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Christmas Hotels or Market Breaks
I’m sure they switch on the tired old Christmas lights in my town at around Halloween. And the shops will drag out their usual window displays featuring tinsel and spray-on snow soon after. And this year I’ve just had to book the department’s Xmas party – and it’s August as I write. Christmas can, sometimes, just lose its sparkle – so how can you put a bit of fizz back into the festive season?
Christmas Markets
From late November onwards every year, several of Europe’s greatest cities hold amazing traditional Christmas Markets that positively buzz with hundreds of stalls, thousands of people, and all under a myriad of atmospheric fairy lights. Even the most dedicated of Scrooges among us can’t fail to be filled with Christmas spirit as you join packed pavements that meander throughout the stalls. For added magic, buy a glass of gluhwein (warmed mulled wine) and take it round with you as you browse stalls that sell fresh foodstuffs from cheeses, cold meats & innumerable candied delights to glorious handmade children’s toys that hark back to a time when Christmas was simpler, less expensive, and yet far more magical. The best Christmas markets are considered to be Prague, Lille, Brussels, Vienna and Cologne.
Lapland
Far, far north at the Arctic Circle, Lapland is actually a region covered in pine forests, hills & lakes that straddles the northernmost parts of Finland & Sweden. In December everything is totally blanketed with snow and absolutely freezing – around minus 20 in fact! But you don’t mind the cold weather faced with such natural beauty, and there’s always activities such as sleigh rides, husky rides, and snowmobiling to keep you warm & entertained. There are regular breaks for warm drinks and it’s great to see everyone’s beaming rosy-cheeked faces. But the star of the show naturally gets top billing and is enough to silence children & adults alike in sheer excitement as the end of the trip approaches, as a magical walk through the atmospheric forest paths ends with a visit to Lapland’s most famous resident… the real Santa Claus!
New Year’s Eve
There are some who say if Christmas is for the kids, then New Year’s Eve is for the adults. It’s a chance to get away and party hard with hundreds or even thousands of new best friends. Perhaps the most famous New Year celebrations are held in New York’s Times Square, where a staggering (in some cases literally!) one million people pack themselves in to watch the New Year’s Eve Ball descend from the flagpole that sits on top of One Times Square to welcome the New Year in. London’s Trafalgar Square fills with revellers every 31st December, although the Thames Embankment around the London Eye is a more organised celebration – the London Eye being the centrepiece of the city’s post-midnight fireworks display. But the grand prize for all New Year’s Eve celebrations goes to Scotland’s Hogmanay celebrations, particularly in Edinburgh. The Scottish nation has a particular affinity with New Year, and Princes Street is the focal point for celebrations featuring live bands & street stalls that add to a party atmosphere that you’ll never forget.
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Check out the top 10 Christmas Breaks locations or choose the Edinburgh Hogmanay party.