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Christmas Holiday Accidents: Safety Tips for Festivities

Common Christmas Holiday Accidents (and How to Prevent Them)

A couple is purchasing Christmas decorations while staying safe.

 

The Christmas season is fun, but it also adds new risks. People decorate, cook more, travel more, drink more at parties, and rush to finish errands. That mix can lead to falls, fires, burns, cuts, strains, food poisoning, and injuries from toys and gifts. Emergency rooms often see a seasonal rise in these problems, especially from decorating accidents and winter slips. UCLA Health+2U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission+2

The good news: most holiday injuries are preventable. With a few simple habits—safer lifting, safer cooking, safer decorating, and safer driving—you can lower your risk a lot.


Falls: Decorating, Shopping, and Icy Paths

Falls are one of the biggest holiday problems. Ladder falls happen when people hang lights, place decorations, or reach for high shelves. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has reported about 160 decorating-related injuries per day during the holiday season, and nearly half involve falls. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission+1

Winter weather adds another risk: icy sidewalks, wet entryways, and dark driveways. Even a short walk can turn into a slip-and-fall. Victoria ER | 24 hour emergency center.+1

Common fall situations

Fall-prevention tips

If someone falls

  • If there is head, neck, or back pain—or confusion, severe headache, weakness, or numbness—treat it as urgent and seek emergency care.

  • Avoid forcing someone to “walk it off” if they may be seriously hurt.


Fires: Trees, Lights, Candles, and Overloaded Outlets

Holiday fires often start from:

  • Dry Christmas trees

  • Candles left unattended

  • Faulty lights or overloaded outlets

  • Cooking distractions UCLA Health+1

UCLA Health summarizes how extra cooking, candles, and outlets can increase fire risk, and shares data on holiday-season fires linked to trees and candles. UCLA Health

Fire-prevention basics


Burns: Cooking, Hot Liquids, and Hot Decorations

Holiday cooking brings more burns and scalds—especially from ovens, boiling water, hot trays, and oil. Deep-frying (like turkey frying) can be especially dangerous due to hot oil splashes and grease fires. Elite Learning+1

High-risk burn situations

  • Carrying hot pots or trays while people crowd the kitchen Elite Learning

  • Boiling liquids and steam burns

  • Deep fryers and hot oil Elite Learning+1

  • Touching hot bulbs or decorations that heat up

Burn-prevention tips


Cuts: Wrapping, Knives, and Broken Ornaments

Cuts happen in the kitchen (knife nicks), while opening packaging, and during decorating (broken ornaments, sharp hooks, and tangled cords). Elite Learning+2Victoria ER | 24 hour emergency center.+2

Common cut risks

Cut-prevention tips


Strains and Overexertion: Lifting Trees, Boxes, and Heavy Bags

Holiday lifting is sneaky. People lift boxes from awkward angles, twist while carrying decorations, and haul heavy grocery bags. UCLA Health even calls out a strained back and neck as a common holiday issue. UCLA Health

A physical therapist from Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center emphasizes that bending and twisting while lifting can lead to serious back strain and shares simple lifting cues, such as widening your stance and lifting with your hips and knees. Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center

Overexertion hot spots

Strain-prevention tips


Alcohol-Related Incidents: Falls, Fights, and Bad Decisions

Alcohol can lower coordination and judgment. That increases the risk of falls, cuts, burns, and other injuries. St. John Ambulance notes that holiday ER visits commonly involve falls, burns/scalds, cuts, electric shocks, and alcohol-related injuries or intoxication. sja.org.uk

Alcohol can also worsen certain heart rhythm issues in some people (sometimes discussed as “holiday heart” in research roundups). The Journalist’s Resource

Simple safety moves

  • Eat before drinking and pace yourself.

  • Don’t climb ladders or handle sharp tools after drinking.

  • Plan a safe ride home before the party starts.


