Going away on a holiday for Christmas might seem controversial, but it will give you and your family a holiday season to remember. Whether you’re looking for a picturesque white Christmas or a beach vacation, a festive holiday can offer everything you want and more.
Some people love the idea of a Christmas spent in unknown lands, hiding from the festive mania of back home. For others, however, Christmas is a time for home and family and they can’t think of anything worse than being away over the holiday season.
Keep reading to find out why it’s worth going away. We’ve compiled the best reasons to do it and tips to help you keep Christmas magical – anywhere in the world.
Here’s why many consider going away on a holiday at Christmas and 6 reasons why you should do it:
1. You can escape the Christmas rush
The yuletide season is pretty stressful when you’re a parent. You have to buy the presents, organize the festive experiences, wrap the gifts and ‘keep things magical’. Most parents feel burned out by the time it’s over, thanks to the extra mental load at that time of year. Even the most organized parents find themselves drowning in tasks.
Getting away on a Christmas vacation can save you a lot of stress. You won’t need to purchase, cook or host Christmas dinner for your loved ones. Instead, you’ll have the perfect excuse for skipping your least favorite bits of the holidays. If you loathe driving around on Christmas Day to visit loved ones, a festive vacation could be just what you need.
2. You can follow the weather
If you are desperate for the kids to experience a white Christmas, a vacation could be the best way to achieve this. You can pick a cold destination with guaranteed snow for the holidays. Then, you can wrap up warm, drink hot chocolate and build a snowman on Christmas morning.
Or you can chase the sun, if you’re more of a sun bunny. If the holidays mean short days, dark skies and cold hands, you can hop on a plane to a warmer climate. On the other hand, if you love the idea of a barbeque on the beach on the day itself, a festive holiday to Australia could be just what you need.
3. You don’t have to miss out on Christmas back home
In many ways, going abroad allows you to experience the best of both worlds. You can have a relaxing, stress-free Christmas Day abroad and organize a belated family celebration with everyone else when you get home. Benefits of a belated bash include crowd-free supermarket shopping, buying presents in the sale and a distinct lack of pressure (it’s not really the big day, after all). You’ll spend less if you take advantage of the January sales.
Christmas is about spending time with loved ones and sharing a meal. It doesn’t have to happen on the 25th. Many families were forced to rethink holiday celebrations during the pandemic, so this is another opportunity to mix things up.
4. It can save you money
You might be able to bag a bargain with a festive getaway. Summer holidays are notoriously expensive these days, but demand is often less at this time of year, so you can get a holiday for a reasonable price. You can use this opportunity to see far-flung places you wouldn’t usually be able to afford to visit.
If there’s somewhere you’ve always wanted to go but haven’t been able to afford it, check out the prices for a Christmas vacation. You might be able to save money and make it possible. Your money will stretch further in December, so a week somewhere exotic might not cost as much as you think.
5. It will be a Christmas to remember
December is a time for nostalgia but that doesn’t mean you can’t make new memories. Why not break the mold and do something completely different these holidays, to give your kids a taste of something new? Your kids will always talk about the year you spent on the beach or knee-deep in the snow under the Northern lights or whatever else you decide to do. You can always stay home next year but, for this year, why not take your kids for the adventure of a lifetime?
6. You’ll be refreshed for the New Year
Life takes its toll and many of us start the New Year feeling burned out, depleted and needing a break. If you take a festive vacation, you’ll come back refreshed and ready for the next year. Whether you stay away for New Year’s celebrations or come home in time to welcome the new year, you’ll be rested and ready to take on whatever the new year has to throw at you.
Where is the best place to go away for Christmas?
The best place to go away for Christmas will depend on what you’re looking for. If you want guaranteed snow and to see reindeer in the wild, you’ll want to head to the Arctic Tundra. If you want a beach vacation, you’ll want to head to where the sun shines. Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Canary Islands are popular winter vacation destinations.
How to tell friends and family you’re going on a holiday for Christmas
You might feel awkward about announcing your holiday, especially if you usually host dinner for the whole family. However, it is important to announce it early to give people plenty of time to make alternative arrangements. The sooner you tell everyone, the better it will be.
If you want to, you can suggest a belated celebration to allow the entire family to celebrate together. If you’re booking a holiday to escape the festive family dramas, though, don’t feel you need to do this. Consider what makes this time of year special for you and find ways to include these things in your Christmas vacation.
Some people invite their in-laws and other family members to join them abroad, but there’s absolutely no pressure to do this unless you want to. It’s perfectly ok to want to spend time with just your immediate family, even during the holidays.
What to do when you’re away from home for Christmas?
If you’re going away, you might wonder how to keep the Christmas magic alive in unknown lands. Does Santa deliver presents to children who aren’t at home at Christmas? How can you explain the reduced number of gifts without ruining the magic? If your children still believe, you can write letters to Santa asking him to leave big presents at home for when you get back. Make sure you take stockings for your children to unwrap on the day.
Be sure to pack games so you can enjoy games as a family, just as you would at home. If you don’t have space in your suitcase for a board game, you can download fun games for your phone to fill that void. Christmas is about spending time with your friends and loved ones, and that’s easy to do abroad. You can make the day special by ensuring everyone gets to relax and have fun.
Should I still decorate the house if I’m away for Christmas?
It might still be worth decorating the house for Christmas, especially if you have young children who enjoy decorating the tree. Although you might not be there on the day to enjoy it, you’ll probably still be there during the run-up to the big day. So it’s worth opting for an artificial tree that will still look fabulous on your return home, rather than a natural tree that has shed all its needles!
If you’re planning to host a belated family celebration once you get home, you can leave the decorations up for that. Living in an undecorated home during December might feel strange for children who are used to twinkling fairy lights and a Christmas tree.
For more information on travel with kids, we recommend you review the following:
Around the world plus kids
To find out more about holidays with kids, you can read BellyBelly’s article:
