December 2008
Dec (annual)
Christmas Festival Race Meeting
Leopardstown Racecourse, Dublin, Ireland
Leopardstown’s most famous horse-race meeting.
Dec (annual)
Christmas markets
Germany
Over 2,500 Christmas markets in wonderful settings invite you to share in the joy of the pre-Christmas season.
Overview of markets
3 Dec (annual)
St Moritz Christmas Market
St Morits, Switzerland
If you haven't finished your Christmas shopping come the beginning of December, this is the place to go. Tree decorations, woodcraft, dolls and snacks -nothing you actually need- are hyperinflated and put on display for puchase.
Website
Dec (annual)
The Little Shepherdess
Civitavecchia, Italy
Traditional yuletide entertainment. Boys and girls wander the streets of the city, armed with guitars, flutes and penny…
4 Dec (annual)
Saint Barbara Day
Bulgaria
Every December, Bulgarian folk celebrate the day of Saint Barbara, the saint who protects children from different diseases (above all small-pox) and manages to fit animals.
6 Dec (annual)
St. Nikolaos Day
Agios Nikolaos, Greece
On 6 December every year, St Nikolaos Day is celebrated throughout Greece. This is a particularly auspicious occasion for the people
of Agios Nikolaos, as the saint is also the city’s patron.
8 Dec (annual)
Lesbo
Citadel Park (Kuipke-Gent), Ghent, Belgium
Now safely into its second decade, this annual lesbian celebration fills Ghent’s Citadel Park and spans music, cultural and political debates
and sporting contests.
8 Dec 2007 - 8 Dec 2008
Lourdes Jubilee Year
Lourdes, France
In 1858, in a cave in Lourdes, 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous was visited on a number of occasions by the blessed Virgin Mary.
13 Dec
Sankta Lucia Day
Sweden
If you're in Sweden in early December, don't forget to head to church and witness a parade of white-gowned young women with candle crowns. The singing is excellent, and the traditional saffron buns and ginger snaps aren't too bad either.
22 Dec (annual)
Drekkedagsnatta
Kongsberg, Norway
Every year on 22 December, the population of Kongsberg marches from the hills to the city to commemorate the mine-workers who used to celebrate Christmas on this day.
23 Dec
The Little Shepherdess
Civitavecchia, Italy
Boys and girls wander the streets of the city, armed with guitars, fl utes and penny whistles, singing Christmas carols in return for sweets and pocket money.
26 Dec
Christmas Festival Race Meeting
Leopardstown Racecourse, Dublin, Ireland
Leopardstown’s most famous horse-race meeting.
31 Dec
The Imperial Ball
Vienna, Austria
Immersed in pomp and ceremony, the imperial ball is hosted in the opulent halls of the city's Hofburg Palace and opens with a reception with the “Imperial Couple” and a changing of the guards ceremony. The evening continues in a similar style with a live orchestra, a gala banquet and dancing in the grand ball rooms. The event takes place in the state apartments of the ancient imperial winter residence.