Christmas is here! Can I get a collective "woohoo"!?
My favourite time of year has rolled around again and I couldn't be more excited. I have been blasting the Christmas music for a few weeks, but now that its December I feel like I can take my festive cheer to the next level without being publicly shamed for my "premature" holiday celebrations. To kick off the season I've made a list of the best Christmas movies with a plan to watch as many as possible between now and 25th Dec. But that's a blog post for another day...
If I were able to make one Christmas wish this year, I would without a doubt wish for snow. In New Zealand in December, fish would be more likely to fall from the sky– definitely not snow!
You guys in the Northern Hemisphere don't know how good you have it! Maybe I'm too influenced by cliche Hollywood Christmas films but I think there's something so magical about seeing the twinkling holiday lights reflect off the white snowy ground; being able to ice skate beside a massive Christmas tree; or sit in a cute little cafe on a wintery night, sipping on a toasty hot chocolate and listening to christmas carols– ah bliss!
I hope to have a Christmas like this one day. Honestly anywhere cold will do but if I had a choice, these are my top three white Christmas destinations...
...but first, some music to set the mood :)
1. Lapland, Finland
Lapland in northern Finland is known as the hub of all things Christmas. They have reindeer, elves, a toy workshop and Santa himself, who is said to live in the nearby Korva-tunturi mountains (so, not at the North Pole after all?)!
Hey, if it's good enough for Santa, it's good enough for me! Hopefully I would get to see the Northern Light's while I'm there too!
Frankfurt seems to become a bit of a winter wonderland in December. Their annual Christmas market looks as if it has an amazing, festive atmosphere– enough to fill any grinch with Christmas cheer! I think I would have a ball buying all kinds of cute knick knacks!
Also, the buildings seem to look a bit like giant gingerbread houses which adds to the christmassy look... that could be just me though ha!
I guess it is true... I am overly influenced by Christmas movies! In my defence, most good Christmas movies are set in New York City. Hello?– Home Alone, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, Serendipity!?
New York tends to make a big deal about Christmas, starting with the lighting of "the tree" at Rockefeller Centre. Shopping at Macy's or Bloomingdales with their amazing festive displays would be a surreal experience. One I'm sure I'd never forget!
Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree and ice rink (source)
Like any little girl, I was a big fan of of fairytales when I was younger. Those wonderful timeless stories had a way of capturing my imagination like nothing else could! So of course, when I grew up to realise they were all make-believe, I was more than a little bummed!
But a few days ago, when I stumbled across some pictures of real castles in Europe, I reverted straight back to my childhood days. I thought, if there was anywhere on earth where fairytales could actually exist, it would be in and around these castles (seriously, I was just waiting to see Snow White or Cinderella pop up somewhere)! The white-wash bricks, picturesque surroundings and towering turrets look like they have leaped off the pages of my favorite books, they are so beautiful and majestic!
I thought I had better share these with you all. I'm sure you will be just as enchanted by these wonderful structures as I was...
Hluboka nad Vltavau Castle in Czech Republic
Alcazar of Segovia in Spain
Lichtenstein Castle in Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany
Egeskov Castle in Denmark
Anif Palace in Austria
Chateau d'Usse in France
Chateau de Chambord in France
Chateau de Chaumont, France
These are all definitely going on my 'to go to' list!
I’m Rachel, a 24-year-old Communications graduate from Hamilton, NZ. I love to read, write, watch movies and bake yummy treats. From time to time I also like to write down my thoughts and post them on the internet for all to see. Enjoy!
