A number of towns and cities throughout northern Europe hold traditional Christmas fairs and markets. Many are special Advent markets staged for the four-week run-up to Christmas.
With 150-plus stalls and a giant spruce tree lit with 1,000 lights, Vienna’s historic Christkindlmarkt is held in the square in front of the rathaus (city hall). It’s a favorite with kids—dozens of youngsters come with their frazzled-looking teachers during the day. The trees in the surrounding park are festooned with decorations: there’s a hearts tree, a goblin tree, a gingerbread tree, a bear tree—all with strange things dangling from their branches. Plus, there are nativity displays under the rathaus arcades, a workshop for baking traditional gingerbread cookies, a dinky Christmas train, and the Post Office in the Clouds, where children can mail letters to Santa. See: www.christkindlmarkt.at.
Nuremberg, Germany, is the gingerbread capital of the world. The best time to visit is during the holiday season, when the local bakers take advantage of the world-famous Christmas market to show off their unrivaled skills in this art. The market also features the largest number of stands with Christmas decorations of all kinds. It goes from the Friday before the first Advent Sunday (usually the last Sunday in November) until December 24. See: www.christkindlesmarkt.de.
During the Christmas season, Rome, Italy is decorated with crèches, rather than lights and Santa Claus. The three most beautiful are on the Spanish Steps, in the Piazza Navona, and in St. Peter’s Square. The oldest crèche is in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore; the most beloved crèche is at Santa Maria d’Aracoeli, Piazza d’Aracoeli. The Santi Cosma e Damiano, Via dei Fori Imperiali, houses an 18th-century Neapolitan masterpiece, which is on display all year.
While in Rome, stay at The Hassler, Piazza Trinità dei Monti 6; tel. +39 (6) 699-340, which crowns the Spanish Steps and has a great view of the city…and great service. See: www.hotelhasslerroma.com.
Turku, Finland’s Christmas Town, is the oldest town in the country—and it also has some of the oldest traditions. All part of the build-up to the winter festive season, the St. Lucia’s Day celebrations are particularly memorable.
The patron saint of the blind (she plucked out her own eyeballs to deter an unwanted admirer), Saint Lucia, or Lucy, lights up the darkest days of the year. In Finland, she’s associated with a number of charitable events. After traditional morning coffee, a dedicated service in the 14th-century cathedral, and then a candlelit procession to the town center, the crowds enjoy other St. Lucia’s Day celebrations: the Christmas market in the Old Great Square, carols, and an exhibition of Christmas tables through the ages in Turku’s castle. The Christmas season here lasts until St. Knut’s Day, on January 13.
For a truly unusual Christmas festival, the Junkanoo Parade in Nassau, Bahamas, is unbeatable. Beginning at 2 a.m. on December 26, and lasting until 9 a.m., Bay Street is illuminated, and the sound builds as the tension grows. The costumes and floats become bigger, more outrageous, and more colorful as the night goes on.
This is Afro-Caribbean fun at its best; bring your own whistles, bells, or drums to cheer your favorite outfit, and arrive early to get the best vantage spot if you haven’t booked a well-placed seat. Each year the most flamboyant costumes win prizes, and competition is intense, with distinct groups taking part in this battle of sequins, baubles, and colored paper. Participants’ creations are a closely guarded secret until the day of the parade. See: www.junkanoo.com.
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Christmas Bird Count in Canada
New Brunswick in Canada is an excellent place for bird-watching. More than 350 species of birds can be seen; you need only a pair of binoculars and a North American field guide. During the winter, New Brunswick attracts such rare birds as the Bohemian waxwing, pine grosbeak, common redpoll, and purple finch.
For bird watchers, the event of the year is the Christmas Bird Count, sponsored by the National Audubon Society. As many observers as possible are needed on the count day, which usually falls during the last two weeks of December. See: www.nbm-mnb.ca.
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