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The Wonders of Christmas in Europe
by Louis Patterson
http://www.yahoo.com
One of the best times of the year to visit Europe is
during the Christmas season. Most European
countries come alive with the many festivals and
celebrations that take place during the holiday
season. This is the perfect time for you to treat your
family to a Christmas that you~ll never forget.
A great bonus to spending Christmas in Europe is
the amazing and diverse selections of foods each
country offers during this time. Every culture in
Europe tends to have its own special culinary
delights that are made only during Christmas. For
instance, Germany is well known for its stollen.
Stollen is a delicious Christmas cake that is
typically only baked in the month of December.
Chocolate is very popular too throughout Europe,
and you can find all kinds, shapes, and sizes
wrapped in festive foil. Italy is also known for their
version of the Christmas cake, the panettone.
Many Christmas traditions take place on Christmas
Eve since many countries in Europe celebrate the
arrival of Santa Claus on this holiday evening.
Families will head to church to listen to the
Christmas story and sing hymns that are only heard
at this time of year. After the church service is
over, families will head home for a huge Christmas
celebration which usually involves plenty of food
and the opening of gifts. The festivities linger long
into the night as people sit by warm fires visiting
with each other.
Since there is no gift opening on Christmas Day,
families and friends spend time visiting and
relaxing while the children play with their new toys.
Christmas is a day when virtually no shops are open
so everyone has the opportunity to share it with
loved ones.
If you~re planning a vacation to Europe at
Christmas don~t expect the prices to be much
cheaper than the high season during the summer.
And you~ll need to book ahead with plenty of time
left before your departure date since flights at this
time of year fill up fast. This is because many
people in North America have discovered the
wonders and excitement of holidaying overseas
during the Christmas season.
If your holidays are flexible and you simply wish to
visit Europe during the winter (Austria is especially
beautiful at this time of year), the week after New
Years Day is usually fairly inexpensive for flights.
However, if the Christmas festivities are what you
want to see, the entire month of December fills up
quickly and can very expensive the closer to the
date you wait to book.
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