Christmas holidays in England
You could just as easily say London, but there are plenty of towns and cities throughout the country that make splendorous Christmas holiday destinations. What about the Lake District, with its snow-capped mountains, or Rochester, with its Dickensian Christmas festival and castle tours? The museums, markets and countryside of Yorkshire make it another good bet for a winter sojourn.
Puebla, Mexico
This beautiful Colonial city of vivid primary colors is just two hours by bus from busy Mexico City. It's home to many Mexican delights, such as mole—the spicy chocolate sauce flavored with chili peppers, cinnamon, and fruit; chiles en nogada, a wondrous concoction of a chili stuffed with meat in a nut cream sauce that's Mexico's national dish; and talavera, hand-painted ceramic pottery and tiles.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Caroling by candlelight in front of St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square; free jazz, gospel, and classical concerts inside the cathedral; free cooking demonstrations by top chefs; four- and five-course Reveillon menus at many restaurants a Creole custom once served Christmas Eve after midnight Mass to break a day-long fast and "teddy bear teas": the Mardi Gras joie de vivre can be found here every day in December.
Christmas holidays in Iceland
It stands to reason that Christmas in Iceland is one you’ll never forget: for starters, you’re unlikely to have ever been so cold. Christmas is celebrated on December 24 here, but besides that one custom, you can expect a quintessential white Christmas. The streets are strung with fairy-lights and a sense of seasonal magic envelops all.
San Antonio, Texas
The always-festive River Walk festooned with more than 122,000 colored lights and 6,000 luminarias (candle-filled paper bags) at Christmastime—glitters with art installations like oversized fiberglass fish suspended over the river. A river barge is a scenic way to experience the River Walk, which seems to add more shops, restaurant, and other attractions each year. Shop for colorful folk art and crafts in La Villita, the Blue Star Contemporary Art Center, and outstanding museums like the McNay, San Antonio Museum of Art, and the Museo Alameda, a Smithsonian-affiliate Hispanic museum.
