Merry Christmas!!! Places to visit this festive season

Lucknow: Come Christmas and the whole town gets painted with the colour that symbolises love, warmth and tenderness....

KARAKOW (POLAND)

• Thanks to its climate, spectacular architecture and rich traditions that enhances the festive season, Krakow may well aspire to the title of the world's capital of white Christmas.
• Christmas trees glitter and carols resound throughout the tumultuousNew Year in Karakow and last till the end of January.
• Celebration starts at the outset of December. The fairyland scenery of Krakow’s numerous Gothic churches and Baroque palaces is unique.
• Seasonal street decorations and window-dressing, omnipresent noel tunes, shopping spree, universal well-wishing, etc.
• Santa Claus keeps on visiting every kid in the city early, i.e. on December 6.

Christmas Eve celebration

• Celebration begins when the first star appears in the sky, with sharing an ‘oplatek’ wafer with everybody present and wishing him nice things to happen in the next twelve months.
• Then comes traditional twelve-course common dinner of time-honoured meatless dishes (fish, and notably carp, being a must), an additional cover always laid for an unexpected guest and a handful of hay put under the tablecloth for good luck.
• After the dinner time there comes a time for caroling and unwrapping Christmas gifts.
• On the Christmas Eve immediately after midnight animals allegedly can speak their minds in Polish.
• December 26 is a holiday for family reunions visiting friends.

FINLAND

• Finnish people believe that Santa Claus or Father Christmas lives in the north part of Finland called Korvatunturi (or Lapland), north of the Arctic Circle.
• In Finland, Santa might also be known as Joulupukki.
• Joulupukki rides with reindeer leaves gifts under the Christmas tree but if you have been naughty you could end up with a bag of coal.
• Everyone tries to be at home for Christmas, including fishermen who try to get their boats into the harbour by December 21, St. Thomas' Day.
• On Christmas Eve, or the day before, Christmas trees are bought from the local market or square. The seller expects you to bargain with them on the price.
• Christmas Eve is very special and the most important day over Christmas. It's traditional to eat rice porridge and plum fruit juice for breakfast.

JACKSON

• This event has already finished but is here for for your information.
• This favourite holiday event features music and holiday carols, the lighting of the Town Square and the arrival of Santa Claus into Jackson Hole.

RUSSIA

In Russian Happy/Merry Christmas is 's rah-zh-dee-st-VOHM' (C рождеством!) or 's-schah-st-lee-vah-vah rah-zh dee-st-vah' (Счастливого рождества!).

People on Christmas Eve, until the first star has appeared in the sky. People then eat 'sochivo' or 'kutia' a porridge made from wheat or rice served with honey, poppy seeds, fruit (especially berries and dried fruit like raisins), chopped walnuts or sometimes even fruit jellies.

Kutia is sometimes eaten from one common bowl, this symbolises unity. In the past, some families like to throw a spoonful of sochivo up on the ceiling.

The Russian word for Christmas Eve 'sochelnik', comes from the word 'sochivo'.

Some Orthodox Christian Russian also don't eat any meat or fish during the Christmas Eve meal/feast.

Following the meal, prayers might be said and people then go to the midnight Church services. They often don't wash the dishes until they get home from Church - sometimes not until 0400 or 0500.

SWEDEN

In Sweden, 24 December is the highlight of Christmas. Schoolchildren are on holiday, as well as most parents. After enjoying the abundant Christmas, everyone is waiting for that special knock on the door, which means that that Santa Claus has finally arrived with the presents.

Christmas is the main family event of the year, and there is always a certain amount of discussion about where to celebrate it this time round.

Christmas in Sweden is a blend of domestic and foreign customs that have been re-interpreted, refined and commercialised on their way from agrarian society to the modern age.

VENENZULA

Christmas celebration is always a special time in South America. It is especially a very important holiday in Venezuela.

Christmas is nearly a month-long festivity. Many people begin celebrating with Santa Barbara's Day on December 4th.

The height of Christmas celebrations begin December 21st and continue until Christmas Day.

