If you haven’t booked for Christmas in Lanzarote, there’s a slim chance that you will find something at this stage for the dates that you want. This time of year is a very busy time and most people secure their accommodation a year in advance. I would say it is as busy as the summer months if not busier. The occupation on the island goes from being at its lowest in the first 2 weeks of December to being the highest. There are still some places for the Christmas week but New Year now has been fully booked for the last 3 months with most of the larger properties reserved in previous January / February. The main 2 reasons people come are either to escape the holidays or to spend them in the sun, complete polar opposites. I have never spent a Christmas day in the past 18 years which has not been sunny. A warm Christmas can still be festive and a BBQ by the pool is certainly a contrast to a UK Christmas. There are plenty of restaurants offering traditional meals but they do tend to get booked up in advance. The major stores will be closed on Christmas Day but there are still some smaller shops open and the resorts have plenty of people around.
New Year is slightly different. You will need to reserve a table if you are thinking of eating out. The locals tend to spend time at home to see in the year and head on out around 1am to enjoy the rest of the night. Plenty of fireworks and a good atmosphere on the street. Needless to say not much open on New Years Day.
If you are thinking about spending the holidays away from home, you will need to plan in advance and think about booking early in 2017.