Top eleven places where Christmas is most festive

  CHRISTMAS is celebrated in various ways worldwide but there are places where Yuletide festivities are at its brightest, most colorful and most festive. Expat Media gives you a list of such destinations from Asia to the Middle East.  

PHILIPPINES

Pampanga province located north of Manila is not known as the Lantern Capital of the Philippines for nothing. It is where the Giant Lantern Festival (Ligligan Parul) is held from December 14 to December 20, particularly in the City of San Fernando.
Christmas in Pampanga. Photo by Billy Ruelos Danan Christmas in Pampanga. Photo by Billy Ruelos Danan
The Giant Lantern Festival is a yearly competition that started in 1904. The predecessor of the lantern testival was a religious activity called "lubenas." The lanterns back then measured just two feet in diameter, a far cry from the fifteen feet that we see today. The giant lanterns of today made of indigenous materials and can be as big as 20 feet in diameter or in height and lit up from the inside with 3,500 to 5,000 light bulbs.

MALAYSIA

Kuala Lumpur's streets are lined with bright lights while malls are decorated with holly and Christmas trees. Bargain hunters will surely have a great time here as year-end sales of gadgets, clothes and home furnishings are held. Looking for a white Christmas? Visit Pavilion KL where it rains artificial snow at the Bukit Bintang entrance every evening. Or you can go ice skating at Sunway Pyramid Ice.
Christmas in Malaysia. Photo by Pavilion KL Christmas in Malaysia. Photo by Pavilion KL
Kids will also enjoy participating in Santa's workshops at Suria KLCC ('Elf Yourself a Merry Christmas') and at Pavilion KL ('Christmas Enchantments') while carollers serenade shoppers with Christmas songs. HONG KONG This megalopolis is at its most colorful every Christmas season with pulse 3D lights that make the city's iconic buildings become giant decorations.
A giant snowman greets visitors at 1881 Heritage in Hong Kong. A giant snowman greets visitors at 1881 Heritage in Hong Kong. Photo by Disover Hong Kong
At Statue Square located in the heart of Hong Kong, a giant tree is set up. Kids will have immense fun at the Observation Wheel and at Disneyland Hong Kong. AUSTRALIA The Carols in the Domain is the most popular event in Sydney as families gather at The Royal Botanic Gardens for a sing-along with Australian entertainers. Be awed by Sydney's biggest Christmas tree at 24 meters, which is is suspended from the historic Queen Victoria Building and decorated with 85,000 Swarovski crystals and festooned with 65,000 lights. If you want to go nature tripping this Christmas, visit Taronga Zoo and see wombats, koalas and kangaroos.

GERMANY

The Dresden Striezelmarkt, Germany's oldest Christmas market at the Dresden Altmarkt square, is a beehive of activity with traditional holiday treats on sale. In it's 582nd year, the market is open until December 24.
At At Striezelmarkt Dresden At Striezelmarkt Dresden

UNITED KINGDOM

London's Oxford Street is decorated with thousands of glittering 'snowballs' and glowing stars, in conjunction with the UK's charity organization, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. A 22-meter Christmas tree stands at Trafalgar Square. Now on its 10th year, Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland has fun activities, including a Christmas market. One can also check out the Kingston Christmas Market and Christmas by the River at London Bridge City along the Thames River. London Palladium offers English pantomime featuring Cinderella or you can sing along with songs featured in the animated feature "Frozen" at Disney On Ice. See a classic English pantomime at the London Palladium this year featuring Cinderella or sing along to songs featured in the animated feature "Frozen" on Disney on Ice.

BELGIUM

There is a 22-meter, 35-year-old fir tree at the Grand Place in Brussels. From the palace and continuing around the Bourse, Place de la Monnaie, Place Sainte-Catherine and the Marché aux Poissons, the Winter Wonders has Christmas markets, an ice skating rink, light and sound shows in classic European style.

PORTUGAL

Madeira's annual Farmers' Market on December 23 is held at Avenida Arriaga, which is filled with revellers who buy food for Christmas dinner, sing carols and hang out with family members and friends. This Portuguese island also has an amazing fireworks show every New Year's Eve. Their pyrotechnic display was even cited by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2006 for being the largest fireworks in the world that year.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

The UAE's city of Dubai may be in the middle of a desert but Santa Claus visits this metropolis regularly right up until Christmas Day. Malls are bedecked with festive decors, including the Mercato Mall that looks like a giant present on the outside. Dubai Creek Heights' Hyatt Regency is hosting a Christmas market where you can buy homemade cookies, gingerbread, German stollen and alcohol-free gluhwein. You want to see or buy real Christmas trees? You can head to Satwa where the neighbourhood stores sell them.

LEBANON

Considered as one of the world's oldest cities, Byblos in Lebanon has a Christmas tree that resembles a house. Visitors can go inside the tree where they'll be treated to awesome decor and three-dimensional art. Byblos also has a 35-meter-high tree made up of 35 tons of gold-coloured steel mirrors. Last year, the tree was selected by the British newspaper, The Guardian, as one of the most beautiful Christmas trees in the world.

SINGAPORE

Orchard Road is decorated every December with festive lights. One should not miss Christmas Wonderland, Singapore's biggest yuletide fair, that spans 57,000 square meters across Supertree Grove, the Fairground, Ice Palace and Hi-5 Funtastic House in The Meadow. Christmas music fills the air in ION Orchard and Takashimaya and the street turns into a long stage with mini-performances by local artists 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