December festivals around the world

December has more multicultural celebrations than any other month. The last month of the year is a "world of holidays," from Christmas to Hanukkah. Let's take a look at some of the December festivals around the world.

Christmas | Worldwide 

This is the happiest time of the year, when people celebrate, eat good food, and exchange presents. Whatever your reason for celebrating Christmas, it’s a great time to take a break from the everyday routine and enjoy some special moments with the people you love.

While Americans and England celebrate Christmas with Christmas trees, visits from Santa Claus, and dreams of snowy landscapes, Christmas falls during Australia’s summer, when it is popular to go camping or to the beach over the holiday.

Christmas may be celebrated in different countries around the world, but it is still a special day to reunite and spend time with friends and family.

Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival | China 

The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival is one of the most impressive festivals. This spectacular festival features massive ice structures as well as intricate sculptures of animals, people, and mythical creatures. By night, lights shine through the ice, causing a rainbow of colors to appear, creating a surreal winter wonderland. The ice festival frequently includes enjoyable activities such as ice slides and skating rings.

See more: Buy travel insurance in China

The Chichibu Yomatsuri (Night Festival) | Japan 

The Chichibu Yomatsuri (Night Festival) is the grand festival of the Chichibu Shrine, which started around 300 years ago and is known as one of the three most popular float festivals in Japan. The festival's appeal stems from the vibrant colors of the "Bonbori" paper lanterns swaying on giant floats, extensively designed, weighing between 10 and 20 tons. Dragged through Chichibu's main avenue to the sound of drums and flutes, against a backdrop of fireworks in the winter sky.

Hanukkah | Hebrew 

Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, starts on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar. The celebrations revolve around the lighting of the menorah. On each of the eight nights of the festival, a candle is added to the menorah after sunset. The other candles are lit with the ninth candle, known as the shamash. Blessings are typically recited, and traditional Hanukkah foods such as potato pancakes (latkes) and jam-filled donuts (sufganiyot) are fried in oil. Other Hanukkah traditions include playing with dreidels and exchanging gifts.

Besides that, December still has various festivals, such as the Amsterdam Light Festival (Netherlands), the Dwijing Festival of Chirang (India), Hogmanay (Scotland), and the Winter Festival of Lights (Canada),...

Prepare for memorized trips to explore the interesting festivals, and don’t forget to purchase Travel Insurance. Travel Insurance can protect you against the risks and financial losses that can occur while traveling. Make sure you travel with complete peace of mind!