How do astronauts celebrate Christmas in space?

From DIY Christmas trees to harmonica concerts, astronauts have been creative in keeping traditions alive while in orbit.

Ahead of the biggest year celebrations, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Don Pettit, who are currently on the International Space Station (ISS), have shared a cheerful holiday picture of themselves wearing red Santa hats.

“Another day, another sleigh,” the post on X read. The astronauts are getting ready to celebrate Christmas with special meals, as a robotic cargo mission reportedly brought 2,720 kilograms of fresh supplies and experimental equipment to the station.Even though astronauts are far away from their homes, celebrating the biggest holidays of the year is an annual tradition on the ISS.

Another day, another sleigh ⛄️❄️@NASA_Astronauts Don Pettit and Suni Williams pose for a fun holiday season portrait while speaking on a ham radio inside the @Space_Station's Columbus laboratory module. pic.twitter.com/C1PtjkUk7P

undefined NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) December 16, 2024

How has Christmas arrived in space?

The Expedition 1 crew was the first to celebrate Christmas on the ISS in 2000, and their Christmas looked much like the one on Earth.

They unwrapped gifts delivered by a Russian supply ship and NASA's Space Shuttle ‘Endeavour.’ They enjoyed rehydrated turkey and called their families to wish them a Merry Christmas.

Since the first crew's arrival at the ISS, Christmas and New Year have been celebrated in space annually. But astronauts have to be more creative when it comes to Christmas celebrations.

Fun facts about Christmas and New Year’s Eve in space:

• The song “Jingle Bells” became the first song played in space when astronauts used a harmonica and bells to perform it in 1965 during NASA’s Gemini 6A space flight.
• The first people on the Moon, the Apollo 8 astronauts, sent a Christmas message reading out the Book of Genesis during a television broadcast.
• In 1973, the Skylab 4 crew built an improvised Christmas tree out of empty food containers and opened presents from their families.
• Astronauts set aside small presents to give to each other on Christmas morning. NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan surprised everyone by giving the whole crew harmonicas so they could form a harmonica band.
• How do you know when to say “Happy New Year” in space? Well, there is no way. So astronauts send their message to each ground-based Mission Control center they fly over, aligning their greetings with midnight in each respective country.
• Watching a movie for the New Year? Sounds like a nice evening plan in the space as well. Russians have a modern New Year's Eve tradition of watching the 1976 comedy film "The Irony of Fate." In 2019, NASA astronauts joined their Russian colleagues in their segment of ISS for a movie night together.
• Astronauts can eat turkey, but they can’t drink alcohol. The ISS relies on advanced water-processing systems that recycle urine, breath, and sweat, which could fail if alcohol were introduced.

Not only Christmas celebrated in space

The ISS hosts astronauts from around the world, making it a hub for diverse celebrations, and Christmas isn't the only holiday celebrated aboard the ISS. For example, Russian cosmonauts who follow Orthodox Christianity celebrate Christmas on January 7th instead of December 25th.

The Jewish astronauts also celebrate Hanukkah, the Jewish festival that takes place from the 25th of December to the 2nd of January. One important tradition during the festival is lighting the menorah, a seven-branched candelabrum.

While it is impossible to light real candles aboard the ISS for obvious safety reasons, the astronauts have used felt flames as a substitute, making the menorah safe for use in space.

Muslim celebrations, such as Eid Al Fitr – which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan – have also been celebrated in orbit. Traditionally, astronauts are considered travelers and are unable to fast due to specific conditions, so they are exempt from this religious duty.

However, UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, the first Arab to serve a six-month mission on the ISS, stated that he would observe fasts and share some meals with his colleagues on board, provided that fasting or dehydration would not jeopardize the mission.

During Ramadan, Muslims fast from the dawn to the sunset. While there are no sunsets in orbit, the astronauts follow the time zone used on the space station, which is UTC, or they can choose to follow the time of Mecca.