If you want to celebrate Christmas somewhere different, you are in luck this year, as airfares for Christmas have on average decreased by an average of 12% compared to 2022, according to travel app Hooper. To help you choose your holiday destination, we’ve made a list of places where they celebrate Christmas with a unique, unusual or cool twist.
So, you have no excuse, just pick one from the list and enjoy the magic of this season.
Philippines: the brightest Christmas in the world
In the Philippines, Christmas is a very important event that starts early in the year. It is one of the country’s most joyous festivities, so it’s a great place to spend the holidays.
The country’s Christmas decorations are among the most spectacular in the world, with light decorations called parol (giant lanterns) representing the star that guided the Three Wise Men to the baby Jesus.
But if it’s the food and not the decorations that’s your thing, you can try delicious traditional Christmas dishes such as pancit (noodles), bibingka (rice cake) and ensaymada (sweet bread).
Austria: the scary Christmas
If you love Halloween and want to mix it up in the style of Jack Skellington (the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town) or The Grinch, Austria is your place.
The tradition includes the legend of Krampus, a demonic creature that is the evil counterpart of Santa Claus. Some people dress up as this beast in December and roam around terrorizing those present at Hollabrunn Market Square. Meanwhile, Austrian children wait for St. Nicholas to reward them, but they know that this beast will take them away in a basket if they are naughty.
Japan: the tradition of chicken
For the Japanese, the celebration of Christmas is more recent and this can be noticed in their main tradition: fried chicken from KFC.
Many people order the festive menu in advance or wait in line that day to enjoy Christmas dinner, meaning that for them it’s not about big parties, but about the joy of sharing with family or friends.
And while the tradition may seem strange in other parts of the world, it’s a great marketing strategy by KFC that began in the 1970s called Kentucky for Christmas!
Slovakia: a bath for the carp
Slovakia is perfect for those who want to fish for their own Christmas dinner. Carp is the fish of choice for this day; however, you should know that the carp must swim in your bathtub for 1-2 days, which means you can’t bathe during that time.
Before preparing it fried or breaded, you can give it a name, but this may make you change your plans as some people are unable to eat it after this and prefer to return it to its habitat afterwards. Although, if you serve it on your table for Christmas, you can get the scales back for good luck during the next year.
Whatever you do, don’t leave the table of the organizers before the dinner is over, for this is associated with superstitions of a death in the family.
Australia: surfing the waves
December means summer in Australia, therefore for those who want to escape the cold during the holidays, this beach destination is great. You won’t see a white Christmas, but you will have sand under your feet.
Residents and tourists can barbecue on the beach, and later see Santa Claus on a surfboard, mastering the waves.
Mexico: piñatas and tamales
For Latinos, great children’s parties include a piñata, but Mexicans take it a step further by smashing one at Christmas, too — just a good way to be a kid again during the holidays. However, try not to be a day late; in many Latin countries it is celebrated on Christmas Eve.
In Mexico, the night of December 24 is a big event where you can eat tamales, while you can open presents on December 25 and wait to receive more on Three Wise Men’s Day, January 6.
Czech Republic: finding love
If you are looking for answers in your love life, the Czechs can help you. During Christmas they have a lot of superstitions, some of them related to predicting marriage during the following year.
Thus, if you want to plan a wedding, you can go to the Czech Republic during Christmas and throw a shoe, shake an elderberry tree or cut a cherry twig.
Image: Jernej Furman
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