Christmas is a time of year when many people like to socialise and spend time with friends, family members and loved ones. There is a lot to be said for meeting up at a friend's house and having a great time catching up and reminiscing. However, not everyone is able to meet up at home at this time of year which inevitably leads to what is going to be open on Christmas Day. With the exception of Christmas Day and New Yeas Day, the vast majority of places will be open during the festive period. However, the fact that Christmas Day is scheduled to be a time for people to spend with their loved ones; most venues decide not to open up on this day. This can be disappointing for people who don't have anyone they want to spend time with or who would rather get out of the house for a while on this special day.

There are also some places you can turn to on Christmas Day, so whether you need a last minute present or you would prefer for someone else to do the cooking and cleaning, help is at hand.

Service stations and newsagents

Whether you need a last minute gift like flowers, chocolate or you want to make sure that your car is topped up with fuel for a big Boxing Day drive, there are some places you can visit on Christmas Day. The around the clock every day of the year service provided by these venues can be of great benefit, especially since there are very few options open elsewhere.

Restaurants

More and more people are looking to dine out on Christmas Day. If you have limited cookery skills or you don't want the inconvenience of cooking and cleaning for most of the big day, dining out in a restaurant makes sense. While you are likely to pay more for a meal on this day than on other days, you will get benefits from being able to relax without having to prepare the meal. This can see you get a better standard of food and everyone in your party can get what they are looking for, without needing to make a lot of additional meals or carry out more cooking. Most restaurants will offer set times for their Christmas Day meals which means you can arrange in advance when you want to ea. This leaves plenty of time for socialising and relaxing at home.

Hotels

Hotels will often offer restaurant facilities for Christmas Day but they also offer their standard service. Many people want to escape the pressure of Christmas at home so taking a break at this time of year can be a great idea. Having everything taken care of for you can really help you to enjoy life and there is a lot to be said for getting away from it all.

Some people will also be travelling to see friends or perhaps making a journey to ensure that they can make an early start on Boxing Day. In the hotel trade, Christmas Day comes close to being a day like any other, although guests will find that they receive an additional festive service when they are staying in a hotel on this day.

Pharmacies and Medical services

There are many medical emergencies arising on Christmas Day like any other day. In fact, with the pressure of preparing food and the amount of alcohol that is drunk, there is an argument to be said that there is a greater need for medical services on Christmas Day. Many pharmacies will provide a limited service on this day and of course, hospitals will have A&E staff available should there be any serious problems.

Local pubs

If you fancy escaping your house for a couple of hours after your big Christmas meal, you may be in luck. Many local pubs make a big deal of having Christmas Evening drinks so why not keep an eye out for any events that may be taking place in your local area.