Gavle, SwedenEurope's winter holiday traditions date back before the dawn of Christianity, and incorporate many belief systems and cultural eras under the umbrella name "Christmas." From Roman festivities to peculiar legacies like the giant straw yule goat of Gavle, Sweden (pictured), a European Christmas is actually a rich and varied mish-mash of festivities. Here's a gallery of our favorites.
By Lena Katz
Hellbrunn, AustriaWant to get major goosebumps? Wander the courtyard of Salzburg's Hellbrunn Palace - former hunting retreat of the Austrian archbishops - through 400 brilliantly decorated Christmas trees, while choristers sing "Silent Night" right in the spot it was originally written and performed. Look up, and you'll see an entire Advent Calendar illuminated in 24 palace windows.
Photo Credit: Adventgr
Schloss Halbturn, AustriaFancifully illuminated Halbturn Palace in Austria's idyllic Burgenland hosts a Pannonian Christmas market chock-full of country cheer. The Pannonian regional identity predates Christianity by just a few years, and encompasses Eastern Austria, Western Hungary and bits of several Balkan states including Croatia. Originally it was a Roman province - today, it's mainly a culinary heritage. A Pannonian Christmas means mulled wine, roasted chestnuts from a farm a stone's throw away, fresh-baked bread and amazing cheese, mulled "Punsch" and wonderful wines with vineyard legacies a thousand years old.
Photo Credit: SchlossHalbturn.com
Erfurt, GermanyChristmas markets originated in Germany, and no other country can compare with the quantity or artistry of traditional markets that crop up everywhere from major cities to rustic villages. First-time American visitors are usually pointed to well known destinations like Dresden and Leipzig, but even non-touristy towns like Erfurt (pictured) in central Germany razzle-dazzle like Disneyland in December.
Photo Credit: German National Tourist Office
Ludwigsburg, GermanyFrom a 1st century Roman occupation to a dark World War II history, Ludwigsburg, Germany has seen its share of human struggle. However, light and Christmas cheer prevail this season, when citizens spin a glittering fairyland web around the magnificent Baroque palace at the center of town.
Photo Credit: German National Tourist Office
Rovaniemi, FinlandGermans and Austrians may have influenced most of Scandinavia, but people in northern Finland have their own claim to fame. The town of Rovaniemi, gateway to the Arctic Circle, is also the Official Hometown of Santa Claus. It's officially registered in the EU, based on a longstanding claim that Santa Claus originally hailed from the Ear Mountain in Lapland. Because the mountain is far too remote for most humans to reach, Santa's many Finnish friends built Santa Claus Village right outside Rovaniemi in the 1980s - right where Eleanor Roosevelt met with "Santa" some 30 years earlier.
Photo Credit: VisitRovaniemi.fi
Rovaniemi, FinlandIn addition to the Santa Claus Main Post Office and Santa's secret hideaway, the Village offers husky sleigh rides, handicraft workshops and snow scooter safaris. Guests can also visit a reindeer farm or an ice gallery. Santa's Village is open 365 days a year, but December is when it sees the most guests - primarily from the UK and Europe, but also from as far as Japan and China.
Photo Credit: VisitRovaniemi.fi
Cumbria, EnglandElements of Victorian Christmas have found their way into most corners of the world by now - carolers, sugar cookies, Dickens stories and the saying "Merry Christmas" are just a few of Olde England's bequests to modern day. Traditional Victorian Christmas festivities take place all over England, and historic sites like Muncaster Castle in Cumbria (pictured) go all-out with decorations, illuminations and revelry.
Caerleon, Southern WalesLong before Victorian times, when Christianity was in its infancy and the British Isles still populated by Roman overlords and Celtic Britons, the Roman festival of Saturnalia was the major mid-winter holiday. Some Saturnalia traditions are still kept alive around the UK - and one of the biggest Saturnalia celebrations is held in Caerleon, Southern Wales, at the National Roman Legion Museum. Mock gladiator fights, Viking musicians and ancient dances like the "Grizzly Bear" lend a pagan touch to the enduring crossover traditions like wreath-making.
Kiev, UkraineIn the Ukraine, Christmas is celebrated on January 7 in accordance with the Julian calendar used by the Orthodox church. Christmas Eve, observed on January 6, is dedicated to ancestor remembrance, similar to Mexico's Dia de Los Muertos - although the Ukrainians have a 12-course indoor feast (themed after the 12 apostles) instead of trooping out to the local cemeteries. Pictured, a candle in a Kiev home, placed to illuminate the way for any weary travelers passing by.
Photo Credit: Flicr/sharm_el
