It’s December. For most of us, this month is automatically associated with the Advent season and Christmas. In Europe, where Christmas tends to be a Christian tradition, that’s no surprise. We begin to see the first gingerbread in supermarket shelves in autumn, and even the last shop window is decorated by the end of November at the latest. Even in countries that aren’t Christian, Christmas is still a big deal. We looked at where and how Christmas is celebrated around the world, as well as which festivals and holidays are important in other countries. Join us on a slightly different trip around the world.

Other countries, different celebrations

Public holidays and festivities depend on the culture of the country. Often religion plays a big role, though not only. Over the years, other events or folk festivals have become permanent holidays, drawing not only locals but tourists as well. For example, Thailand hosts the largest vegan food festival in the world! This is a special experience, not only if you’re vegan and sustainable.

Celebrating in Thailand

Let’s stay in Thailand for a moment. Thailand offers countless festivities and holidays. Not only the celebrations of their Buddhist culture have a high value, but the Thais are looking only for occasions to celebrate. Christmas, Halloween, or Thanksgiving are celebrated enthusiastically and with lots of pompous decoration.

“Traditional” holidays can be roughly divided into religious ones and those associated with the royal family. For instance, on December 5, the king’s birthday is commemorated as a state holiday and many events are held. China’s influence can also be seen in the holidays: Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in the country.

Christmas in Thailand

At temperatures above 30 °C, Christmas spirit is hard to come by, unless you go to one of the much air-conditioned shopping malls, in which you will quickly start to freeze without a sweater. However, Thais don’t let midsummer temperatures get them down. They make up for the lack of cold with overloaded, kitsch Christmas decorations. Glittery baubles, garlands and unsustainable artificial snow can be found everywhere. Restaurant and café employees wear Christmas hats, and Christmas music plays from almost every available loudspeaker. In Bangkok, at least, the commercialized Christmas world is overwhelming us.

To escape it all, you can choose a sustainable hotel away from the crowded tourist cities. Instead of the Christmas stress and kitsch, typical Thai bungalows and lots of nature and peace await you at Zeavola, interrupted only by the sounds of birds.

Real Thai holidays: Songkran und Loi Krathong

Songkran takes place around mid-April, the hottest time of the year. It is the most important and also the most famous festival in the country. So if you are traveling in Thailand in April, don’t miss it! However, you should be waterproof. There is water splashing everywhere, which is a welcome cooling with the prevailing temperatures 😉

Songkran has its roots in religion, but today the fun and celebrating together comes first.

Sustainable travel tips for the Songkran festival

• Try to travel anti-cyclically. As many locals visit family for the Songkran festival, bus, and train tickets from Bangkok to the inland areas sell out quickly and transport is correspondingly full. By the end of the festival, it’s the other way around.
• Hotel tip: Keemala
  Keemala is located on the popular island of Phuket, so you’ll be quickly in the middle of the action of the ‘water festival.’ However, instead of sleeping wet and exhausted in the evening at a noisy hotel located somewhere in the center of the festival, return to a villa wonderland. Various, luxurious villas from tree houses to mud lodgings offer peace and quiet. Keemala is also the ideal retreat if you want to completely escape the chaos surrounding the Songkran festival.

Luck and Wealth

In mid-November, Thailand hosts another important festival. Loi Krathong celebrates the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month. People put small boats made of palm leaves into streams, rivers, and lakes. Inside them are often candles, incense sticks or even coins. The exact origins of this tradition have been lost in the depths of history. Today, floating the small palm leaf boats is said to bring luck and wealth above all.

Maldives and Islamic festivals

Christmas is not celebrated in the Maldives either. For tourists, the resorts host Christmas dinners on the beach or have Santa bring gifts on a jet ski.

The festivities of the locals are not noticed by travelers, since they are mainly celebrated in the family circle or in the mosques. The Islamic New Year in particular has a high significance.

While religious festivals are held off the tourist trails, you will definitely notice many state festivals and especially the national holiday, the Huravee Festival on February 15, when you visit the main island of Malé. The Huravee Festival commemorates the national hero Sultan Ghaazee Muhammad Thakkurufaan, who liberated the Maldives from 15 years of Portuguese rule.

