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by Jolee Wakefield on 12-Dec-2016 06:00:00
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love said to me.... “Pack your bags babe, we’re going on a holiday!”
It’s no secret Australians love their Christmas holidays and high on the list of most Aussie’s Christmas list is a once in a lifetime world adventure.
Make 2017 a #FreshStart. Take a course with Travel Academy and this time next year you could be helping make such dreams come true for happy customers across the country.
For now, to help you get in the groove for the silly season (and be up-to-date with all the best Christmas destinations for your future customers), our 12 of the most magical and exciting destinations is back for Christmas 2016.
Who doesn’t want to say they’ve been to the North Pole for Christmas? Think snow-capped mountains, frozen lakes and roaring fires. Enjoy the Northern Lights as you tuck into delicious and warming comfort food after a day dogsledding and frolicking in the snow.
Christmas lights, a big night out and endless amounts of KFC? Yes, that pretty much sums up the magic that is Christmas in Tokyo, Japan. Thanks to a brilliant advertising campaign in the 70s, most Japanese people enjoy KFC on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So popular is the fried chicken, that you might have to place an order in advance.
A hot and sultry Christmas with days on the beach and nights spent partying with live music and dancing in the streets? Yes please! Papai Noel (Santa) delivers the presents and homes and churches across the country put out amazing nativity scenes. Plus, there’s not-to-be-missed firework displays on Christmas Eve.
Hola and Feliz Navidad! Welcome to a Spanish Christmas where you will be met with throngs of upbeat and festive crowds, amazing Christmas fair and street parties for days. Christmas Eve is where the action is at with dinner, midnight mass and a street parade; and if you stick around until December 28, that’s when Spaniards celebrate the Day of the Innocent Saints- much like our April Fool’s Day.
If you’re seeking a traditionally magical Christmas filled with treats, music, chilly air and ample Christmas displays, look no further than Germany. With snow underfoot and the most spectacular Christmas decorations in Europe- Germany is also famous for its Christmas markets so pack your appetite and your spare cash for all the presents you’ll be itching to buy amongst the magical atmosphere.
Christmas is like a never-ending festival in Italy, where every region celebrates different customs and marks the occasion in different ways. No matter where you go, you’ll find street parades, church services and some damn good food. Some people open their presents in early December, some on Boxing Day and others believe that a friendly witch called La Befana delivers presents on January 6.
RELATED: #FreshStart: Where will you be this time next year?
When you can no longer bare the heat of an Aussie Christmas and you’d like to enjoy your roast Christmas lunch in comfort, head to the UK for what has the potential to be a white Christmas. Enjoy festive Christmas markets, ice skating in Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland and plenty of jovial pub action.
The hills are alive, with the sound of … Krampus! That’s the evil Austrian Santa that visits naughty children over the silly season. And beware, during the lead up to Christmas in Austria men dress up as Krampus and roam the streets scaring kids and tourists out of their wits. Visit the magical Christmas markets outside Vienna’s City Hall or Innsbruck’s medieval square.
There are many great Christmas traditions to celebrate in Mexico, with the country enjoying more than a month of festivities from mid-December. Take part in the Posadas- processions that go from house to house to re-enact Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter in Bethlehem and end in fiestas which include piñatas.
France is a no-brainer for a dream Christmas destination. The streets in Paris are lined with lights and at this time of year it is quite obvious you’re in the city of love. How could you not love a country that has a rule that every single kids letter that has been posted to Santa must be responded to with a postcard?!
Party your Christmas holidays away on the Canary Islands. This group of Spanish Islands is located 100km west of the Morocco coastline and will offer a hot and tropical silly season to remember forever. Dance parties, beach parties, any kind of parties- it’s all about having fun in the sun!
No Christmas destination list would be complete without New York, New York! Pack your most stylish coats and live it up in the Big Apple taking in the city’s holiday window displays and a snowy Central Park. Make sure you find the time to ice skate at the Rockefeller Centre! And rug up - it's rather chilly.
