When should I start planning Christmas?

Early November for gifts, cards and travel; early December for food orders and decorations; the final week for the shop and the prep.

How do couples split Christmas fairly?

A card per task with one owner, alternating the ones nobody enjoys, and one shared card for the hosting diplomacy. The imbalance usually comes from one person holding the list, not from the tasks themselves.

Is there a free app for this?

Simpleban's Christmas planning template is free for two people with a countdown, due dates and ownership on every card.

Holidays

Christmas planning checklist for two: gifts, food, hosting, sanity

Updated 20 October 2026 · by the Simpleban team

In short

Christmas is a project with a fixed deadline and, usually, one person running it. Split it: gifts, cards and travel in November; food orders, decorations and the guest plan in early December; the shop, the prep and the table in the final week. Every item gets an owner, the deadlines (last posting dates, the turkey order, the train tickets) get a due date, and a countdown keeps the date honest. The list is below; the Christmas planning template puts it on a board the two of you share.

Simpleban, a kanban board for two people: a shared “Our home” board with This week, Doing, Waiting and Done columns, cards marked Mine or assigned to a partner, due dates, repeating chores and a moving-day countdown.

November

Gift list: a card per person, split between you, budget in the notes.
Travel and who's hosting whom on which day — the diplomacy card. Both of you.
Order anything with a lead time: the bird, the special things, the photo gifts.
Cards: list, addresses, last posting dates as due dates.
Advent calendar if there are kids. Nativity costume (there's always a costume).

Early December

Decorations up — a Saturday card for both of you.
Food plan for the big days and the lazy days between.
Guest list final; dietary notes in the card.
Wrap as you go: a repeating weekly card, alternating.
School and work events as due-dated cards.

The final week and the day

The big shop, split: one does fresh, one does drinks and the rest.
Prep timetable for the day in one card's checklist.
Batteries, wrapping paper, tape, the bin collection date change.
On the day: one on the kitchen, one on the people. Swap for the washing up.

On a shared board

The Christmas planning template has Ideas · To buy · To do · Done with starter cards and a countdown. Give each card an owner, put due dates on the posting and ordering deadlines, and hand cards across when they need the other person.

Templates to start from

Questions, answered

When should I start planning Christmas?: Early November for gifts, cards and travel; early December for food orders and decorations; the final week for the shop and the prep.
How do couples split Christmas fairly?: A card per task with one owner, alternating the ones nobody enjoys, and one shared card for the hosting diplomacy. The imbalance usually comes from one person holding the list, not from the tasks themselves.
Is there a free app for this?: Simpleban's Christmas planning template is free for two people with a countdown, due dates and ownership on every card.