Most homes are decorated with bright lights. The home plays an important role and many people paint their home a month before Christmas to prepare for the festivities and to set the tone for the new year.

PARIS

• The City of Lights lives up to its name in a big way, as the trees that line the Champs-Elysées are among the many trees in Paris that get covered with strings of lights.
• The Eiffel Tower often becomes the focal point of the nighttime skyline with its shimmering lights.
• Christmas in Paris tradition is the temporary ice skating rinks that get set up around the city.
• They tend to go up in mid-December and stay open through March.

In slides ahead: Indian tourist spots to celebrate the festival...

MANALI

• Manali as such is a beautiful and a picturesque location whose snowy mountains and dense pine forests bring you closer to nature. Enjoying your stay in Nature’s laps with the hotels that are on offer, simply spell the exotic best that can be available at your disposal.
• A large number of tourists, especially newlyweds, thronged Manali to enjoy ‘White Christmas’.
• The recent snowfall has added to the scenic beauty of the town, with various hotels offering Christmas and New Year’s Eve packages to attract the tourists.

KERALA

• It is the twinkling Christmas star put up at Christian homes or shops which sets the tone for a season of cheerfulness and joy.
• The Christians in Kerala decorate their homes, which give a different look to the mesmerising Kerala all together during Christmas. Kerala is also known to have some really beautiful churches and cathedrals where Christmas carols are sung.
• Miniature models are used to enact the birth of Lord Jesus in the churches of Kerala. You can also enjoy the delicious grand feasts in Kerala during Christmas. Kerala has quite a good population of Christians and this famous festival is celebrated with enthusiasm and vigour.
• Christmas is a great time to visit Kerala to enjoy the festival with its own taste and also to enjoy the beautiful backwaters, shopping and beaches of Kerala.
• Tourists will certainly enjoy the lights and the peaceful celebration of Christmas in Kerala. Enjoy the local flavours of Kerala on this Christmas.

DAMAN

• The festival is eagerly anticipated and celebrated in a grand way in both Daman and Diu. Daman is famous for its Church of Bom Jesus which was consecrated in 1603. The Church 'Our Lady of Angustias', 'The Chapel of Our Lady of Rosary' and 'Church of Our Lady of Remedies' are the very famous churches here.
• The major attraction of the Christmas celebrations is the Portuguese dance in its entire vibrant splendour is a major attraction.
• For Christmas Eve the houses as well the commercial places and all attractions in the town are lit up and beautifully decorated. It is a virtual explosion of colour, light, laughter and fun.

DIU

• Diu is geographically and culturally similar to Daman and is a blend of Hindus, Muslims and Christians and heavily influenced by neighbouring Gujarat.
• This town is influenced by the Portuguese culture and Portuguese is widely spoken along with English, Hindi and Gujarati.
• The hotels and guest houses over flow with tourists both local and foreign and cheap liquor and great feasts abound everywhere.
• The festivities start with the Public Fair which is held in December every year and continue with Christmas way in to the New Year till Makarsakranti.

GOA

• Festivals in Goa are equivalent to partying, dancing, singing and spending a gala time with your friends and family.
• This place reflects the image of western culture in India along with featuring Indian traditions and customs. A great amount of enthusiasm and passion is seen in people to celebrate Christian's festivals in Goa.
• The celebration exactly begins one week before the Christmas Day which is on 25th December. People indulge in all sorts of party preparations to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and to develop the festive aura all around.
• Most families grab this opportunity for get-together and organising huge meals. Many on Christmas Eve hang a star made of wood and kite paper outside their houses.
• Goa Christmas celebrations begins with Christmas Eve when people after enjoying traditional dinner with their families get ready for the midnight masses for the next day Christmas celebrations.
• With majority of Christians actively participating in the Christmas festivity Goa becomes the best place to celebrate Christmas day.
• Decoration is the main part of Christmas celebrations which comprise decorating Christmas tree with bells, stars, gifts, colourful balls and bedecking homes with wall hangings, lights and candles.
• Visiting churches, cathedrals and offering prayers is another important ritual performed by local people in Goa.