Christmas is a magical time, especially when you are lucky enough to get to celebrate it with the person you love. To make this day one of the most romantic days of your life, get out of the house and take in the beauty and various activities of New York on a winter day. Reignite those old flames of love. Stroll through the city hand in hand, laugh together at a comedy club or sip champagne at one of those little cozy joints where you can cuddle on a couch.
Shows
Snuggle in the corner of an intimate jazz club, sip spiced wine and float away together to the soothing music. Music is a means of escape, helping couples transcend their worries and enjoy the moment and each other. Many of New York's jazz clubs and bars are open on Christmas Day, including Birdland Jazz, B.B. King's Blues Club and Blue Note. For a more extravagant Yule night, go to a Broadway show. Look for discounts at broadwaybox.com, playbill.com or the TKTS booth.
Strolls
Stroll through the ethnic neighborhoods and historic districts and take in the beauty of the colored lights, the radiant architecture and the ethereal winter landscape. A number of New York's nonprofit organizations put together Christmas Day walking events. The Big Onion offers walking tours of the Lower East Side twice on Christmas Day, and the Municipal Art Society arranges walking tours centered around contemporary architecture and public art. After working up a healthy appetite, enjoy a candlelight dinner at Al Diwan, a Lebanese restaurant. It offers an inexpensive three-course prix fixe menu.
Brunch
Hardly anything could be more romantic than a Christmas brunch in the company of your lover. Head over to The Carlyle, home of the legendary late lounge singer Bobby Short, and indulge in nutritious food and a glass of sparkling wine. On Christmas Day, The Carlyle features live piano performances to go along with its brunch buffet, which includes items such as smoked Scottish salmon with seven grain bread and low-fat cream cheese, avocado with marinated crab meat and salmon roe and lobster omelet with fresh herbs.
Dinner and a Movie
Curl up in front of the television, waiting for the stir-fried vegetables, steamed garlic shrimp and wonton soup. For many New Yorkers, this is a favorite Yuletide ritual. If you are an action-taker, grab your beau and your bike and head to Chinatown for a quick meal and a screening of one of the latest hits. As Hollywood releases its last-minute Oscar competitors on Christmas Day, most movie theaters stay open. For an all-evening adventure, attend the annual Christmas gathering at 92Y on 92nd Street in Tribeca. The event features two screenings and an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet.
Laughter
Gotham Comedy Club and Comedy Strip Live put on special acts on this magical day. According to Dr. Norman Li, an associate professor of psychology from Singapore Management University, laughter is a strong predictor of affection and a close connection. Professor Li conducted a study surveying 500 subjects from the U.S. The study found that people laugh when they like someone. If your friend laughs at your jokes, chances are that he likes you. Because you laugh when you really like someone, laughing together can trick your brain into thinking you are in love. When you laugh together with your lover, you implicitly believe that.
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