Things To Do On Christmas Day In La

One Christmas in Los Angeles, I ate tamales in a parking lot in Boyle Heights while wearing flip-flops and sweating through a Santa hat. An abuela nearby was scolding a grown man for not adding enough raisins, and nobody seemed remotely concerned that it was December. That was the moment I realized Christmas in LA is not a Currier & Ives postcard; it’s a choose-your-own-adventure with better tacos.

If you’re spending December 25 here, you have options. You can chase tradition, avoid it entirely, or invent a new one that involves dumplings and a beach sunset. Just don’t expect snow, unless you count the fake stuff at a mall that’s probably closed.

Take a Beach Walk and Pretend It’s Normal

Where to Go

Start with the Pacific. Santa Monica and Venice are obvious, but they’re also open, walkable, and full of people doing exactly what you’re doing: acting like 65 degrees is a winter miracle.

For fewer crowds, try Playa del Rey, Manhattan Beach, or a Malibu overlook. Bring a jacket anyway, because the marine layer has a cruel sense of humor. Yes, you will see someone in shorts and someone in a parka within ten feet of each other.

Eat Chinese Food, Because Tradition Is Flexible

What to Order

Chinese restaurants and Jewish delis have long been Christmas Day sanctuaries for people who don’t do ham. In LA, the San Gabriel Valley is your promised land for dim sum, roast duck, and noodles long enough to require a strategy.

Call ahead, though. Some spots close, and the ones that open get packed. You are not the only genius who thought of this. If you’re lucky, you’ll wait next to a family arguing about whether to order more shrimp dumplings.

See a Movie in a Dark, Warm Room

Movie theaters are open, and Christmas Day is one of their biggest days of the year. It’s dark, cozy, and nobody cares if you’re wearing pajama pants under your coat.

Check AMC, Regal, or an indie theater for something weird. A blockbuster, a rerelease, a movie you’d never pay for on a normal Tuesday—it all works. The point is to sit still for two hours and let someone else drive the story.

Festive LA Christmas Activities | The Americana at Brand

Hike Off the Tamales

A Few Good Trails

If you need to balance out a day of eating, head to Griffith Park, Runyon Canyon, or Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. Go early, because parking disappears faster than store-bought tamales.

After a rain, the views are absurdly clear. You can see the ocean, downtown, and the Hollywood sign in one sweep. Do not wear new white sneakers. The dust will find them.

Disappear Into a Korean Spa

How to Do It Right

Koreatown spas are often open on Christmas, and they offer a very specific kind of holiday magic: hot rooms, cold plunges, and a stranger scrubbing you like you’re a car that missed a few washes.

It’s the opposite of a Norman Rockwell scene, which is exactly why it works. Check hours and age rules before you go. Bring ID, and do not argue with the ajumma.

Find Tamales, Menudo, or Both

Where to Look

Many Mexican American families in LA celebrate with tamales on Christmas Eve and menudo on Christmas Day. You can find both in Boyle Heights, East LA, South LA, and pretty much anywhere with a parking lot and a handwritten sign.

What To Do In Los Angeles On Christmas Day at Bobby Mosca blog

Skip the algorithm and follow the line. If people are waiting outside in folding chairs, that’s a good sign. Ask for champurrado if you want the full experience.

Do the Tourist Thing, but With Less Shame

Lights and Sights

Hollywood Boulevard is quieter on Christmas, which makes the Walk of Fame almost pleasant. The Chinese Theatre, weird museums, and souvenir shops still have a certain chaotic charm.

Or drive around for lights. Candy Cane Lane in Woodland Hills, the Venice Canals, and Hastings Ranch in Pasadena are reliable. Some displays stay up through New Year’s, so you have wiggle room.

Let the Day Be Weird

LA Christmas is not about matching sweaters and snow boots. It’s a beach walk, a dumpling, a dumb movie, a hike, a spa, a tamale, and maybe a traffic-free drive that feels illegal.

Call ahead, bring cash, and layer up. The city is full of people improvising the same holiday, whether they’re with family, friends, or gloriously alone. You don’t have to do Christmas perfectly. In LA, you just have to do it your way.