How Astronauts Celebrate Christmas and New Year Aboard the International Space Station
How Astronauts Celebrate Christmas Aboard the International Space Station
Astronauts have found creative ways to bring holiday cheer to space, celebrating Christmas and the New Year aboard the International Space Station (ISS) despite being far from Earth. Festive traditions included hanging “space stockings” near the airlock and adding small decorative touches to create a warm holiday atmosphere in microgravity.
Four astronauts—NASA’s Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, and Chris Williams, along with Kimiya Yui of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)—sent a recorded Christmas greeting to their families while spending the holiday approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) above Earth’s surface.
“Greetings to planet Earth, and to all our friends and families, from Expedition 74 aboard the International Space Station, flying high above,” said Fincke, commander of the mission.
He acknowledged the emotional challenge of being away from loved ones during the holidays but emphasized the sense of unity among the crew. “It’s a little sad that we’re not with our families on Earth, but we’re here with our space family, and that makes us okay. We’re looking forward to celebrating the holidays together.”
The astronauts’ celebrations coincided with mission support teams around the world, from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to control centers in Japan, Europe, and Russia.
Reinventing Holiday Traditions in Zero Gravity
Chris Williams, a flight engineer for Expedition 74, explained how the crew adapted traditional Christmas customs to a zero-gravity environment. While showcasing decorations inside Japan’s Kibo laboratory, he said, “As you can see, we have some decorations here, including a small tree, and we hung a few shoes near the airlock to add a festive spirit.”
Astronauts have been spending Christmas in orbit for more than 25 years. The first Christmas celebrated beyond Earth took place in 1968 during the historic Apollo 8 mission, which orbited the Moon.
Zena Cardman, a bio-geologist, noted that spending holidays away from home is not unfamiliar to the crew. She explained that many astronauts are accustomed to working in remote environments, such as Antarctica, where time away from family is part of the experience.
The crew expressed deep appreciation for the support they receive from family members and mission control teams. “We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the families who lend us their loved ones, and to the mission control teams who are spending their holidays taking care of us,” Cardman said.
JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui added that he was looking forward to sharing Japanese Christmas traditions with his crewmates, possibly by preparing Japanese food to mark the occasion.
The current ISS crew consists of seven astronauts, including three Russian cosmonauts from Roscosmos. Fincke concluded the holiday message by saying, “From all of us aboard the International Space Station, we wish you happy holidays, a Merry Christmas, and a very happy New Year.”
