Avoid costly seasonal mishaps with these 5 holiday claims you can avoid this season. From fire hazards to theft, protect your home and your holidays with smart, simple tips.
Every year, thousands of families face unexpected setbacks during what should be the happiest time of the year. From fire mishaps to theft, there’s no shortage of seasonal surprises that can turn into expensive insurance claims. That’s why we’re breaking down the 5 holiday claims you can avoid this season, because no one wants to spend Christmas Eve on hold with their insurance carrier.
The holidays already come with enough pressure: packed schedules, out-of-town guests, and enough decorations to rival a shopping mall. Mix all that with unpredictable weather and distracted homeowners, and you’ve got the perfect storm for avoidable accidents. Let’s take a closer look at the most common (and preventable) insurance claims this time of year, starting with one of the biggest culprits: festive lighting and candles.
Fire Hazards from Festive Lights and Candles
December is the peak month for home fires involving holiday decorations, with Christmas Day and Christmas Eve ranking among the top for incidents, according to the National Fire Protection Association. While those twinkling lights may look magical, they can quickly turn hazardous if basic safety steps are ignored.
What’s causing the issue?
- Overloaded outlets: Plugging too many high-wattage items into one power strip is a classic mistake.
- Low-quality cords: Bargain-bin extension cords might save money upfront, but they often lack the insulation or safety testing required for safe holiday use.
- Unattended candles: Whether it’s a menorah or holiday centerpiece, an open flame left alone, even for a few minutes, can result in devastating loss.
How to protect your home:
- Use only UL-listed lights and cords, which have been tested for safety.
- Never connect more than three strands of incandescent lights end-to-end.
- Set up a timer so the lights turn off automatically after bedtime.
- Keep candles at least a foot away from anything flammable, and never leave them burning in an empty room.
- Opt for flameless LED candles for ambiance without the risk.
Every one of these mishaps contributes to the growing number of seasonal insurance claims, and this is just one of the 5 holiday claims you can avoid this season with a few smart moves. A little planning now can spare you a major headache later, and possibly save your home from serious damage.
Theft During Holiday Travel
Few things ruin a post-vacation glow faster than returning home to find your front door kicked in or realizing those packages on your porch never made it inside. Holiday travel creates the perfect window for theft, and unfortunately, criminals know it. It’s one of the 5 holiday claims you can avoid this season with some smart, proactive steps.
Why this risk spikes now:
- Empty homes make easy targets.
- Social media oversharing (like airport selfies and check-ins) tips off would-be thieves.
- Package deliveries are at an all-time high, and unattended boxes are basically gifts left in plain sight.
According to the FBI’s latest Uniform Crime Reporting data, property crimes, including burglary, see an uptick during the holiday season. Porch piracy alone has become a multimillion-dollar issue, with an estimated 330,000+ packages stolen every day in the U.S., as noted by Capital One Shopping.
How to keep your home and gifts safe:
- Hold your mail and deliveries: The USPS offers a free hold mail service, and major carriers like FedEx and UPS let you reroute packages to nearby pickup points.
- Invest in a video doorbell or smart camera: Devices like Ring or Arlo not only deter thieves but also provide video proof in case a claim needs to be filed.
- Use smart lighting: Program lights to mimic your usual routine so it’s not obvious you’re away.
- Be careful on social media: Save the vacation photo dump for after you’re home.
The bottom line? Burglary and package theft are two of the 5 holiday claims you can avoid this season with just a few minutes of prep. Insurance may cover the loss, but no payout can replace peace of mind or Grandma’s handmade quilt.
Slips, Trips, and Falls on Icy Walkways
Nothing puts a damper on holiday cheer like someone taking a hard fall on your property, and if it happens, you might be footing the bill. Icy steps, slick sidewalks, and snow-covered driveways are a recipe for liability claims, making this one of the 5 holiday claims you can avoid this season with a little cold-weather prep.
