50 holiday Alexa commands that will make the season bright.

When you don’t have a private secretary to handle all your holiday engagements, a voice assistant might be the next best thing. Here’s a list of our 50 favorite Amazon Alexa commands. We guarantee these questions to ask Alexa will make you want to laugh, hang more tinsel and ask, “Why didn’t I try this earlier?”

Before we get started, note that some of these commands require you to activate Alexa Skills, to have a certain version of Echo such as the Echo Show or to pair your Echo with a compatible device or appliance first.

Food and cooking

1. "Alexa, set the timer for 30 minutes." (Learn how to set multiple timers for holiday meal multitasking at CNET.)

2. "Alexa, how do you make gingerbread cookies?"

3. "Alexa, how many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?"

4. "Alexa, ask Sub It about molasses." (For when you need to know ingredient substitutions.)

5. "Alexa, how many calories are in latkes?"

6. "Alexa, open Wine Finder." (Great when you aren’t sure about the wine pairings.)

7. "Alexa, ask The Bartender how to make a peppermint martini."

8. “Alexa, ask Food Manager.” how to store leftover Christmas pudding.

Entertainment

9. "Alexa, track Santa."

10. "Alexa, play holiday music."

11. "Alexa, search for 'Charlie Brown Christmas' on Fire TV."

12. "Alexa, spin the dreidel."

13. "Alexa, ask Santa Claus if I’m naughty or nice."

14. "Alexa, ask Elf Names to elf me."

15. "Alexa, enable Christmas Jokes." (Then say, "Alexa, Open Christmas Jokes" for a guaranteed chuckle.)

16. "Alexa, is 'Die Hard' a Christmas movie?" (Maybe we’ll finally get an answer!)

17. “Alexa, enable the Christmas Countdown skill.” (Then you can ask, “Alexa, ask Christmas Countdown how many days until Christmas.”)

18. “Alexa, enable Hey Santa.” (Once enabled, you can talk directly to Santa; “Hey Santa, tell me the North Pole news.”)

19. “Alexa, play Hanukkah Trivia.”

Home and security management

20. "Alexa, lock the door."

21. "Alexa, close my garage."

22. "Alexa, run Burglar Deterrent." (Make it sound like your home is occupied while you’re away.)

23. "Alexa, turn on the lights."

24. "Alexa, dim the lights." (Set the mood for an intimate holiday gathering.)

25. "Alexa, set the temperature to 72."

26. "Alexa, arm Ring."

27. "Alexa, how do I get wine stains out of carpet?"

Shopping and gift giving

28. "Alexa, reorder toilet paper."

29. "Alexa, what are today’s deals?"

30. "Alexa, track my package."

31. "Alexa, create a gift list."

32. "Alexa, shop for kids’ stocking stuffers."

33. "Alexa, make a donation to the Red Cross."

Staying organized

34. "Alexa, what reminders do I have tomorrow?" (Because your holiday schedule can get hectic.)

35. "Alexa, remind me to call Aunt Linda today."

36. "Alexa, what time is it in France?" (For when you’re wishing someone a long-distance joyeux Noël.)

37. "Alexa, ask KAYAK to track Delta 1119." (So you know when out-of-town visitors will arrive.)

38. "Alexa, will it snow on Christmas Day?"

39. "Alexa, what’s the traffic like?" (Know what that holiday traffic will be.)

40. "Alexa, find the business hours for the post office/pharmacy/grocery store."

41. "Alexa, help me relax."

42. "Alexa, open Calm My Dog." (Because sometimes Spot gets holiday stress, too.)

Getting in the seasonal spirit

43. "Alexa, turn on Christmas tree lights."

44. "Alexa, send a holiday card." (Great for last-minute e-cards.)

45. "Alexa, open Christmas Kindness." (For tips on completing random act of kindness.)

46. "Alexa, ask Jewish Blessings for the blessing on Hanukkah."

47. "Alexa, ask Menorah Aid how many candles I should light tonight."

48. "Alexa, wake me up at 6 a.m. to 'Jingle Bells.'" (Join the kids for presents already in a jolly mood.)

49. "Alexa, get me a ride on Uber." (For when things get a little too festive.)

50. "Alexa, Drop In on the living room." (For when you want to use Alexa like an intercom.)

We think you’ll find these things to ask Alexa will make your holiday merry and bright thanks to the added usefulness and fun they deliver. Pair Alexa with a Schlage Encode or Encode Plus to control your lock with simple voice commands, making your smart home more convenient and secure. 

If you’re looking for inspiration to get you in the seasonal spirit, find us on Pinterest and Instagram.