Christmas vacations: the best places around the world to go

Santa Claus sits in his chamber at the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, the provincial capital of Finnish Lapland and situated on the Arctic Circle.

1. Malta

Visiting presepju, or nativity scenes, is an integral part of Christmas in Malta. Every year, residents proudly open their shutters, and sometimes even their garage doors, to display their holy crib confections to the public.

On a grander scale, the Bethlehem f'Ghajnsielem is a life-size nativity spread over 20,0000 square meters of formerly abandoned fields.

Inhabited and animated by more than 150 actors, including entire families, the village takes visitors back in time to Judea of 2,000 years ago, complete with oil lamps, turn mills, grazing animals, crafts areas teaching traditional skills and folklore, a tavern and, of course, a grotto housing baby Jesus.

Downtown Valletta is also home to a lively Christmas spirit, with carolers singing outside the Baroque St. John's Co-Cathedral during Advent, and a dizzying display of Christmas lights on Republic Street.

The Manoel Theater is well known for its annual Christmas pantomime. (Old Theatre Street, Il-Belt Valletta, Malta; +356 2124 6389)

A visit to the privately owned Malta Toy Museum, featuring dolls, soldiers, train sets, and clockwork tin trinkets dating as far back as the 1790s, is a heartwarming homage to childhood. (222 Republic St, Valletta, Malta; +356 2125 1652)

Downtown Valletta, Malta, is filled with Christmas spirit. Visitors can check out carolers singing outside the Baroque St. John's Co-Cathedral during Advent and a dizzying display of Christmas lights on Republic Street. Click through the gallery for 14 more great Christmas vacation destinations

2. Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona's Copa Nadal is a 200-meter swimming competition across the harbor on Christmas Day.

Anyone who can manage to extend their Christmas holiday until Three King's Day (January 6 in 2019), can catch up with Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar in Barcelona.

On the evening of January 5, they arrive at the city's port on the Santa Eulalia -- their very own ship -- in bearded and velvet-robed splendor. Cannons are fired, fireworks are set off, and as the mayor hands them the keys to the city, the magic of the Magi officially commences.

They parade through the streets in a magnificent cavalcade of floats that includes camels, elephants, giraffes and dazzling costumes.

3. Salzburg and Oberndorf, Austria

Is this Christmas or Halloween in Salzburg? You'll have to go there to find out.

Birthplace of Mozart and filming location for "The Sound of Music," Salzburg is chocolate-box perfect. Think snow-capped mountains, Baroque architecture and traditional Christmas markets.

It's even the home of "Silent Night." The popular hymn was performed for the first time in nearby Oberndorf on Christmas Eve 1918.

The town also plays host to a more unusual Yuletide tradition. Across Austria and Bavaria, in December people dress up as terrifying Alpine beasts known as krampuses and rampage through the streets in search of naughty children in need of punishment.

The Krampus Runs in Salzburg are held on various dates in December.