Long Distance Relationship Christmas Ideas: 30 Ways to Feel Close

6 min read · The Map

The best long distance relationship Christmas ideas do two things: they give you something to open at the same time, and they give you something to do together on a call. Start the parcel early, pick one shared ritual (a synced Christmas morning, a video-call dinner or a movie on the same timestamp), and send one message that sounds like you, not a card aisle. Below are 30 ideas, a posting timeline, and a full Christmas Day plan for uni and year-abroad couples.

If being apart this Christmas has you wondering where you two actually stand, The Map shows you in about three minutes. Find where you stand

30 long distance Christmas ideas

Mix and match. You don't need all 30. You need three that feel like you two.

Things to open together

1. A synced unboxing. Each of you posts a box, then you open them live on FaceTime.
2. The 12 days of tiny gifts. Twelve small envelopes labeled "open Dec 14" through "open Dec 25."
3. A matching ornament. A long distance relationship Christmas ornament with both cities on it, one for each tree.
4. A "when you miss me" jar. Folded notes for the hard days in January.
5. Matching pajamas for the Christmas morning call (yes, cringe; yes, worth it).
6. A snack swap. Send the candy from your city that they can't get. Year-abroad couples, this one is gold.
7. A handwritten long distance relationship Christmas card. Short. Specific. Ink.

Things to do on a call

8. Decorate a mini tree together over video.
9. Bake the same cookie recipe at the same time and rate each other's fails.
10. Watch a Christmas movie synced with Teleparty or by counting down "3, 2, 1, play."
11. Do a virtual Christmas market walk: one of you films the stalls, the other picks what to buy.
12. Wrap presents on call and roast each other's wrapping.
13. Play an online game together (codenames, a co-op, a quiz).
14. Read a Christmas story out loud before bed.
15. Make a shared Spotify Christmas playlist, 10 songs each.

Things that last past December

16. A shared Google Doc diary of December, one line a day each.
17. A photo book of the year you've had (even the screenshots).
18. A countdown widget to the next time you see each other.
19. A New Year letter you both open next Christmas.
20. Book the next visit as the gift itself.

Cheap long distance Christmas gifts (under $15 / £15)

21. A printed photo strip from your last visit.
22. A playlist with a handwritten tracklist.
23. Their hoodie size in your uni merch.
24. A voice note "advent calendar" (one recording a day).
25. A Polaroid of your view right now.
26. A local postcard every week of December.
27. A coupon book for things you'll do on the next visit.
28. A sticker of an inside joke.
29. Hot chocolate kit with a note: "drink at 8pm my time."
30. A letter. Just a letter. Still undefeated.

Gifts that arrive on time (start early)

The number one long distance relationship Christmas present fail is a parcel stuck in customs on December 27th. Plan backward.

A few rules for long distance boyfriend Christmas gift ideas (and girlfriend ones too):

• Ship to the right address. If they're going home for the holidays, send it to their family home, not their dorm or halls.
• Pack a note inside, not just on the outside. Parcels get opened by parents.
• Don't send food internationally without checking the destination's rules first.

Planning a parcel is easy. Knowing whether this relationship is a "big gift" one or a "thoughtful little thing" one is harder, and it's why so many people freeze in the gift aisle. The Map asks eighteen quick questions about one person and places your dot, so you're not guessing from vibes alone. Find where you stand

Video-call Christmas traditions

Calls get stale when you just stare and say "so what did you do today." Give the call a job.

The Christmas Eve call

• Same drink, same movie, same blanket energy.
• Each of you opens one small gift on camera.
• End with a "favorite moment of our year" round.

The video-call Christmas dinner

• Prop the phone at your end of the table so they "sit" with your family for ten minutes. Ask first.
• Or eat the same meal at the same time. A frozen pizza counts.
• Time zone tip: if you're 8 hours apart, one of you does breakfast and one does dinner. Call it "brinner" and move on.

Time zone tips for a Christmas apart from your boyfriend or girlfriend

• Pick the call time based on the person with the busier family day.
• Put both times in the calendar invite so nobody mixes them up.
• Agree on a backup slot. Grandmas talk longer than planned.

A synced Christmas Day plan

Here's a plan you can copy. Adjust times for your gap.

1. Morning text. First thing, before family chaos: "Merry Christmas. Open the red envelope."
2. Synced unboxing call (20 minutes). Open the parcels together.
3. Family time, phones down. Seriously. Being present with your family is not you ignoring them.
4. One photo swap midday: your plate, your view, your silly hat.
5. Evening call. Rate the day out of 10, share the funniest family moment, watch something.
6. Last message of the night. Something that sounds like you.

If it's your first Christmas long distance, expect it to feel a bit weird. That's normal. Weird is not the same as wrong.

Want to spend December building up to it? The ideas in our Christmas bucket list for couples work over video too. And if one of you just started uni, dating freshman year of college covers how hometown relationships survive first term.

Christmas messages for long distance

A long distance relationship Christmas message should be short enough to read on a lock screen and specific enough that only they could have received it.

Sweet:

• "Merry Christmas from 3,000 miles away. Still my favorite notification."
• "This is the last Christmas I'm opening presents without you in the room. Calling it now."

Funny:

• "My mom asked who I keep smiling at. Merry Christmas, you're the problem."
• "Long distance Christmas review: 2/10 hugs, 10/10 person."

Long distance relationship Christmas wishes for a card:

• "Distance is just geography. Merry Christmas."
• "Here's to the next one, same room, same couch."

Skip copy-pasted long distance relationship Christmas quotes from Pinterest unless you add one line of your own. The line you add is the part they'll remember.

Feel close this Christmas, wherever you are

Distance makes you second-guess things you'd never question in person. Take three minutes, answer eighteen quick taps about your person, and see where your dot lands. Then you can invite them so both of your dots sit on one map, without either of you seeing the other's answers.

Find where you stand

FAQ

How do you celebrate Christmas in a long distance relationship?

Pick one shared ritual, like a synced unboxing or a video-call dinner, and protect it. Send a parcel early so it lands before the 25th. Keep the rest of the day for your family, and close with an evening call.

What is a good long distance relationship Christmas gift?

Something they can use when they miss you: a hoodie, a photo book, a notes jar or a booked visit. Cheap long distance Christmas gifts like letters and voice notes often hit harder than expensive ones.

When should I send a long distance Christmas present?

International parcels should go out by mid-November. Domestic ones by early December. Check your postal service's official last-posting dates each year, because they change.

What should I write in a long distance Christmas card?

Two or three lines: one memory from this year, one thing you miss, and one plan for the next visit. Specific beats poetic every time.

Is the first Christmas long distance the hardest?

For a lot of couples it feels that way because everything is new and nobody has a routine yet. Having a set plan for the day helps more than any gift.