Christmas and New Year travel

Christmas is one of the most important holidays of Christianity, and is celebrated as the birthday of Jesus. Many of the traditions surrounding the holiday have been adopted also by non-believers in Christian countries and non-Christians around the world.

In this context Jesus is supposed to have been born the night between Christmas Eve December 24 and Christmas Day December 25 (the real birthday is unknown). Various other days are also celebrated, such as Epiphany, a holiday celebrating the Magi's visit to the baby Jesus, which is the main festive day in some countries including Spain. Christmas – maybe not so coincidentally – follows a tradition found in much of Eurasia prior to the rise of Christianity to celebrate a festival of lights around the winter solstice and as such some Christmas traditions are believed to predate Christianity. To this day, light plays a dominant role in Christmas symbolism, especially in temperate and polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

This time of year is winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Even though "white Christmas" is a cultural trope celebrated in many songs and poems, it is actually quite rare in most of the temperate zone, and in parts of Europe the time around Christmas is usually warmer than the weeks before and after.

While there are many traditional calendars, the Gregorian New Year occurs at December 31, and is a major holiday in many parts of the world.

While some Orthodox countries such as Russia celebrate Christmas on January 6-7 (which is December 25 in the Julian calendar), there is also some recognition of the December dates.

Get in

As Christmas is a major holiday in many countries, accommodation and transportation tend to be overbooked. Carriers will raise prices as far as they can get away with; sometimes travel as little as two days earlier can make the cost much more affordable. In the northern temperate zone, cold weather and darkness can complicate travel. Winter driving conditions in the north can also be unpredictable. All transport systems will be tested close to the breaking point – congestion on roads is almost a given, airports may get overcrowded (making delays more likely) and railways may become severely overbooked (get a reserved seat if you can). If you cannot adjust your travel plans, try to prepare well and take the stress with a relaxed attitude and, when traveling with children, make sure they understand that any unpleasantness of the trip will be worth it upon arrival.

Keep in mind that in most Western countries, the entire country shuts down for Christmas Day, and in some cases from noon on Christmas Eve, as workers head home to their families. This means that it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for you to buy food and the like during this period. Public transportation networks may sometimes shut down as well, so you should make advance preparations to cope with this day. On New Years Eve, many public transportation systems offer a special schedule, often having more night service than is common on normal days.

Do

• Christian churches celebrate Christmas in different ways.
• Christmas markets
• Christmas carols are sung by amateur choirs, often at free public concerts in the street (e.g. at markets) or door-to-door at private residences. Carollers usually take donations for charity, embodying the Christmas spirit of giving.
• Reindeer safaris
• Ice skating and other winter sports
• Department stores and shopping malls, as well as some minor shops, create special Christmas window displays in many cities.
• Many Western cities and towns decorate their main streets with illuminated displays. Public parks and sometimes entire neighborhoods will get into the spirit as well.
• A "Santa Claus parade" or "Christmas parade" is held in many communities in late November.
• In many communities New Year is marked with parties.

Destinations

Many people travel to, or within, the tropics or the southern hemisphere, as it is summer there. However, those who prefer winter sport or just want to experience a white Christmas travel to, or within, the northern temperate zone. While Christmas is celebrated even in many places where Christianity is a minority religion at best, some countries do not celebrate it at all and in some countries people who celebrate Christmas are targeted for harassment or worse by the government or religious extremists.

Alps

Many people go to the Alps for Christmas, and venues are overbooked. On the other hand, snow tends to be a given above certain altitudes.

Nordic countries

See also: Winter in the Nordic countries

While the Nordic countries are known for snow, the Nordic capitals have poor odds for a White Christmas; from a toss-up chance in Helsinki, to very unusual in Copenhagen. Snow in December can be found further north, or up the mountains.

Each Nordic country has a claim to be home of Santa Claus. While Rovaniemi has a famous Santaland theme park, there is a smaller similar park in Mora, Sweden. The Danish people say that he lives on Greenland.

While Nordic people celebrate Christmas with families on the 24th, the 25th is a major nightlife event.

Middle East

• Bethlehem in the West Bank is the Biblical birthplace of Christ; see Holy Land for other Biblical destinations.

Eat

While Christmas is commonly associated with certain types of food, traditions tend to vary not only between countries but often within countries and sometimes even between individual families, as Christmas food is one of a few traditions handed down over the generations by an immigrant family that has otherwise assimilated to their new place of residence. While many animals (carp, geese and turkeys, to name just a few) are specifically bred for Christmas dinner in the regions where they are common, prices can be steep and availability can be low when only arriving on the 23rd or 24th of December and trying to get a Christmas dinner (some such items are reserved beforehand also by locals; try to do the same). If your plans involve travelling across borders, bringing some types of foods might prove tricky at best, as some countries have strict prohibitions on bringing in products that could carry pathogens that cause agricultural diseases.

In Britain and Ireland traditional Christmas meals include a roast poultry (usually turkey) dinner with all the trimmings, while many French and Swiss families opt for a fondue or raclette, both involving copious amounts of hot melted cheese.

Drink

Eggnog is popular around Christmas and New Year's in the United States and Canada.

In Northern Europe, mulled wine and mulled cider are very popular during this season.

British kids traditionally leave Father Christmas a glass of sherry and a mince pie on Christmas Eve; in North America the same tradition is practised, but the teetotal Santa Claus enjoys milk and cookies instead.

New Year's Eve is infamous for irresponsible use of alcohol; it is also a busy night for taxis as intoxicated persons are often in no condition to walk nor drive.