Food Poisoning: Big Meals, Leftovers, and Cross-Contamination

Food poisoning risk goes up when people cook in large batches, leave food out too long, or reheat leftovers incorrectly. sja.org.uk+1

The CDC warns that bacteria grow quickly in the “danger zone” between 40°F and 140°F and recommends not leaving perishable food out for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if it’s above 90°F). CDC
FoodSafety.gov also provides storage guidance, including common “3 to 4 days” refrigerator timelines for many prepared foods. FoodSafety.gov+1

Food safety checklist

  • Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours. CDC+1

  • Keep the fridge at 40°F or below. CDC+1

  • Reheat leftovers to 165°F (use a thermometer if possible). CDC+1

  • Use cooked leftovers within about 4 days, or freeze sooner. FoodSafety.gov+1

  • Use separate cutting boards/plates for raw meat vs. ready-to-eat foods.

When to get medical help for possible food poisoning

  • Signs of dehydration (very dry mouth, dizziness, fainting)

  • Severe belly pain, high fever, blood in stool, or symptoms that don’t improve


Toy and Gift Injuries: Choking, Batteries, Magnets, Falls

Toys are meant to be fun, but injuries happen every year. UCLA Health notes that emergency departments treated nearly 150,000 toy-related injuries in children age 14 and under in 2020, and riding toys/scooters were a major contributor. UCLA Health

The CPSC warns about choking hazards from small parts/balls, as well as serious ingestion risks from button/coin batteries and high-powered magnets. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Toy and gift safety tips


Driving Dangers: Distracted and Impaired Driving Increases

Holiday driving risk rises because roads get busier, people feel rushed, and celebrations often include alcohol. AAA projects 122.4 million Americans traveling at least 50 miles over the year-end holiday period (Dec 20–Jan 1), with 109.5 million traveling by car. More cars usually mean more chances for crashes. AAA Newsroom

NHTSA reports that in December 2023, 1,038 people died in drunk-driving traffic crashes, and from 2019 to 2023, there were more than 4,931 deaths in drunk-driving crashes during December. NHTSA

Law-firm safety summaries also commonly highlight holiday distracted driving (GPS, texting, looking at lights) and drunk driving spikes. D’Amore Law Group

Safer holiday driving

  • If you drink, don’t drive—plan a sober ride.

  • Put phones away; set GPS before you start driving.

  • Leave early so you don’t speed or take risks.

  • If the weather is bad, slow down and increase following distance.


How Integrative Chiropractic + NP Care Can Help (Recovery and Prevention)

When holiday injuries occur, many people need more than one type of support—especially if pain lingers, daily function declines, or an old condition flares.

Clinical observations from Dr. Alexander Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC (integrated model)
In Dr. Jimenez’s integrated setting, chiropractic and nurse practitioner scopes work together. His clinic describes coordinated care that can include chiropractic adjustments, rehab guidance, medication management when appropriate, and broader health strategies—plus telemedicine follow-ups for injuries when useful. El Paso, TX Doctor Of Chiropractic
His injury-focused pages also describe dual-scope evaluation, the use of advanced imaging (as needed), and medical documentation in personal injury cases. El Paso, TX Doctor Of Chiropractic

How the team approach supports holiday injuries

Prevention support that often helps

  • Quick posture and lifting coaching for decorating season Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center+1

  • A simple home program (mobility + core + balance)

  • Nutrition strategies to reduce reflux, bloating, and “heavy meal” fatigue (which can also affect alertness)


Quick “Holiday Safety” Checklist

Decorating

Cooking

Gifts and toys

Driving


Medical Disclaimer

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. If you think you have a serious injury (head injury, severe pain, trouble breathing, heavy bleeding, weakness/numbness, or signs of dehydration), seek urgent or emergency care right away.


References

Post Disclaimers

General Disclaimer, Licenses and Board Certifications *

Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Christmas Holiday Accidents: Safety Tips for Festivities" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Welcome to El Paso's Premier Wellness and Injury Care Clinic & Wellness Blog, where Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, FNP-C, a Multi-State board-certified Family Practice Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) and Chiropractor (DC), presents insights on how our multidisciplinary team is dedicated to holistic healing and personalized care. Our practice aligns with evidence-based treatment protocols inspired by integrative medicine principles, similar to those on this site and on our family practice-based chiromed.com site, focusing on naturally restoring health for patients of all ages.

