Yes spent the whole of Christmas 3 years back in Lapland - snow was waist height in places! Never have I been in such a wonderful place at Christmas. The scenery is just like on the christmas cards and more.

It was also so laid back - eg on christmas eve - we are rushing about doing "last minute" things - in Rovannemmi it was all relaxed and people were just ambling along at their own pace.

Now our Christmas here is always in comparison with our Lapland hol! No comparison!

we have spent xmas 2005 and 2006 in turkey, had a great time but my mother does live there so i suppose circumstances are different for us

the most magical xmas i spent abroad was 20 years ago in bethlehem, that was a xmas to remember being right in the heart of what xmas is supposed to be about

my little daughter is going to lapland on 16th and shes well excited

I think Christmas in a country such as Spain would be lovely as I'll like to bet that there is more of a celebration there. We were in Barcelona one Easter and they certainly celebrated. We've also spent an Easter in Rio and it was just magical- from big parades and gatherings on the beach to folks coming out of the flavelas to worship in their local church.
However, I would have a major guilt trip if we went elsewhere for xmas. My parents would really miss us. We actually had a chance of flights on the 23rd but put it off till the 26th.

We go abroad for Christmas every year, unfortunately abroad to us is the UK so we will be spending the Christmas holidays once again in Sussex with my 90yr old mother-in-law. We would love to spend Christmas here in Germany where everything is much more low key, the big celebration is on Christmas Eve and everything closes up at mid-day, presents are given out in the evening and the main Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve. We aren't looking forward to Heathrow and the M25 but MIL would be so disappointed if we didn't visit and who knows how many more years we will be able to visit her.

Not Christmas but New Year abroad for the first time was to Fuerteventura - and it was quite chilly (which I never expected), but we had a great time. Second time (new year again) was to Tenerife and that year was the Tsunami - which may have had a knock on effect and that wasn't too warm either, new year was a wash out. Last year we went to Cyprus (Paphos), best new year we ever had (two celebrations really due to the time difference). Hotel had one fantastic gala night. Weather quite chilly again, but now we are used to it. So we are back to Cyprus this year (boxing day), different hotel but same chain so we'll have another gala evening, can't wait.

Hi Fiona,

Re Christmas in Spain you can actually have your cake and eat it! The Spanish make as much of or even a bigger deal of Epiphany (Twelfth Night) on January 6th so you can have Christmas and New Year here and then jet off and start all over again! Santa Claus doesn't deliver the presents in Spain, he delegates that task to the Three Kings, in commemoration of the Magi or Three Wise Men, who do it on the night of the 5th January. And unlike Christmas which tends to be mainly a family affair at home with just Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve being the only 'public' activity, the Feast of Los Tres Reys is often celebrated as a big public fiesta with a parade of the 'Kings' and dancing and feasting in the streets etc.

Or alternatively, you could always celebrate Christmas twice over by going after our New Year to a country where most people belong to one of the Orthodox Churches (eg Greece or Russia) because the orthodox Churches have kept to the old Julian calendar, so the '25th December' in the Orthodox Church calendar falls some 13 days later in what is already the 7th January for the rest of the secular world which shifted to the Gregorian calendar!

SM

Dawntra - which hotel in Paphos was it? As I was wondering about a new year in Cyprus and it would be useful to know the hotel definitely celebrated it!

Have spent the last three Christmas and new year periods in Tenerife and always enjoyed it. This year going to Sharm el Sheikh and really looking forward to that. We always book in January/February to go away the following Christmas and have regularly got decent prices.

Mehmeh, It was the Louis Imperial Beach. It was truly fantastic. Each room got a letter saying what table they were on (if there is a crowd of you obviously you can sit togehter). Got to the dinner, round tables for 8, and we met some lovely people. If I remember correctly it was a 7 course dinner. Entertainment after etc. Once we brought in the New Year in the dinng room, and after a few more drinks we ventured upstairs where there was a disco and celebrated another new year at 02:00. I would highly recommend it.

Dawntra - thanks, I'll have a look at that hotel.

We would love to go away for Christmas or New Year, there always seems to be a reason why we cant, it use to be no one to mind the dog. Now we have our 1st grandaughter who is only a few weeks old, so there is definetely no chance we are going anywhere, except probably baby sitting on New Years Eve...............

we went to santa ponsa last year, the weather wasnt very good first two days not much for the kids to do so we were in our hire care a lot, what they did enjoy was walkig over rocks and collecting shells we went into palma and right up into the hills things we dont do in the summer. Hotel we were about the only english people their and xmas dinner was xmas eve and not what i would eat for xmas i would like to go away again for xmas but somewhere hot.

A few years ago my sis took her kids to Florida for Christmas - the kids missed being at home opening pressies and proper Xmas dinner and for us at home it was horrible - just didn't feel like Christmas at all as we weren't altogether and I think my Mum was devastated.

Threatened her with broken limbs if she ever suggests doing it again!

I think the thought of it is great but the reality different - maybe if you don't have kids or family it's great?

India twice, Madeira, Sharm el Shiekh and had booked for Madeira again in 2005, but my wife found out she was pregnant so we had to cancel.

As our daughter is now 20 months we will enjoy Christmas in the UK for a few years, but once she's older we'll go away again. Calling parents whilst sat in the sunshine is great!

Xmas and New Year away each year...mostly Jamaica... just think of going for a xmas day swim at 8 a m , and the water as warm as bath water. Always a big spread at the hotels for new year eve celebrations. just the job

We flew out to Benidorm xmas day three years ago and I wish we hadnt. The children felt that they had not had xmas, mind you so did there dad and I

The year after we flew to the Canaries on BoXing Day and found that to be much better for all of us

A record 3.5M Brits are going abroad for xmas, but they want me to switch off my tv instead of putting it on stand-by!!

Global warming, yer having a laugh!!

CM......you should always switch it off - even if global warming doesnt worry you, the TV is a fire hazard on standby!!

Now CM you know I have that info from a very good close source

Happy Chrimbo

Oh ... don't worry my friend, all my appliances like the TV, etc, are switched off at night, and i do all my recycling, have all my house kitted out with energy saving lamps, etc .... but when the likes of air travel is so ridiculously cheap, will my small changes do the planet any good?

Hope you had a lovely Xmas too, speak soon