1. Though Christmas is not popular in China—Christians comprise only about 1% of the country’s total population—people there have been practicing this tradition of giving out apples during Christmas Eve or, in Chinese, Ping An Ye, which bears resemblance to the Chinese word for apple, Ping Gou.
2. Canadians love to make cookies during Christmas, that’s for sure! Each family has its own recipe to showcase, and once the cookies have been done to perfection and are ready to be devoured, participating families will swap the baked goodies with one another. Imagine the barrage of delicious cookies in a Canadian Christmas party!
3. During yuletide season, Greek people have this tradition of displaying a wooden bowl in lieu of a Christmas tree, and from which hangs a cross that is dipped into the holy water every single day. The holy water is also sprinkled all throughout the house to shoo away Killantzaroi or evil spirits.
4. People in Costa Rica busy themselves building Pasito (Portal in English), a mini version of the nativity scene, which all members of every household help to build. They would decorate it with wreaths made out of cypress branches, coffee berries, some ribbons, and many other ornaments.
5. It is safe to say Christmas in South Africa is quite hot—literally—as they celebrate it, believe it or not, during the summer! The country is located in the earth’s Southern Hemisphere, that’s why. Families usually go swimming or camping, and share scrumptious cuisines such as duck, turkey, suckling pig, or roast beef served with vegetables. The finale meal would be the traditional dessert called Malva, a spongy pudding onto which a cream is poured while it’s still hot. Yummy!
6. During Christmas Eve, people in Ireland put a thick and tall candle right at the house’s largest window and set it alight all night to welcome the arrival of Mary and Joseph. They also offer mince pies and—guess what—a bottle of Guinness for Santa Claus.
7. Filipinos are known for their Parol, a star-shaped Christmas lantern that is traditionally made out of bamboo and paper which comes in varying sizes and styles—from small to huge, from lightless to blindingly bright, from single-colored to kaleidoscope-like—and are usually hanged outside houses or anywhere people feel like putting it. Also, Christmas in the Philippines officially commences on September 1st, which is the start of “Ber” months.
8. Egyptians have been practicing a tradition called Holy Nativity Fast, which takes place the whole 43 days before Christmas. During which time, they’re on a strictly vegan diet, which means nothing that comes from animals can be eaten. They’re only able to binge eat after attending a Christmas Eve mass that starts at around 10:30 PM and which lasts up to 4:00 AM the next day.
9. Throughout the Christmas season, Mexican children participate in a series of nine processions collectively called Las Posadas, wherein they would walk with candles in their hands and stop by houses only to be told there is no extra room for them, which symbolizes the time when Mary and Joseph were looking for a place to stay. The last procession takes place during the Christmas Eve—after arriving at the final home, they would be welcomed with open arms and be treated to a feast, but not after saying prayers of thanksgiving.
10. Finland is known all throughout the world as the ultimate Christmas Land being the home of Santa Claus, but did you know that it is also where another Christmas character resides? Joulupukki or the Christmas Goat was allegedly a scary goat-man who would ask for gifts but would give nothing in return. In the end, however, he had a change of heart and started giving out gifts himself, an act of generosity which was later carried on by Santa Claus.
11. French folks would light candles and burn cherry wood yule logs sprinkled with red wine, creating some gorgeous aroma. These logs and candles will be left burning all throughout the night, plus spare food and drinks in case Mary and Joseph decide to stop by.
About the Author: Jenna DeMarco
Hello fellow BoredTravel.com readers! My name is Jenna and I love to travel. Join me each week as I post a new article on various destinations, events, adventures, and more. Writing is a true passion of mine and I hope you enjoy taking this journey with me. Thank you for reading and safe travels!
1. London, England
How dare you not spend your Christmas in what is considered as all of Europe’s most festive place come holiday season? Go exploring the horde of Christmas markets and fairs scattered around the city, or maybe go shopping at one of world’s most popular department stores, Harrods. You really need to spare some time for an ice skating activity, or probably for some lavish afternoon tea session at Mayfair’s Brown’s Hotel.
2. St. Petersburg, Russia
Christmas in St. Petersburg is nothing but dreamy. Just imagine all these historic buildings covered in snow and the whole city clothed in glittering lights—spectacular! Make sure to secure tickets for The Nutcracker shown at the Mariinsky Theatre, the exact same place where the classic two-part ballet debuted in 1892.
