Travel Tips
You could celebrate Christmas in one of these wondrous places.
Elves in Hawaiian shirts? Reindeer rodeo? Holiday whale sashimi? From the Arctic Circle to the Aloha State, cultures around the world celebrate Christmas in many different ways -- and adventurous travellers can enjoy the wildest and most wonderful.
Yes, Virginia: It's party time around the world. Here's how the celebrations pan out in some of the best holiday destinations.
The Scandinavians have the perfect excuse for hard Christmas partying: It's dark by 3 p.m. The Danish Christmas Eve is called "Julaften," and the parties go on all night. Yuletide hospitality features roast goose, rice pudding, red cabbage and our personal favorite: pickled tongue. Look for horse-drawn Carlsberg wagons delivering the year's specially brewed Christmas beer, with staff in Santa hats giving away free samples.
Not to be outdone, the Finns kick things off at Christmas dinner with ice-cold vodka to accompany cold fish hors d'oeuvres. A hefty shot of liquor at Christmas was once believed to bless the crops, and even the non-drinkers -- i.e., children and domestic animals -- took part in the ceremony. The most Fin-tabulous Christmas happens above the Arctic Circle in Lapland. Join the fun with reindeer sleigh-rides, or even try your hand at reindeer-lassoing, a favorite pastime of the Sami people. The Finns claim that Lapland is the original home of Santa Claus, but Greenlanders beg to differ.
Greenland is the ultimate Christmas adventure, scoring high for both topography (most of the country is covered by an ice sheet) and gastronomical daring. Plus, the tourism board claims that Santa Claus has a vacation home near the town of Uummannaq. Greenlanders celebrate Christmas by placing red-orange stars in their windows, and giving each other nifty presents like tusks and sealskin mits. After Christmas Eve's coffee, cake, and caroling, everyone receives a special delicacy: whale blubber. "Mattak" is a piece of whale skin with a strip of blubber inside that is said to taste like coconut -- only harder to chew.
The Slavs are no slackers when it comes to Christmas celebrating. In Poland, the "Wigilia," or traditional feast, begins when the first star appears. Everybody scans the evening sky, hoping to be the first to call out, "Gwiazdka!" or "the little star!" That moment, the Poles break their 24-hour fast. Celebrants wish upon paper-thin wafers with fellow guests to clear any bad vibes accumulated over the year.
In warmer climes, Santa has to make a few practical adjustments. He shows up in Hawaii in a bright red outrigger canoe, escorted by elves in aloha shirts. The Honolulu City Lights is a month-long extravaganza featuring a lighted 50-foot Christmas tree and eye-popping light displays throughout the city. At City Hall, you'll see giant holiday characters, including a 20-foot-tall barefoot Santa who sits dipping his toes in the fountain.
Down in the Caribbean, traditions dating back to slavery have produced a flavourful mélange of Christmas merriment. In the Bahamas, Santa joins the Mardis Gras-like street festival Junkanoo, said to originate in West Africa. On Dec. 26 Bahamians parade through town in costumes made of cardboard and crepe paper, singing, chanting and dancing all the way.
And few out-celebrate the Puerto Ricans -- who start the Christmas season in early December and continue on until Jan. 17. Christmas brings a boisterous travelling caroling party known as the Asalto. Friends show up unannounced at each other's houses, singing and playing instruments. The hosts greet their visitors with food, including a special chicken and rice stew. Drinks are served, and then the hosts join the party, which moves along to the next house and continues this way until daybreak.
Many countries where Christianity is not the main religion still put on a more-than-respectable party. In Goa, India, a former Portuguese colony, the arrival of the Magi is celebrated each January with nine days of fireworks and partying. The fun culminates in The Feast of the Three Kings (Jan. 6), which is celebrated enthusiastically by both Christians and Hindus. Lucky young boys chosen to play the part of the kings dress in Technicolour costumes and arrive at the local church on white horses. The best celebrations are held at Church of Our Lady of the Mount in Old Goa.
We think world peace would be a swell idea for the holidays. Taking the party global is a step in the right direction.