Travel tip #119: Where to avoid Christmas celebrations

Hi Reader,

How is summer going?

August is peak summer season in Europe and this means the cities are full of tourists as local flee to the mountains and the beach.

My beach town is packed, while Barcelona is quieter.

In this week's newsletter, I wanted to talk about the destinations you can escape to in December to avoid the Christmas celebrations.

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How to avoid Christmas

Typically, this is when you all start wondering about the end of year celebrations, and we see this in our Facebook community, where more and more posts ask about where to spend New Year's Eve or Christmas.

While many love to celebrate the holiday period, (we have an awesome Xmas markets tour for you with only 2 spots left!), many others prefer to avoid the entire period, and this is easiest if you go somewhere where it is just not celebrated

Luckily, avoiding the Christmas celebrations is pretty easy, as many destinations don't celebrate the occasion around the 25th of December.

Here are the types of countries where Christmas is like any other day:

Countries where Christmas is only celebrated by a few

Countries with large Christian expat populations like Oman, the UAE or Japan may have some decorations up but will go on as usual because the majority do not honor the celebration..

For example, in the UAE, shopping malls will have Christmas trees and decorations, and hotels will also be themed and offer some holiday seasons meals.

However, the majority of the population does not celebrate and the day will go on as usual for most.

Countries that don't celebrate Christmas in December

Orthodox countries celebrate Xmas in January instead of December, so if you visit during the main season, you will notice that 25th of December will go on as usual.

In this category are countries like Kazakhstan, Georgia, Serbia, Russia and North Macedonia, among others.

Countries that don't celebrate Christmas at all

Countries that are majority Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist do not celebrate Christmas at all.

Destinations like Morocco, Bhutan, Jordan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia to name a few, are perfect for those who don't want any Christmas reminders.

We have put together a complete list of countries in each of the above categories along with what to expect at this time of year, travel tips for visiting, things to do / see during Christmas and more, to help you decide.

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If you are keen to avoid Christmas this year, read this article we have compiled with tips for what to see in all the countries above, tips for the Christmas period at the destination and what to expect.

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Are you keen to enjoy the Cristmas spirit or avoid it this year?

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See all the previous 118 newsletter travel tips here and don't forget to forward this email to a friend who may find it useful.

Have a wonderful weekend and talk to you next week !

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SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS CO-FOUNDERS