3. Bethlehem, Israel
If you want to delve into the sacred roots of Christmas, there is certainly no better place to visit than the birthplace of Jesus Christ. The home of the original nativity scene, you can participate in a pilgrimage that ends at the Church of Nativity, believed to be the exact same spot where Jesus was born. Also, you can’t miss the Midnight Mass that takes place at St. Catherine’s Church at the very first hour of Christmas day.
4. Lapland, Finland
What about Christmas in the Arctic Circle? This might be an obvious choice, but how can you not get excited about the thought of setting foot on the official homeland of Santa Claus? Enjoy petting and playing with Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer! And guess what, you can actually make cookies with Santa’s wife Mrs. Claus! There’s also this Santa Park you should never miss out on while in Lapland. Quite expensive of a trip, to tell you frankly, but rest assured it will all be worth it!
5. New York, USA
Not sure if Christmas never sleeps in New York, but guaranteed you will never forget that time you spent the holidays in one of the most sought after places in the whole world! Go see the awe-inspiring window displays at Macy’s and Bergdorf’s, and showcase your skating skills at the Bryant Park or Rock Center ice rink. Most importantly, don’t forget to take a selfie with the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree as your background.
6. West Virginia, USA
Not a lot of folks know that there is this one spot in West Virginia where Christmas is super alive—the historic Greenbrier hotel. Well, historic because it has already hosted 26 U.S. presidents in its lifetime. What an honor it would be to be in there, right? Greenbrier is home to some 2,000 poinsettias, a 100 Christmas trees, and just about 120,000 Christmas lights. Its 2,000 chocolate display is not too shabby either.
7. Malta
This gorgeous island in the Mediterranean is not to be excluded in the list of the best places to go during Christmas. Delight yourself watching the carolers parading the streets, and be in awe of the amount of people attending midnight mass in Malta’s beautiful baroque churches. Also, there’s a Christmas morning brunch at the Corinthia Palace Hotel you cannot not sign up for!
8. Nuremberg, Germany
This city is home to one of the oldest Christmas markets in the world, the Christkindlesmarkt that started in 1628. It now has 180 stalls overflowing with toys, candles, and trinkets, as well as gingerbread and a vast variety of sweets! If you’re an architecture buff, Nuremberg’s medieval structures will leave you stunned. At night, the city is just a sight to behold!
9. Tucany, Italy
Buon Natale! Whether or not you can speak Italian well, a Christmas vacation in Tuscany should be in your bucket list. Did you know Santa Claus has a castle in here as well? Yes, he actually escapes Lapland every once in a while because he can’t resist the call of Tuscany. Well, you can find his massive Italian residence at the Christmas Village Montepulciano, where you can also see a mini pony ranch and a toy factory exhibit! In addition to that, the Christmas market in Piazza San Michele is an experience you can never miss in this lifetime. If you’re still not sold, well, an enthralling array of Renaissance art and architecture abounding in Tuscany’s capital, Florence, is a spectacle you cannot find somewhere else. Still not going?
About the Author: Jenna DeMarco
Hello fellow BoredTravel.com readers! My name is Jenna and I love to travel. Join me each week as I post a new article on various destinations, events, adventures, and more. Writing is a true passion of mine and I hope you enjoy taking this journey with me. Thank you for reading and safe travels!
The “Christmas Tree” is one of the most widely known symbols of the Yuletide Season. Christmas is not complete without it, so a lot of places in the world go to great lengths to create their own spectacular versions of the Christmas Tree. Below is a compilation of some of the best in this face of the earth; rest assured you have never seen a Christmas Tree as beautiful as the ones you are about to witness you will probably have a hard time believing they actually exist.
1. Disney Christmas Tree at St. Pancras Train Station in London, United Kingdom
2. Floating Christmas Tree at Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
3. Galeries Lafayette, Paris, France
4. Largest Christmas Tree In The World, Monte Ingino, Gubbio, Italy
5. Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, New York, USA
6. The Lego Christmas Tree, Auckland, New Zealand
7. Jbeil Christmas Tree, Byblos, Lebanon
8. Murano Glass Christmas Tree, Venice, Italy
9. World’s Most Illuminated Christmas Tree, Osaka, Japan
About the Author: Jenna DeMarco
Hello fellow BoredTravel.com readers! My name is Jenna and I love to travel. Join me each week as I post a new article on various destinations, events, adventures, and more. Writing is a true passion of mine and I hope you enjoy taking this journey with me. Thank you for reading and safe travels!