Top-rated Locations To Enjoy Christmas
Christmas is a yearly celebration honoring the birth of Jesus Christ that is celebrated by billions of people all over the world on December 25 as a religious and cultural occasion. Regardless of region or faith, Christmas has evolved into a universal holiday.
Exchanging gifts, putting up Christmas trees, going to church, having meals with family and friends, and, of course, watching for Santa Claus are all common holiday traditions. Since 1870, the 25th of December, sometimes known as Christmas Day, has been a federal holiday in the US.
SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE, FINLAND
In the Finnish Lapland region of Rovaniemi, there is a theme park called Santa Claus Village. In 1985, it first opened. Dress warmly and travel to Finland's Arctic Circle when there is never enough Santa. The most renowned inhabitant of this community is the cheery man in the red suit, who is well-milked in this area. Even still, despite the fact that Santa Park amusement park is close to the village and there is deep winter snow and forests filled with reindeer, the touristy feeling is somewhat diminished. To leave without a smile, you'd have to be quite Grinch-like, so you'll need deep funds.
NEW YORK CITY, USA
Countless movies have shown Christmas in the Big Apple, so you must be familiar with its appearance. Christmas decorations, corny music, and ideally a light sprinkling of snow. Early in December, the Rockefeller Center lights the tallest Christmas tree in the entire globe. For visitors in the winter, ice skating beneath it and viewing the window decorations of New York's biggest department stores are must-do activities. To cap off a Christmas that belongs in central casting, watch "The Nutcracker" performed by the New York Ballet.
BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK
It's difficult to deny that the true essence of Christmas is frequently lost in the modern emphasis on gift-getting and overindulgence. Nothing beats a visit to Jesus' birthplace for a refresher. A forest of Christmas trees could be lit by the electricity on Manger Square and in the Old City on Christmas Eve. St. Catherine's Church is the place to be when the clock strikes midnight for the Midnight Mass celebration.
MIDNIGHT MASS, THE VATICAN, ITALY
The spiritual core of Catholicism is adept at celebrating Christmas, so you may relax. The Eternal City is enchanted throughout the year, but December adds an extra spark thanks to the abundance of presepi (nativity scenes) that can be seen on St. Peter's Square, Piazza Navona, and in the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli on the Capitoline Hill, as well as the sale of roasted chestnuts on every street corner. Most travelers choose to see the Vatican. A memorable event is the midnight or noon Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
BONDI BEACH, AUSTRALIA
With sun, sand, and surf in place of snow and fairy lights, Bondi is the antithesis of northern hemisphere Christmas clichés. Travelers who are far from home are drawn to the seashore on December 25 to celebrate with other "Christmas orphans." The Pavilion is rocked by bands and DJs, everyone is gawking at one another, and there is a happy mood all around. Swimsuit, sunscreen, and a sunhat are items you might not often bring to Christmas dinner.
DUBLIN, IRELAND
Irish people are fervently Catholic, and they have some creative ways to celebrate Christmas. The swim at the Forty-Foot seawater pool on April 25 in the morning is the most peculiar. There is a lot of activity and good times on Dublin's streets in the days before the big event. The Docklands' Twelve Days of Christmas Market, corny pantos, Christmas decorations, ice skating, and markets and holiday cheer at Temple Bar are all available. Visit St. Patrick's Cathedral for holiday music.
NUREMBERG, GERMANY
Shoppers are warmed by sizzling bratwurst and mulled wine as they browse 180 booths offering toys, trinkets, candles, gingerbread, and sweets. Visit at night when the multicolored lights produce a spectacle worthy of a fairy tale. Never before has shopping for Christmas seemed so charming.
If buying presents conjures up images of crowded department stores, you might want to check out Nuremberg's Hauptmarkt's beautiful Christkindlesmarkt.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
With mountains, snow, and cobblestone streets, Switzerland is especially alluring during the holiday season. We give Zurich the victory for having so many Christmas markets (don't miss the one inside the railway station), for having themed guided city walks around Christmas, and for having the beautiful all-singing Christmas tree that comes to life on Werdmuhleplatz. A choir of neighborhood children cheerfully sings Christmas carols on a tier-triangular platform decorated with various greenery and fairy lights.
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO
With a salsa soundtrack and spit-roasted pig as a side dish, Puerto Rico, a small island with a big personality, dishes up a festive Christmas. Early December to Three Kings Day on January 6 are when the festivities last. From mid-December, churches have early morning services filled with Christmas carols while joyous wandering carol ensembles dance and sing their way from house to house. On Christmas Eve, the large meal is served, and Midnight Mass follows. Head to City Hall on the Plaza de Armas and the fairy-lit Paseo de la Princesa promenade for the season's best decorations.
TOKYO, JAPAN
A fairy-lit, atheist-free Christmas is a sight to behold in Tokyo. Even while the New Year is traditionally celebrated more reverently in Japan than Christmas is, when non-Christians embrace the holiday with fervor, the result is extraordinarily extravagant lighting and decorations. Christmas Day itself isn't a holiday, so while the lead-up is spectacular, it's a bust. Christmas Eve is a major affair; it is a night for romance and lovers, with festivities akin to those on Valentine's Day. Fried chicken and sponge cake with cream and strawberries are part of the Japanese manner of dining.