Alternative Xmas
October 8, 2010 1:12 PM Subscribe
What is your best suggestion of a destination for a happy-go-lucky couple to spend, say, a week around December 25th?
The girlfriend and I are thinking since our respective offspring are off elsewhere for Xmas, we'd like to ditch the obligatory extended family "festivities". Where in the world (literally) would be fun for us to go the week of Christmas. We'd considered the Caribbean, Lisbon, Costa Rica, London, Hong Kong, Taipei. What should we not miss???
The girlfriend and I are thinking since our respective offspring are off elsewhere for Xmas, we'd like to ditch the obligatory extended family "festivities". Where in the world (literally) would be fun for us to go the week of Christmas. We'd considered the Caribbean, Lisbon, Costa Rica, London, Hong Kong, Taipei. What should we not miss???
If you're looking for something really different, head south of the equator. Anywhere, really. I'd imagine seeing Christmas festivities when it's 90F outside is a bit of a contrast from what most northerners are used to.
posted by valkyryn at 1:17 PM on October 8, 2010
posted by valkyryn at 1:17 PM on October 8, 2010
Apparently I'm going to be the first person to suggest going to a country where Christmas is not a big deal, so you don't end up losing bunches of your vacation to Xmas eve/Christmas Day/Boxing Day. Unless you want to do nothing during the whole trip, and hide out in your rented apartment with hot chocolate and fireplaces.
Anyway, this means I would lean towards Taiwan, maybe Hong Kong. Taiwan has the added fun of being near Macau, so you have your Portuguese outpost and your gambling mecca covered, as well.
posted by whatzit at 1:22 PM on October 8, 2010
Anyway, this means I would lean towards Taiwan, maybe Hong Kong. Taiwan has the added fun of being near Macau, so you have your Portuguese outpost and your gambling mecca covered, as well.
posted by whatzit at 1:22 PM on October 8, 2010
Consider the rest of Europe (i.e. not just London but Paris, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, etc.) especially for the absolutely fabulous Christmas markets. Granted they're more in full swing the week before the holiday, and from what I gathered most of the continent shuts down for at least a couple days beginning on the 25th, but we loved seeing all of the ones I listed and a few more around Christmas this past year. Paris seemed a bit crowded post-Christmas leading up to New Years but other than that was still delightful. If it absolutely has to be the week post-Christmas, I'd say go beach instead.
posted by allkindsoftime at 1:25 PM on October 8, 2010
posted by allkindsoftime at 1:25 PM on October 8, 2010
I've been in Prague for Christmas and New Years. It was delightful but very cold. Big festivals and lots of beautiful, snow-capped architecture, tons of tourist-friendly but not cheesy exhibitions of art and culture for the holiday crowd.
posted by Mizu at 1:28 PM on October 8, 2010
posted by Mizu at 1:28 PM on October 8, 2010
We left for our honeymoon in Japan just after Christmas. Everyone said not to go then, but it was great. We saw people in kimono everywhere on New Year's Day and joined throngs of people at Fushimi Inari outside of Kyoto, had the beautiful Koyasan mountaintop virtually to ourselves (and were the ONLY guests in the English-friendly Rengejo-in monastery guesthouse), and didn't have a problem with crowded trains due to the judicious plans put together by our booking company, Inside Japan Tours (we didn't do a tour, though). The only thing that was closed was one palace site--lots of Japanese out-of-town tourists walking up to the sign and getting disappointed looks, too! No big deal. There's always something else to see.
I do like Taipei, though. I've just never been there at that time of year.
posted by wintersweet at 2:21 PM on October 8, 2010
I do like Taipei, though. I've just never been there at that time of year.
posted by wintersweet at 2:21 PM on October 8, 2010
Agree with wintersweet - I hear Japan at New Year's is just awesome fun.
posted by keasby at 2:28 PM on October 8, 2010
posted by keasby at 2:28 PM on October 8, 2010
Japan for Christmas/New Years is indeed fucking awesome. (ex-resident here)
Christmas: hyper-shopping weird gifty event for couples, not families and not churches. Traditional Christmas dinner is KFC. I SHIT YOU NOT; you have to make reservations.
New Years: get in line for midnight at the city temple (I have done this at big city temples and small town ones, they each have their appeal) to make wishes for the new year. There is a huge queue, and a process, and lots of food stands. Carnival atmosphere, a blast.
New Years, II: is the fukubukuro (lucky bag) sales at the department stores. This is like Black Friday for Japanese people. Watch very small feisty women tear each other to pieces to get merchandise. Better yet, the merchandise... they don't know what they are getting! The bags are sealed shut and priced at different levels ($10, $25, $50, ex).
posted by whatzit at 2:46 PM on October 8, 2010 [2 favorites]
Christmas: hyper-shopping weird gifty event for couples, not families and not churches. Traditional Christmas dinner is KFC. I SHIT YOU NOT; you have to make reservations.
New Years: get in line for midnight at the city temple (I have done this at big city temples and small town ones, they each have their appeal) to make wishes for the new year. There is a huge queue, and a process, and lots of food stands. Carnival atmosphere, a blast.
New Years, II: is the fukubukuro (lucky bag) sales at the department stores. This is like Black Friday for Japanese people. Watch very small feisty women tear each other to pieces to get merchandise. Better yet, the merchandise... they don't know what they are getting! The bags are sealed shut and priced at different levels ($10, $25, $50, ex).
posted by whatzit at 2:46 PM on October 8, 2010 [2 favorites]
I've regularly done Singapore during the season when living in Chicago - it also helps with breaking up the long stretch of snow, grey skies, cold etc and you come back refreshed from the sunshine. However, its very commercial so maybe something like Cape Town and the Stellenbosch wine country?
posted by The Lady is a designer at 12:24 AM on October 9, 2010
posted by The Lady is a designer at 12:24 AM on October 9, 2010
Btw, note on comment above, its HK that's just a ferry ride from Macau, not Taipei
posted by The Lady is a designer at 12:25 AM on October 9, 2010
posted by The Lady is a designer at 12:25 AM on October 9, 2010
Ha. Yeah, how did I fuck that up... Hong Kong it is, then. But Japan is awesome!
posted by whatzit at 1:19 AM on October 9, 2010
posted by whatzit at 1:19 AM on October 9, 2010
I'm going to the Cayman islands for Christmas week this year, and I can't freaking wait. My plug is for the Caribbean.
posted by 8dot3 at 5:54 PM on October 9, 2010
posted by 8dot3 at 5:54 PM on October 9, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:13 PM on October 8, 2010