grapefruit Vodka
• .5 oz. Aperol
• .75 oz. Simple syrup
• .5 oz. Fresh lemon juice

A Berry White Christmas

• 2 oz. Spiced rum
• 2 bar spoons Cranberry preserve
• 1 oz. Lime juice
• .5 oz Vanilla orgeat 

Upgraded Eggnog

• 1 Egg
• 1 oz. Heavy cream
• .5 oz. Maple syrup
• .25 oz. ……. St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
• 1.5 oz. Paul Beau VS Cognac

Freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish

Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

• 1.5 oz. Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch
• 1 oz. Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
• 1.5 oz. Espresso
• 1.5 oz. Milk of choice
• 1 oz. Simple syrup 

Cinnamon, as garnish

Overstaying your welcome. If you’re lucky enough to attend a holiday gathering hosted by someone else, make sure you’re not lingering in the living room while the hosts are getting ready for bed or are cleaning up around you. 

Overserving yourself. While the holidays are a time to indulge, make sure you aren’t making a fool of yourself or making others uncomfortable with your tipsy behavior. And don’t get behind the wheel! 

Stepping into conversational minefields. Yes, the world is bonkers and people have big opinions. Leave the passionate political diatribes for another time … or just ditch them altogether. 

Trapping someone under the mistletoe. Consent, people, consent!

Bringing something to the gathering, even if it’s small. A bottle of wine, flowers (already in a vase) or a dessert go a long way.

Celebrating, not interrogating. Some people dread coming to holiday events because of invasive personal questions. Make sure you’re striking the right balance.

Sticking to the Secret Santa budget. A spend limit is set in place to ensure everyone feels like they’re on equal footing; don’t disrespect the system! 

RSVPing, every time. People work hard to plan out their holiday events; make sure to reciprocate that courtesy by RSVPing, whether you
can go or not.

As of December 2023, 77% of Americans displaying a Christmas tree are opting for an artificial one, according to a survey from the American Christmas Tree Association. While you may have an impassioned tree stance or don’t mind either way, we offer some unbiased pros and cons for real and artificial Christmas trees. 

Real tree pros:

• Smells like Christmas. You can put pine air fresheners in your fake tree, sure, but nothing beats the real deal.

• Eco-friendly. Most trees purchased at farms can be recycled into mulch. 

• Like a snowflake. That is to say, it’s totally unique to your household — no two are the same.

• Supports the local economy. If you’re buying a real tree, you’re likely supporting a local farm. 

Real tree cons:

• High maintenance. If you tend to kill house plants, sticking to a watering schedule and cleaning up pine needles 24/7 may not be for you. You’ll also need to figure out how to get the tree into your space and haul it out when the holidays are over. 

• Not baby- or pet-friendly. That’s not to say you can’t have a real tree with babies and pets, but it may be more of a liability with them present. 

• Offers a short lifespan. Once a tree dries out, it can’t be salvaged.

• Not great for the allergy-prone. Mold and pollen can be found hiding within those pine needles and bark. Beware!

Artificial tree pros:

• Low-maintenance. No shedding pine needles, no watering schedule, easy put-up and take-down. Ta-da! 

• Budget-friendly. If you invest in a quality tree, it will last you for years to come. That means one purchase leads to tons of memories.

• Offers design control. Maybe you want a multi-colored tree, one that comes pre-decorated, or has fake snow atop. Artificial trees offer it all! 

• No allergens in sight. A fake tree is ideal for those who struggle with seasonal allergies. 

Artificial tree cons: 

• No delicious pine scent. Guess you’ll have to burn a candle instead! 

• Not-so-eco-friendly.Most artificial trees have plastics that aren’t recyclable or are shipped from overseas, adding to your carbon footprint.

• Requires storage space.If you’re limited on storage in your home, a clunky fake tree may be a pain to store.

Lighting displays are an integral part of the holidays. Thank goodness Oklahoma’s got quite a few! 

Woolaroc Wonderland of Lights
Through Dec. 21
Woolaroc Museum & Wildlife Preserve, Bartlesville

Botanic Garden of Lights
Through Dec. 28
Tulsa Botanic Garden

Midwest City Holiday Lights Spectacular
Through Dec. 28
Joe B. Barnes Regional Park

Ardmore Festival of Lights
Through Dec. 30
Regional Park, Ardmore

Festival of Angels
Through Dec. 30
Various locations, Ponca City

Fantasy Land of Lights
Through Dec. 30 
Johnstone Park, Bartlesville

Chickasha Festival of Light
Through Dec. 31
Shannon Springs Park, Chickasha

Christmas in the Park
Through Dec. 31
Ackley Park, Elk City

Crystal Christmas
Through Dec. 31
Crystal Beach Park, Woodward

Edmond’s Electric Luminance: An Enchanted Stroll
Through Jan. 1
Mitch Park, Edmond

