Holidays in Space: 25 Years of Space Station Celebrations

What’s Happening

Real talk: In the quarter century that humans have lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, astronauts and visitors from around the world have celebrated countless holidays more than 250 miles above Earth while traveling 17,500 miles per hour.

Crews have marked Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah, New Year’s, birthdays, and national holidays as they circle the [] 2 min read Holidays in Space: 25 Years of Space Station Celebrations Sumer Loggins Johnson Space Center Office of Communications Dec 22, 2025 Article In the quarter century that humans have lived and worked aboard the International Space Station, astronauts and visitors from around the world have celebrated countless holidays more than 250 miles above Earth while traveling 17,500 miles per hour. Holiday traditions in space often look familiar, just adapted for microgravity. (wild, right?)

NASA astronauts special meals packed Food Systems Laboratory at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where crews select their menus with help from nutritionists and food scientists before launch.

The Details

Cargo launches arriving before special occasions often deliver Holiday Bulk Overwrapped Bags filled with foods like clams, oysters, turkey, green beans, and smoked salmon, along with shelf-stable treats such as candies, icing, almond butter, and hummus. Crew members exchange small gifts that float through the modules, add festive decorations around the station, and connect with loved ones through video calls.

Astronauts also send holiday greetings to Earth, a reminder that even in space, home is never far away. Enjoy 25 years of celebrations below.

Why This Matters

Four Expedition 70 crewmates join each other inside the space stations Unity module for a Christmas Day meal in Dec. From left are, Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency); Commander Andreas Mogensen from ESA (European Space Agency); and NASA Flight Engineers Loral OHara and Jasmin Moghbeli. NASA ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti pictured aboard the space station on Dec.

This could have implications for future research in this area.

The Bottom Line

NASA ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti pictured aboard the space station on Dec. 20, 2014, during Expedition 42.

Are you here for this or nah?