Our areas of multidisciplinary practice include  Wellness & Nutrition, Chronic Pain, Personal Injury, Auto Accident Care, Work Injuries, Back Injury, Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, Migraine Headaches, Sports Injuries, Severe Sciatica, Scoliosis, Complex Herniated Discs, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain, Complex Injuries, Stress Management, Functional Medicine Treatments, and in-scope care protocols.

Our information scope is multidisciplinary, focusing on musculoskeletal and physical medicine, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somato-visceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for musculoskeletal injuries or disorders.

Our videos, posts, topics, and insights address clinical matters and issues that are directly or indirectly related to our clinical scope of practice.

Our office has made a reasonable effort to provide supportive citations and has identified relevant research studies that support our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies upon request to regulatory boards and the public.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how they may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to discuss the subject matter above further, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, APRN, FNP-BC*, CCST, IFMCP, CFMP, ATN

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Multidisciplinary Licensing & Board Certifications:

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in
Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License #: TX5807, Verified: TX5807
New Mexico DC License #: NM-DC2182, Verified: NM-DC2182

Multi-State Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN*) in Texas & Multi-States 
Multi-state Compact APRN License by Endorsement (42 States)
Texas APRN License #: 1191402, Verified: 1191402 *
Florida APRN License #: 11043890, Verified:  APRN11043890 *
Colorado License #: C-APN.0105610-C-NP, Verified: C-APN.0105610-C-NP
New York License #: N25929, Verified N25929

License Verification Link: Nursys License Verifier
* Prescriptive Authority Authorized

ANCC FNP-BC: Board Certified Nurse Practitioner*
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*

Graduate with Honors: ICHS: MSN-FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)
Degree Granted. Master's in Family Practice MSN Diploma (Cum Laude)


Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC*, CFMP, IFMCP, ATN, CCST

My Digital Business Card

 

Licenses and Board Certifications:

DC: Doctor of Chiropractic
APRNP: Advanced Practice Registered Nurse 
FNP-BC: Family Practice Specialization (Multi-State Board Certified)
RN: Registered Nurse (Multi-State Compact License)
CFMP: Certified Functional Medicine Provider
MSN-FNP: Master of Science in Family Practice Medicine
MSACP: Master of Science in Advanced Clinical Practice
IFMCP: Institute of Functional Medicine
CCST: Certified Chiropractic Spinal Trauma
ATN: Advanced Translational Neutrogenomics

Memberships & Associations:

TCA: Texas Chiropractic Association: Member ID: 104311
AANP: American Association of Nurse Practitioners: Member  ID: 2198960
ANA: American Nurse Association: Member ID: 06458222 (District TX01)
TNA: Texas Nurse Association: Member ID: 06458222

NPI: 1205907805

National Provider Identifier

Primary Taxonomy Selected Taxonomy State License Number
No 111N00000X - Chiropractor NM DC2182
Yes 111N00000X - Chiropractor TX DC5807
Yes 363LF0000X - Nurse Practitioner - Family TX 1191402
Yes 363LF0000X - Nurse Practitioner - Family FL 11043890
Yes 363LF0000X - Nurse Practitioner - Family CO C-APN.0105610-C-NP
Yes 363LF0000X - Nurse Practitioner - Family NY N25929

 

Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC*, CFMP, IFMCP, ATN, CCST
My Digital Business Card

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP

Specialties: Stopping the PAIN! We Specialize in Treating Severe Sciatica, Neck-Back Pain, Whiplash, Headaches, Knee Injuries, Sports Injuries, Dizziness, Poor Sleep, Arthritis. We use advanced proven therapies focused on optimal Mobility, Posture Control, Deep Health Instruction, Integrative & Functional Medicine, Functional Fitness, Chronic Degenerative Disorder Treatment Protocols, and Structural Conditioning. We also integrate Wellness Nutrition, Wellness Detoxification Protocols and Functional Medicine for chronic musculoskeletal disorders. We use effective "Patient Focused Diet Plans", Specialized Chiropractic Techniques, Mobility-Agility Training, Cross-Fit Protocols, and the Premier "PUSH Functional Fitness System" to treat patients suffering from various injuries and health problems. Ultimately, I am here to serve my patients and community as a Chiropractor passionately restoring functional life and facilitating living through increased mobility and true functional health.

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