Rhema Christmas Lights
Through Jan. 1
Rhema Bible Church, Broken Arrow

Garden of Lights
Through Jan 1
Honor Heights Park, Muskogee

Holiday in the Park
Through Jan. 1
Elmer Thomas Park, Lawton

Philbrook Festival
Through Jan. 3
Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa

OKC Zoo Safari Lights
Through Jan. 4
Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Garden

Bixby’s Winter Wonderland
Through Jan. 4
Charley Young Event Park, Bixby

If you’re wanting to catch a holiday performance, we’ve got you covered. 

Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec 3, 30
BOK Center, Tulsa; Paycom Center, OKC (respectively) 

Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park presents: Jane Austen’s Christmas Cracker
Dec. 4-21
Ok Shakes’ Blackbox Theater, OKC

American Theatre Company presents: A Christmas Carol
Dec. 4-23
Tulsa PAC

OKC Philharmonic presents: A Very Merry Pops
Dec. 5-6
Civic Center Music Hall, OKC

It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
Dec. 5-14
Broken Arrow Community Playhouse

Oklahoma Youth Arts Foundation presents:Edmond’s Nutcracker
Dec. 6-7
Rose State Performing Arts Center, Midwest City

Canterbury Voices presents: Handel’s Messiah
Dec. 7
Civic Center Music Hall, OKC

Tulsa Ballet presents: The Nutcracker
Dec. 7-21
Tulsa PAC

Festival Bell Ringers and the Tulsa Carolers
Dec. 10
Tulsa PAC

Signature Symphony presents: Christmas in Tulsa
Dec. 12
TCC Van Trease PACE, Tulsa

Pollard Theatre presents: A Territorial Christmas Carol
Through Dec. 21
Pollard Theatre, Guthrie

Oklahoma City Ballet presents: The Nutcracker
Dec. 14-23
Civic Center Music Hall, OKC

Lyric’s A Christmas Carol
Through Dec. 28
Lyric at the Plaza

Whether you’re ultra-coordinated or just wanna have some fun, ice rinks await. 

Ice on the Plaza
Through Dec. 31
323 E. Grand Ave., Ponca City

Arvest Winterfest
Through Jan. 6
BOK Center, Tulsa

Christmas in the Ville
Through Jan. 4
201 S.W. Keeler Ave., Bartlesville

Holidays on Ice
Through Jan. 4
301 S. Independence Ave, Enid

Yukon Ice Rink
Through Jan. 4
500 W. Vandament Ave., Yukon

Crest on Ice
Through Jan. 4
2550 Mt. Williams Dr., Norman

Bixby’s Winter Wonderland
Through Jan. 4
Charley Young Event Park, Bixby

BA Ice Rink
Through Jan. 5
418 S. Main St., Broken Arrow

Edmond Ice Rink
Through Feb. 1
Mitch Park, Edmond

Devon Ice Rink
Through Feb. 1
Myriad Botanical Gardens, OKC

Enjoy the holidays at community events galore.

The Nutcracker Festival
Dec. 5-6
Expo Square, Tulsa

Christkindlmarkt
Dec. 5-7
GAST Center, Tulsa

Saints Santa Run
Dec. 6
535 N.W. Ninth St., Oklahoma City

Tulsa Christmas Parade
Dec. 13
Downtown 

OKC Community Chanukah Festival
Dec. 14-22
Scissortail Park

Merry Mitchmas 5K & 10K
Dec. 20
Mitch Park, Edmond

Santa’s Ozark Mountain Village
Through Dec 20
Har-Ber Village Museum, Grove

Holiday in the Ark
Through Dec. 22
Endangered Ark Foundation, Hugo

The Polar Express Train Rides
Through Dec. 28
Oklahoma Railway Museum, OKC

Depot Green Christmas Train
Through Dec. 28
205 Elgin St., Muskogee

Red Earth Treefest
Through Dec. 31
BancFirst Tower, Oklahoma City

Arvest Winterfest
Through Jan. 6
Downtown Tulsa

Downtown in December
Through Feb. 2
Downtown Oklahoma City

• Real tree or fake tree?
• Eggnog or hot cocoa?
• White lights or colorful lights?
• New age holiday music or the classics? 
• Beach Christmas or white Christmas?
• Wrapping 100 gifts or untangling 100 feet of lights?
• Giving gifts or receiving gifts?
• Ugly sweater or fancy and festive outfit?
• Sleigh ride or ice skating?