Sustainable Travel in the Maldives at Gili Lankanfushi

If you ever want to experience the Horavee festival or celebrate Christmas under palm trees, make sure to keep an eye on your ecological footprint. The Maldives islands are a fragile ecosystem and as tourists we have a responsibility to reflect on our actions and reduce the negative impact of our stay. For example, one way is to book a sustainable hotel like the Gili Lankanfushi. This is committed to the environment and the locals. It pays attention to waste avoidance and recycling, and its coral reforestation project can even be supported and maintained by guests. Who needs christmas trees when you can help baby corals grow?

A Creolian Christmas in Seychelles

The people of the islands are Christian in large parts, so that Christmas is a big part of their lives. It is traditional to slaughter a pig on the morning of December 24, which is then served on the table during the holidays. In addition, there are different curries, salads and of course typical desserts such as cassava pudding or Creole cake with papaya jam. The Christmas gift-giving takes place on the morning of December 25.

Colourful festive tradition

In addition to the Christian holidays, the annual Carnival and Festival Kreol attracts locals and tourists alike. The colorful International Creole Parade invites people to celebrate and dance. By the way, it celebrates diversity, international understanding and somehow also simply the joy of life. Simultaneously, the Creole culture is not only cultivated, but also raised in the (international) consciousness. Accompanying the parade are not only parties, but also symposiums, readings, exhibitions and congresses, which provide insight into the culture and roots of the Seychelles.

Calm Getaway for the Carnival International

Carnival on the Seychelles can definitely compete with the big carnival events in Rio de Janeiro or London. If you do not want to miss it, but still do not want to stay in the center of it all, we suggest Cerf Island Resort. You stay in houses inspired by typical Creole architecture, enjoy authentic, sustainable cuisine, and after the excitement of Carnival, you can really wind down and enjoy nature.

Also at Christmas, Cerf Island Resort offers you a relaxing oasis with the right amount of Christmas spirit under palm trees.

Divers Indonesia

As diverse as the islands of Indonesia are, so are their cultures and therefore the festivals that are celebrated. For your travel planning, the many holidays are certainly important to know because many Indonesians go on vacation in their country during this time, and it can get quite crowded. At the same time, you may find yourself in front of closed restaurants and stores in certain places because you didn’t consider a holiday.

Holidays on Bali

We could write a whole book about all the holidays in Indonesia. Instead, we’ll limit ourselves to the home of our partner, Puri Dajuma. Located in Bali, the sustainable hotel is an ideal base for exploring the island or even experiencing significant, Balinese celebrations like Independence Day on August 17. There are so many events, sports competitions and cultural events on this day that you definitely won’t manage to visit even a fraction of them. The day is celebrated all over Indonesia.

Typical Balinese celebrations are Galungan and Kuningan. On Galungan, the victory of good over evil is celebrated. Simultaneously, the ancestral spirits walk the earth during this time. Kuningan is the conclusion of the holidays, when the spirits return to their world.

A special event is the Balinese New Year, which is celebrated meanwhile also on other islands. The Hindu holiday is one of the most important festivals in the country. The special thing about it is that it is spent in complete silence. Instead of driving away the evil spirits with fireworks and firecrackers, as is the custom in Europe, for example, it is said here that the spirits consider the islands uninhabited if one is only hushed. The Balinese New Year or Day of Silence takes place at the end of March. Perhaps we in Europe should be inspired by it. After all, due to the fireworks on New Year’s Eve, particulate pollution on this day is higher than ever.

Celebrate festivities as they fall

The Christmas celebration has also found its way into other countries due to commercialization. So in December, you’ll be greeted by jingle bells, Christmas hats and fairy lights almost everywhere in the world. However, we find it much more interesting to immerse ourselves in the culture of our travel destination and to get to know and experience the respective traditions and festivals. After all, respect for the local culture is also part of sustainable travel and with our sincere interest in it, we can help ensure that this culture is neither forgotten nor commercialized. So be open to the festivals of your destination. And besides: we can have Christmas everywhere 😉

By the way, if you want to know how our Green Pearls® partners spend Christmas and the holidays in other countries, check out these two blog articles: Christmas around the World and Christmas around the World, Pt. 2.

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