Jolly Holidays: Five Festive Family Vacations

For many Americans, the festive period is viewed as a time for hunkering down at home with the family. But with a 2011 survey indicating that the majority of adults across the country wouldn’t be taking summer vacations this year, perhaps it’s time to start thinking outside of the box and planning a family vacation for a different season.

The beauty of Christmas vacations is that there are so many diverse ways of celebrating this magical time across the world. Spending a family Christmas in another country or culture can be an educational, relaxing and memorable experience for adults and children alike – as well as cleverly avoiding the more mundane duties of a Christmas at home like cooking for extended family members that you haven’t seen all year!

With research indicating that there has been a huge rise in Christmas vacations over the past 20 years, here are some ideas for fun, festive, family vacations that will ensure that you have a very merry Christmas no matter what your destination is.

Lapland

What could be more magical at Christmas than meeting the real Santa Clause and his elves at his home in the enchanting, Finnish, winter wonderland that is Lapland? Located above the Arctic Circle this is a place where the kids can also enjoy husky rides, tobogganing, frolicking in the deep snow, pine forests and even a glimpse of the dazzling Northern Lights.

Moms and dads can choose whether or not they want to stay in the bustling, commercialised city resorts such as Rovaniemi or a more low key area such as Karesuando if you’d prefer to relax in the Arctic wilderness. But with temperatures often reaching -12 (and in some cases as low as -30) you should ensure that the whole family are kitted out thoroughly in full thermal clothing/boots and perhaps refrain from taking babies and small toddlers who will find the extreme cold difficult to handle.

Berlin

European Christmas Markets are famous across the world for their bustling atmosphere, quaint stalls and stunning Christmas displays. With an estimated 4 million visitors last year, Berlin Christmas Market is one of the most popular but others include Copenhagen, Bruges, Vienna and Prague. Because many of these markets have been running since the Middle Ages there is a certain element of tradition and charm behind them – not least because they are located in some of the most vibrant cities inEurope, steeped in culture and heritage.

While you may not get much Christmas shopping done here (stalls mostly focus on arts, crafts, food and trinkets) you and your family can enjoy the festive atmosphere, decorations, outdoor ice skating, concerts, and educational sightseeing. Smaller children may struggle with the inevitable crowds and walking aspect, but older kids will be in their element amongst the festive hustle and bustle.

Disneyland

Disneyland is the ultimate children’s paradise and is magical at any time of the year – whichever of the four resorts (Anaheim, Florida, Paris and Tokyo) you choose to visit. But during the Christmas holidays it takes on an even more enchanting feel. The iconic Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is adorned with over 50,000 fairy lights and visitors can find a 60ft Christmas tree onTown Square. Aside from the stunning decorations, the kids will love the Christmassy twists on current attractions – such as the Haunted Mansion taking on an eerie ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ theme (based on Tim Burton’s film). There is also a firework display, candlelight processional, Christmas parade and, of course, Santa’s grotto.

In the past, Christmas has been a notoriously quiet time at Disneyland resorts but that has changed in the last ten years and now the week before Christmas is reportedly as busy as peek season in August. For this reason you should plan ahead by booking queue jump tickets and making any tour reservations in advance.

St Petersburg

In December, snow is pretty much guaranteed in St Petersburg and with various Christmas markets, ski-ing/snowboarding resorts and Christmas theme parks within or on the outskirts of the city, it really is a place where you’ll be spoilt for choice during the festive period. In particular you should take a walk along the banks of the Neva River which freezes solid almost every year – a sight that will certainly impress the little ones.

Do bear in mind that because Russia still follows the Julian calendar under the Russian Orthodox Church, they actually celebrate Christmas day 13 days after ‘western Christmas’ on January 7^th.

The Caribbean

You wouldn’t think it, but the Caribbean is actually a classic Christmas vacation destination. With typical December temperatures between 70-80 degrees, it is the ideal place for those who are looking to escape those chilly winter days at home. And with the vast majority o fCaribbean islands being primarily Christian you will find that Christmas is celebrated in a variety of ways – such as the Jamaican Christmas markets, traditional music and Christmas dinners of pork and rum!

Every island offers something different but one thing is for a sure: a Christmas that the kids can spend on a beach, snorkelling or windsurfing is one that they’ll never forget.