Celebrating Christmas aboard your boat can be truly special. We all have cherished holiday traditions, some of which adapt well to the cruising life, while others need a few modifications.

But no matter what type of boat you have, there are many ways to decorate both inside and on deck, celebrate in fun new ways (caroling by dinghy comes to mind), cook your favorite foods – and even have a tree. You just have to plan.

Here are a few tips to ensure you deck the decks with as few difficulties as possible.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Christmas trees have been an important part of holiday celebrations since the 16th century, when families began decorating fir trees with colored paper, fruits and sweets in Strasbourg, Germany.

But do you have room for a Christmas tree on your boat? Will you even be able to find a place to buy a tree?

If space is at a premium, consider what my husband and I did when we lived aboard a monohull sailboat for 15 years. We had a tradition of using our mast as a Christmas tree. We first wound green garland around it, where it went through the deck and down below into our main salon, and we hung our treasured Christmas ornaments from the garland. It was actually pretty festive! Now that we live on a catamaran and have a bit more space, a small Christmas tree is an option.

If you're out cruising and find it difficult to buy a real Christmas tree, you still have options. They include having a small, artificial tree or a small, potted evergreen. Perhaps some simple garland or a wreath will do just fine, too. If you want an artificial tree, look into the new fiber optic ones. These beautiful trees create a dazzling display yet use little electricity – about 10 times less energy than the average Christmas light bulb. They're also safe, give off no heat, are nearly indestructible and have a life span of about 20 years. They come in various sizes, so you can choose a mini-tabletop tree or a larger tree for your deck.

Even if you don't have room for a tree, you may find true holiday joy in displaying your favorite ornaments. We hang the ones holding fond memories, including those made by the kids, received as gifts and some that are mementos from our travels.

BELOW-DECK DECORATIONS

Fragrant greens, twinkling lights, scented candles and festive centerpieces all set the stage for a merry Christmas in a traditional home. But aboard our boats, we might need to make some compromises. After all, there is only so much space we can give over to stowing holiday decorations.

You can still make your home afloat festive with these ideas:

• Collect souvenir Christmas ornaments as you travel and display them.
• Display Christmas cards that you receive. A piece of fishing line lets you drape cards.
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• Display hand-woven baskets, wood carvings or other items that you've collected in your travels with a red ribbon or some Christmas greenery.
• Arrange candy canes in a tin can that you"˜ve wrapped in Christmas paper.
• Wrap up some small, empty boxes with holiday gift wrap, and arrange as a centerpiece.
• Mix together some cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, allspice and citrus peel, and display as potpourri.
• Fill a bowl with nuts or pinecones.
• Build a gingerbread house. Perfection is not important. Just have fun!
• Use seashells for decorating. Consider spray painting some of them gold or silver, even sprinkling glitter over the wet paint or using a spray glue with glitter already in it. This leaves the natural beauty of the shell but with a bit of added glitz. If you want to hang your shells as ornaments, try looping gold, silver, green or red thread through a hole in the shell, or attach a loop of thread to the top of the shell using a hot-glue gun.
• Another way to preserve your beach memories at Christmas is to remove the top of a clear, round ornament, fill it about one-quarter full with sand and tiny shells and glue the top back on.
• String garlands of the traditional popcorn and cranberries, or try something different, such as dry pasta or cinnamon sticks. You can also dry orange and apple slices and string them for a country holiday garland. My favorite garland is to make a batch of easy, no-bake cinnamon ornaments (see recipe below). I cut the dough out with a Christmas tree cookie cutter, punch a hole in the top of the cutout, and, when dried, string in a festive garland. You"˜ll love the wonderful aroma.

ON-DECK DECORATIONS

Christmas lights brighten our hearts as well as our anchorages and marinas. Today you'll find lots of energy-efficient and safe options for adding holiday lights to your decks, mast, lifelines, cockpit and just about anyplace else.

• LED holiday lights are not only energy-efficient, but also have a long lifespan. They use 0.08 watts per LED (for a C7 multicolor bulb). Compare this to 0.48 watts for an incandescent mini-light or 6 watts for a standard incandescent bulb. They also last about 50,000 hours if used outdoors. Since the bulbs remain cool to the touch, they're not dangerous.
• Using 12-volt lights make sense if you're on the hook. Check out the 12-volt rope lights that make decorating your decks easy. They're weatherproof and only use about 2.5 watts per foot.
• Solar-powered and battery-powered Christmas lights give you more options, since there's no need to find an outlet or run your generator. You can even purchase swags of garland and wreaths that come complete with battery-powered or solar-powered lights.

MUSIC AND MOVIES

Music has a magical way of bringing back memories of special moments. A few CDs of favorite Christmas music can contribute to a festive atmosphere, and they take up little room on a boat.

Along with classic holiday carols that you've sung throughout your life, don't be shy about checking out holiday music native to the places that you travel. Traditional Christmas music done with a reggae or calypso beat is a wonderful way to celebrate when down island. My husband and I were thoroughly entertained by the non-traditional Christmas soca music when we celebrated in Grenada one year.

DVDs also take up little space. Keep classic Christmas movies like It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas or Miracle on 34th Street aboard. Add a few newer titles such as The Santa Clause or National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation for holiday entertaining.

PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR

Regardless of whether you'll be anchored in the middle of a tropical paradise, docked in a foreign port or even staying in your home port next year, start planning now to make your Christmas celebration go smoothly.

After all, you don't want to have to run around trying to buy Christmas cards or wondering whether the local merchants sell wreaths or mistletoe. Some things to consider keeping on board include wrapping paper (you can buy the type that stores flat); Christmas cards; ribbon; your favorite Christmas recipes, and any unusual ingredients that they call for; Christmas music; and craft supplies if you like to make decorations.

Find a small space on board that you can allocate to the storage of holiday stuff. Special ornaments or decorations, Christmas stockings and related items can go in a Tupperware container under a berth.

Above all, remember to join in the holiday fun with the cruising community. Potlucks on the beach, participating in boat parades and caroling by dinghy are just a few great ways to celebrate with your fellow cruisers. Find out about local events wherever you find yourself for the holidays.