WORLD’S MOST HEART-WARMING CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS
While Thailand certainly deserves credit f or its impressively tinsel Christmas spirit, these European and U.S. destinations represent the purest modern incarnation, the holiday’s many-faceted legacy.
With its snow-capped mountains and stunning Baroque architecture, the charming and historically rich city of Salzburg, Austria is awash in Christmas spirit every December.
Visitors can witness the spectacle of the annual Krampus Run, where people costumed up as Alpine beasts — or krampuses, dash through the streets in search of naughty children (all in god fun, of course), or visit the nearby town of Oberndorf where the song “Silent Night” was first performed on Christmas Eve 1918.
The smell of gluhwein wafts through the air as holiday-light festooned imperial-style edifices twinkle in the night — this must be Vienna, Austria at Christmastime! Season-smitten holidaymakers will delight in strolling through the three outdoor Christkindlmarkts (seasonal marketplace) while nibbling scrumptious traditional snacks washed down with mugs of the steaming spiced wine, and perhaps catching a performance by the world renowned Vienna Boys’ Choir.
The city of Rovaniemi in Finland’s Lapland region is a frozen winter wonderland of deep snow and pine forests located just north of the Arctic Circle. Amid an all-encompassing “St. Nick town” motif, kids can live out their holiday fantasies making cookies with “Mrs. Claus” or hone their Little Helper skills attending Elf School. Outdoor snow-cation activities include tobogganing, dog-sled tours and a sleigh-ride safari adventure at an actual reindeer farm. Sleep in rooms made of solid ice at the Arctic Snow Hotel, then up at midnight to step out and view the stunning Northern Lights.
Though it may not be the actual arctic locale, the town of North Pole, takes its Yuletide holiday cheer very seriously. Located in the U.S. state of Alaska, it’s literally Christmas every day, with holiday decorations displayed year round. Even asking directions is fun with street names like Kris Kringle Drive, Mistletoe Lane and Santa Clause Way — even more so if you’re booked at the Santaland RV Park. The town of 2,200 hosts the annual North Pole Christmas In Ice Contest, which attracts ice sculptors from across the globe. Be sure to mail home some postcards as they will bear the postmark: “North Pole.”
The heart of New York City’s Christmas celebrations takes place at the iconic Rockefeller Center (of TV’s “30 Rock” fame).
There’s the landmark ice-skating rink for romantic blade-cruising, while the light-up ceremony for the towering yuletide tree is going on its 85th year. Nearby, Radio City Music Hall hosts the annual Christmas Spectacular starring those leggy line-dancing lovelies The Rockettes, while in the 5th Ave. shopping district, flagship boutiques and department stores like Saks and Bergdorf roll out elaborate window displays that could bring Anna Wintour herself to tears.
A December holiday i n the renowned US ski town of Breckenridge, Colorado is like stepping into a 19th-century painting. The entire town is transformed into a glittering Victorian-style Christmas paradise, with gorgeous handmade displays and folks wandering about dressed in period costumes. There are old-fashioned carriage rides and lots of unique shopping opportunities, and the whole thing kicks off with the traditional “Lightening of Breckenridge”, when town officials throw the switch, bringing the twinkling, town-wide spectacle to life.