The legal (and financial) risk:
Homeowners are typically responsible for keeping walkways safe for guests, delivery drivers, and even the neighbor dropping off cookies. If someone slips and gets injured, you could be facing medical expenses or even a lawsuit, especially if it’s proven that reasonable care wasn’t taken.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one million Americans are injured annually as a result of falls, many of which occur on icy surfaces during the winter months.
How to reduce your risk fast:
- Apply salt or ice melt early and often: Don’t wait for snow to stop falling, put down product before and after to prevent freezing.
- Clear snow promptly: The longer it sits, the harder it gets to remove, and the more dangerous it becomes.
- Add traction: Consider textured mats or grip tape on stairs and entryways.
- Use signs when needed: A simple “watch your step” or “walk carefully” sign near high-risk areas can show you took reasonable steps to warn visitors.
Many people assume their homeowners’ policy automatically covers everything. In reality, liability protection has limits and exclusions. Reviewing your coverage now, while everything’s still calm, is smarter than scrambling after someone gets hurt. Out of the 5 holiday claims you can avoid this season, this one often flies under the radar….until it doesn’t.
Cooking Disasters and Kitchen Accidents
The holidays bring people together, and nothing gathers a crowd like a kitchen filled with delicious smells. But behind those roasted turkeys and bubbling casseroles is one of the leading causes of home insurance claims. Cooking-related fires and accidents are consistently among the top 5 holiday claims you can avoid this season, if you know what to watch out for.
What’s going wrong?
- Unattended cooking: The number one reason for holiday kitchen fires. Walking away “just for a second” often turns into a disaster.
- Grease fires: Hot oil is dangerous. It ignites fast and spreads even faster, especially when people panic and try to douse it with water.
- Overloaded ovens and faulty appliances: Holiday meals often involve using multiple appliances at once, pushing old or poorly maintained equipment to the limit.
The U.S. Fire Administration reports that cooking fires peak during the holidays, with Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve seeing the most incidents. And it’s not just fire-cuts, burns, and smoke damage that also lead to seasonal claims.
How to prevent kitchen chaos:
- Stay in the room while anything is on the stove or in the oven.
- Keep flammable items (like dish towels, paper plates, and holiday decorations) far from heat sources.
- Have a fire extinguisher nearby and know how to use it. ABC-rated models are best for kitchens.
- Don’t overload circuits with multiple appliances plugged into one outlet.
- If you’re using a turkey fryer, make sure it’s outside, on level ground, and far away from anything that can catch fire.
Insurance may help repair the damage, but it can’t replace lost memories or the embarrassment of explaining to your guests why dinner ended with the fire department. Of all the 5 holiday claims you can avoid this season, this one is perhaps the easiest to prevent with a little common sense and a good fire extinguisher.
Keep the Holidays Joyful, Not Stressful
The holidays should be filled with warmth, laughter, and meaningful moments, not insurance adjusters and damage reports. Yet every year, thousands of homeowners find themselves dealing with preventable disasters. Whether it’s a kitchen fire, a slip on the front steps, a missing package, or a burst of flames from a faulty string of lights, these are all among the 5 holiday claims you can avoid this season with just a few simple precautions.
No one’s saying you need to bubble wrap your house or live in fear. But a little attention to detail now can keep your holidays running smoothly and your insurance policy untouched. Check the batteries in your smoke detectors. Clear your walkways. Hold your mail. And please, for the love of your deductible, don’t deep fry a turkey on your wooden deck.
If it’s been a while since you reviewed your homeowners or renters coverage, now is a smart time to connect with your insurance professional. Having the right protection in place doesn’t just give you peace of mind; it gives you the freedom to enjoy the season without constantly looking over your shoulder.
For more home and holiday safety tips, visit resources like the American Red Cross Holiday Safety Guide or the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Winter Safety Checklist.
From smart tech to old-school caution, there are plenty of ways to avoid joining the statistic sheet this year. Here’s to a season that’s memorable for all the right reasons and none of the ones involving a claim form.
