That time of year has arrived; Christmas music is taking over the radio waves, Christmas trees are popping up all over the place and Christmas shopping is in full swing! You’ll be hard pressed not to get into the festive spirit, especially with cities around the world lit up to the nines in celebration. Here are 10 impressive Christmas light displays around the world that we think you’d love to see.
New York, USA
As a nation, the USA loves all things Christmas. Anywhere you travel to during the holiday season will be alight with festive fever but New York has to top the popularity stakes. Glittering lights of every colour truly ensures this city never sleeps during the holiday season! Numerous ice skating rinks pop up all over the city to bring festive fun to ice skaters of all ages, all with dazzling light displays as their backdrop. Head to the Rockefeller Centre and Times Square, plus Central Park of course, where you will spot enormous dressed Christmas trees and sparkling lights aplenty! The Winter Garden is also well worth a stop, not to mention the likes of Macy’s Santaland! The Big Apple definitely does Christmas in a big and unforgettable way. Elsewhere across the USA, the Oglebay Festival of Lights in West Virginia and the Trail of Lights in Texas are worthy of a mention.
Bethlehem, Israel
The birth place of Baby Jesus, Bethlehem is one of the world’s most important and traversed pilgrimage destinations around the world. It’s fitting therefore, that Bethlehem puts on a fantastic Christmas light display. It may not be the biggest or the best but the Christmas light display here has to be seen. In Manger Square outside the Church of Nativity, a tree adorned in around 45,000 lights and 6,000 baubles takes your breath away.
London, UK
Most readers of this post have likely visited London at Christmas time. Although a magical city at any time of year, it always feels extra special as the end of the year approaches. Christmas light switch-ons take place across the city from the middle of November with celebrities given the privilege of lighting up the streets. Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and even Canary Wharf are of course prime destinations but the entire city will be ablaze with twinkling lights. It doesn’t stop there though; London is famed for its many ice rinks, Christmas markets, pantomimes and West End shows. Even the biggest Scrooge couldn’t fail to enjoy the merriment in London town.
Beijing, China
As a vastly non-Christian country, China wouldn’t be the first place to spring to mind when you think of celebrating Christmas. Take away the religious connotations however and China utilises this time of year to do what they do best; overwhelm you! The city takes the phrase ‘Deck the Halls’ quite literally, with the streets adorned in thousands and thousands of sparkling lights and gigantic decorations. Quite simply, Beijing is magical at this time of year.
Medellin, Colombia
Such a special event in Colombia, the annual switch-on is known as the ‘Lighting of Medellin’. On a personal note, this is by far my favourite on the list! Millions of lights are strung around the city during the Christmas season with much of the display found on the Medellin River. Drawing tourists from around the globe purely for this event, the number of lights and creativity of the display grows each year but always with a different theme. The residents of the city get on board too, rolling out their own impressive displays and decorations. If the phrase ‘winter wonderland’ could truly describe any destination, this would be it.
Gothenburg, Sweden
Nicknamed the ‘Christmas City’, Gothenburg is a romantic river city in which to soak up the Christmas charm. With a soft atmosphere set by more than five million lights, 700 Christmas trees and a fantastic Christmas market to stroll around, you can’t go wrong by visiting Gothenburg to help you start to feel festive.
Hong Kong
Similarly to mainland China, Hong Kong goes all out at this time of year with their annual WinterFest sure to light up the skies. Skyscrapers will be decked in decorations and lights galore! On street level, shops and business vie to outdo each other as spectacularly as possible, while Christmas music provides a fitting theme tune. With shops ready to cater for everyone from your great Aunt to your cousin twice removed, you can be sure that finding the perfect present will be both easy and enjoyable too! The displays truly are a masterpiece (particularly in Hong Kong’s Disneyland!) and will be sure to leave you filled with joy, regardless of your age.
Kobe, Japan
Back in 1995, Kobe suffered a powerful earthquake. At that time, the Italian Government donated thousands of hand painted light bulbs which would be used to commemorate the natural disaster. The tradition has remained ever since and Kobe’s Luminarie is a hotly anticipated feature in the city’s annual calendar. Amazingly, the lights are lit by biomass which enables the display to be environmentally friendly without compromising on any of the extravagance. It really is quite the display!
Brussels, Belgium
Much of Europe hosts fantastic Christmas markets and the same is true of Brussels. Wooden chalets are brimming with handmade crafts and tasty treats such as Belgian waffles and mulled wine. It’s the backdrop which sets Brussels apart from the rest though; the illuminations encapsulate Christmas! The market trails for 2km along a lit up pathway, with surrounding buildings also featuring a face lift, along with marching bands, a Ferris Wheel, ice rink and a sound and light show at the Grand Place! Just a stone’s throw from the UK, this is one destination that may well be feasible for you to visit this Christmas!
Paris, France
The Champs Elysées is a sight to behold at any time of the year; after all it is one of the best known streets in the world. At Christmas time however, when it’s all lit up, it’s even more special to witness. The illuminations trim the trees and buildings, changing colour every half an hour to ensure the enchantment continues throughout the evening. The switch on happens in November, drawing crowds of more than half a million people and the avenue remains alight until early January.
Have you visited any of these cities at Christmas time? Which city would you most like to visit during the holidays? Which light display do you think is most impressive? Leave a comment, we’d love to know!
