Ah, the joy. Tis the time for twinkling lights, sweater weather, and spiced cider. Now that fall semester's over, we only have a mere week to soak up as much "December-ness" as we can. For those of you who need an extra boost in good 'ol traditional holiday spirit, here are the best places to go to get the most out of the season (or the best places to look at photos of).
7. Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
Finland's snowy fields and Christmas village make it the hotspot for everything Christmas. With a reindeer farm, polar bears, and moose to see, Finland provides all the classic sights of Christmas (and experiences if you want to enroll in Elf School).
6. Vienna, Austria
The Christmas hustle and bustle is very real in Vienna, and just as you're navigating through the Christmas market before the magnificently regal town hall, you hear talk of the renowned Vienna Boys Choir who'll be singing later on in the Hofburgkapelle chapel. Making a note of that, you buy your roasted chestnuts and warm spiced punch amidst other cheery people as children on pony rides pass you by.
5. Nuremberg, Germany
Holding an annual Christmas Market, Nuremberg brings in 2 million travelers who flock to their traditional fun-filled fest that offers spiced wine and ALL homemade goods like ornaments, tree angels, and gingerbread! You smile as the children on the wooden Ferris wheel let out small screams of delight, and you might even go on the classic steam train. You make sure to buy their classic Zwetschgenmännle (figurines made of prunes) as a keepsake and enjoy the roasted almonds and potato pancakes as you breathe in, what's that? Christmas.
4. Quebec City, Canada
Festivals of music, animation, and architectural projects are sure to offer you plenty to do. A collection of nativity scenes from around the world are sure to provide you with plenty to see. And readings of Charles Dickens on a Christmas-lit evening will give you plenty to hear. Or perhaps after a day of skiing you'll simply enjoy walking down the slender snow-covered streets and wonder if you've landed in a Christmas card.
3. Prague, Czech Republic
The striking Christmas tree and carolers that gather in the square are only icing on the cake as you're awe-struck by the gothic architecture that somehow encompasses Christmas so well. With Christmas lights hung on every street and snow highlighting the roofs of the impressive buildings, you feel swept away in a royal fairytale. Think Anastasia, but in an all-out Christmas gala fashion.
2. Strasbourg, France
Strasbourg's Christmas themed villages transform the city into a winter wonderland fit for Beauty and the Beast. By incorporating a different country each year in their Christmas celebrations, and with decadent holiday food taking center stage, Strasbourg ensures you'll be filled with fresh foie gras, Christmas biscuits, and mulled wine. C'est magnifique!
1. New York City
After you've immersed yourself in Santa's workshop that's secretly Macy's, you decide to take an iconic ice skate beneath the 110 foot Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. Perhaps you'll exhaust yourself by playing a giant piano with your feet in the toy store FAO Shwarz, or by losing yourself to astonishment at the Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular. Or maybe just by taking a dreamy horse-drawn carriage ride through the snowy landscape of Central Park. Whatever it may be, the city of lights is now shining a lot brighter in December (an extra 30,000 LED lights on the tree alone), and all this Christmas spirit makes sure that the city isn't the only one who never sleeps.
