New ways to celebrate and share the holidays on Facebook

The holidays are a busy time for everyone. Facebook and its family of apps and services like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp can help make your holiday season more fun, entertaining and even more efficient.

Here are some ways our tools can make your holidays extra merry and bright:

1. Go Live with Holiday Masks!

• Holidays are a perfect time to try going live on Facebook and to add some flair to your broadcast by trying out our new special holiday masks has been released exclusively for 2016 holiday season
• To go live with a mask:
• Tap the “Live video” icon at the top of your Timeline, News Feed or Page
• Once you are Live, tap the magic wand in the upper left corner of your screen
• Select the mask icon in the creative tools tray at the bottom of your screen
• Scroll through the option and tap on masks to have them automatically appear on your face when you are live
• People around the world can share live video, right from their phones (iOS/Android)

1. Make your profile picture festive

• If you’re decorating your home for the holidays, why not decorate your Facebook profile too? It’s easy to customize your profile picture with a temporary photo or video that captures the spirit of the season
• Temporary profile pictures are available on iOS, Android and Facebook for web globally

2. Share 360 Photos

• By taking a panoramic photo on your phone and uploading it to Facebook, you can share 360 photos with all your friends this holiday season
• When you upload your panoramic photos to Facebook, your friends will be able to explore the scene you shared just by moving their phone around when they see your photos in News Feed
• 360 photos are available on iOS and Android globally

3. Connect with loved ones through WhatsApp video calling

• No matter where you are for the holidays this year, WhatsApp can help you stay in touch with your family and friends so you never miss a moment and share the holiday cheer face-to-face with your loved ones with WhatsApp’s new video calling feature!
• WhatsApp video calling is available globally on iphone, Android, Windows Phone and Mac or Windows PC

4. Keep up with the People and Pages you care about most

The holidays are a great reminder of how importance personal connection is in our lives. Facebook is a great way to connect and share joyful moments with friends near and far – and you have control over this.

• Visit News Feed Preferences to prioritize the people, places and things that you care about most – Facebook will make sure you see stories from them first
• Understand who you’re sharing with: whenever you update your status, share photos or post anything on Facebook, you can select who sees what you share by using the Audience Selector tool
• Lastly, check who can tag you on posts: tag review lets you approve or dismiss tags that your friends may add to your posts
• News Feed and News Feed Preferences are available on iOS, Android and Facebook for web globally

1. Explore Instant Games on Messenger

• Keep your zen amidst holiday crowds at the airport by tucking into some Instant Games on Messenger. Easily discover and instantly play a wide genre of games from arcade classics like PAC-MAN, Space Invaders, Galaga, Arkanoid, and Track & Field and many more! Just tap the game controller icon on Messenger to challenge a friend to some spirited competition
• Instant Games is available globally, and playable across platforms on Messenger and News Feed on Facebook – both on desktop and mobile (Android/iOS)

1. Let Instagram help you celebrate the holidays!

Instagram is a great way to follow your favorite celebs, communicate with your friends and discover what’s happening in the world, from the highlights to the everyday – but when it comes to the holidays, the platform is an endless source of ideas and inspiration to help you celebrate in the most fun, creative, meaningful ways. Beyond exploring the Instagram community for the best holiday nail art, calligraphy, crafts and decorating ideas, there are great ways to use our products from Instagram Stories to Boomerang and Hyperlapse, to help make your holiday season easier and more festive this year.

• Add Christmas emoji’s and upload your holiday cards to your Instagram Stories. You can upload photos/videos from your camera roll by swiping down on the Instagram Stories camera
• Use Boomerang directly in Instagram Stories to reveal your Christmas lights, holiday decorations, or just to have some fun with your family and friends
• Send invitations to your holiday parties to your friends and family via Instagram Direct or Instagram Stories
• Take a Hyperlapse video of you and your family building a snowman or decorating a Christmas tree
• Instagram as the new Advent calendar – share positive messages each day throughout the holidays to spread cheer!
• Throw out a Christmas Day #MannequinChallenge to all your friends. Check this video if you’ve been hiding under a Christmas tree and have no idea what we’re talking about. Extra kudos goes to people that can get the little ones to stand still in the middle of present unwrapping!