Being with your loved ones during Christmas is priceless wherever you may decide to spend it. You can bring some of your traditions, such as eating a hearty Christmas fare, exchanging gifts and singing carols or attending the midnight mass. Think of having these traditions in a different Christmassy place or setting; won’t that be a novel and thrilling way of experiencing Christmas?
Finding a perfect christmas destination should be the least of your worries. There are lots of wonderful places where you can have fun. It is just a matter of deciding what you would want to do and experience. Roseann Lake and Laura Ma offers 12 of the best places to spend Christmas in this CNN post. They write:
“Any old city can string up a few lights downtown and call it a holiday celebration.
From Mexico to Malta, northern lights to sunny skies, these places are doing Christmas better than the rest this year.”
Bath, England
“There are few cities in the world where you can celebrate the birth of Jesus and the birth of Jane Austen with the same amount of fanfare, but Bath happens to be one of them.”
Some of the best things to do while in Bath are: watching a musical celebration at the Theatre Royal, shopping and visiting the Bath Christmas market in a charming Georgian setting with over 170 wooden chalets, or go skating at the Bath on Ice. Relaxing can’t be more perfect in the
Thermae Bath Spa in its steamy mineral-rich waters in an alfresco rooftop pool with stunning views of the city.
New York
“When there’s snow on the ground, New York can feel like the capital of Christmas. Rockefeller Center lies at the core of the New York Christmas.”
Christmas is celebrated here with a great oomph – the famous ice rink, the huge Christmas tree, Central Park horse-drawn carriage rides, etc. Watching a Christmas Spectacular with no less than The Rockettes will no doubt make your holiday in the Big Apple a memorable. Top the experience with shopping galore at the Fifth Avenue flagships. If Saks and Bergdorf won’t melt your heart, then nothing can.
Malta
“Malta’s nativity experience includes grazing live animals. Visiting presepju, or nativity scenes, is an integral part of Christmas in Malta.”
If your traditional Christmas needs to be perked, Malta’s Christmas offerings can be the perfect destination for you and your family. Get nostalgic with Malta’s life-size nativity experience – Bethlehem f’Ghajnsielem spread over a massive field. Other attractions include a festive Valetta, shows at the Manoel Theater, and the Museum of Toys.
Barcelona, Spain
“If you can manage to extend your Christmas holiday until Three King’s Day (January 5), there’s no better place to catch up with Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar than Barcelona.”
Be there on the eve of January 4 to meet the kings the Santa Eulalia port and be a part of the jolly welcome – fireworks, parade, and canons firing.
Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
“While legends dating as far back as the 1820s cite the North Pole as the official home of Santa Claus and his jolly missus, the Finns would have us believe otherwise. For them, Rovaniemi, Lapland, located just north of the Arctic Circle, is Christmas HQ.”
Children and adults who believe in Santa Claus would have a great time spending Christmas here. Let the kids join Mrs. Claus in making gingerbread cookies or make their Christmas wish lists. Visit the Ranua Zoo, go on a sled-led reindeer safari at the Sirmakko reindeer farm, or discover the mystery of the northern lights at the Arktikum. Want to have a frosty Christmas? Why not stay y in the Arctic Snow Hotel.
More Christmassy Destinations
If these destinations don’t fit your idea of a Christmas holiday, the list of recommended destinations includes: Nuremberg, Germany; Quebec City, Canada; Reykjavik, Iceland; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Santa Claus, Indiana; Strasbourg, France; and Valkenburg, The Netherlands.
Nuremberg is known for its Christmas market (Nurnberger Christkindlesmarkt), their old-fashioned carousel, giant wooden carved Ferris wheel, steam train, German Railway Museum, and Toy Museum.
Quebec City is a great destination for people who like a “green” Christmas with its recycled Christmas tree and nativity scenes. Winter sports can be enjoyed in nearby Sentier des Caps de Charlevoix.
Reykjavik is the place to go if you like a festive Christmas. It is known for its Yule Town Christmas market, 13 “Yuletide Lads,” northern lights to add glamour to jovial Christmas lights, etc.
San Miguel de Allende with its well-preserved imposing churches, pilgrimages, and “piñatas, posadas and ponche festivities” make San Miguel de Allende an awesome destination for those who want a solemn and festive Christmas.
Santa Claus in Indiana – with its auspicious name, it is a fabulous destination when you want to celebrate Christmas any time of the year. Santa’s Elves, the Land of Lights and the Christmas buffet dinner every Friday at the Christmas Lodge can make your any-day Christmas as cheerful as the real day itself.
Strasbourg is famous for its Christmas villages, such as the Village of Alsace Farmhouse and Village of Bredle. The Christmas villages “morph the city into a visual and gastronomic wonderland.”
Valkenburg is the Dutch hub for Christmas revelries with its Christmas Market and the abode of Santa. Attractions include Santa’s reindeer sleigh and room of presents, cavern houses sculptures, an 18th-century chapel, and a ride on the Christmas Express train.
The world loves Christmas, Santa Claus and many things about Christmas; there are many wonderful Yuletide destinations for you and your loved ones. Here is another post to get more ideas: The Ten Best Christmas Destinations from World Luxury Tourism.
Wherever you may choose to spend Christmas, being with your loved ones and having the cheerful spirit can add color and glow to the already Christmassy backdrop of the nippy, wintry destination.
“… This season of festivity is a pleasurable time not only for the little ones but also for the grown-ups. Christmas is no more confined to only Christianity. It has become a universal occasion to celebrate the holiday season too!”
Happy holidays to one and all!
