As we reach the end of the year, the Christmas holidays are upon us again. Whilst many will relax with friends and spend time with relatives, others around the world will be celebrating in a different way. Here are some of the top destinations around the world to visit this Christmas:
Las Vegas
Renowned for its outrageous extravagance, it is no shock to hear that Las Vegas goes all out when it comes to the holiday season. To pamper their visitors on Christmas Day, Vegas keeps all of its bars, restaurants, casinos and even shops open, making £11Million on Christmas day, or enough to buy 4,542,376 mince pies according to Ladbrokes The city’s main attraction is the Freemont Street Experience, who truly push the boat out to spread the Christmas spirit. The parade take place on a daily basis, with performances taking on routines to festive classics and getting the whole crowd to sing-a-long. The Bellagio also showcases some excellent yuletide decorations, with the Botanic Gardens being turned into a scene straight from the North Pole depicting a winter wonderland. They also fine tune their famed fountains to follow routines to festive tunes, just to add to the holiday spirit.
The Philippines
As soon as it turns December, the Christmas songs start getting airtime and most people moan that it is too early. But in the Philippines, that would be classed as being too late! The Filipino celebrations kick off as early as September, with shopping malls decorating their stores and blaring out the classic songs. But it isn’t until the 16th December when the Simbang Gabi, a traditional Christmas festival, takes place. Spanning over the nine nights building up to Christmas, a series of masses take place each night and it is believe that if you attend all nine, all your wishes will come true. The end of the Simbang Gabi is celebrate with wild street parties and authentic lantern displays.
Australia celebrates Christmas slightly differently to The United Kingdom and USA, mainly due to it being in the middle of their summer! December is regarded as Sydney’s hottest month, so Harbour City residents can kick back and relax in the sunshine to celebrate the holiday season! Traditionally, families open their gifts and then head down to the beach for a barbequed Christmas banquet. The city centre becomes a haven for Christmas markets, carol singers and musical acts spreading the yuletide spirit. The skyline becomes illuminated come nightfall, with the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Town Hall all taking part in a jaw-dropping lights show.
As Christmas destinations, none even get close to the brilliant Lapland. Although there are many villages dotted around the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi in Finland is the most popular with tourists. The resort epitomises the true meaning of Christmas, with endless winter activities taking place in the snowy peaks of the complex. Being the “official home of Santa”, visitors can take a trip around his famous workshop, have a sleigh ride with nine reindeers and even meet the big man himself.
Heyy Savi & Vid,
Thank you for being a savour to all us tourists. I had a question – I wanted to visit london/scotland in december and as these places would be extremely cold, I wanted to pair my trip with a warm beachy place near london. Do you think canary islands is a good choice? Would it be feasible to cover london, scotland and canary islands in 8-10 days? LMK!
Hey Bhavika – yes the Canary Islands are actually the perfect option that time of year. However if you have 8-10 days, would suggest splitting them only b/w London and Scotland as there is so much to see and do 🙂