Where to celebrate the holidays your way
Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Diwali… Whatever your reason to celebrate this holiday season, we’ve got a wonderful Vrbo for you
01
A Christmas right out of a storybook
York, England
Sleeps 6
One of Britain’s prettiest cities, York is especially lovely at Christmas, and its historic cobbled streets are the perfect place to shop for stocking stuffers and presents. The York Christmas Market runs down Parliament Street to St. Sampson’s Square, with chalet-shaped stalls selling handmade gifts, artisan Yorkshire food, and, of course, mulled wine. Just a few streets away, this brightly decorated townhouse has work from local artists on the walls, deep velvet sofas, and plenty of board games to play on chilly winter nights. And at Christmas, the halls are colorfully decked, with jewel-toned baubles on the tree and a pom-pom wreath on the yellow front door.
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02
An Indian celebration in the Lone Star State
San Antonio, TX
Sleeps 17
Diwali’s popularity on the fall/winter holiday lineup in the U.S. is growing. In 2022, the White House held its biggest ever Diwali celebrations, and last year, Pennsylvania passed a bill making the Hindu festival of lights an official state holiday, while NYC public schools will also have the day off. In Texas, San Antonio has celebrated its sister-city relationship with Chennai in India with a popular Diwali festival each year since 2009. Held at Hemisfair Park, it stars Indian dance, food, and a lighting of candles that float alongside the River Walk. Gather all the family for the festivities and base yourselves at this beautifully decorated townhouse and loft in the happening Pearl District.
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03
Seeking Santa Claus
Lapland, Finland
Sleeps 10
You don’t need to head all the way to the North Pole to find Father Christmas. The city of Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland has claimed him as their own, with its own Santa Claus Village complete with husky-drawn sleigh rides and a post office for present requests. A snow-blanketed 150 miles northwest from there, deep in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, this contemporary cabin with huge windows is a magical spot to keep watch for the big bearded one. There’s a reindeer farm nearby, and not one, but two saunas back at the house to warm up in. And even if you don’t spot Rudolph dashing through the vast sky above, you might see the northern lights dancing instead.
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04
Alpine highs much closer to home
Leavenworth, WA
Sleeps 12
In the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, Leavenworth is about as close as you can get to a snowglobe-like Alpine village without leaving U.S. soil. Styled to look like a Bavarian town, it turns into a festive wonderland in the run-up to Christmas, dressed in more than half a million twinkling lights. This chalet-style home looks traditional on the outside but is refreshingly un-twee inside, with chic neutral decor and a huge open-plan kitchen/living space to hang out in together. Just a short stroll to downtown, amp up the festive spirit at the Nutcracker Museum, or head out to the nearby Leavenworth Reindeer Farm to meet Santa and his herd.
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3 great days in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
05
A historic Hanukkah in Italy
Rome, Italy
Sleeps 11
The Italian capital might be the heart of the Catholic Church, but it also has one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe, dating back at least as far as the 2nd century B.C.E. By 1555, however, Pope Paul IV had confined its residents to a walled ghetto near the Tiber. Today, this old Jewish quarter, centered around Via del Portico d’Ottavia, is filled with kosher bakeries and overlooked by the square dome of Rome’s Great Synagogue. Come during Hanukkah and stay in this grand frescoed apartment to taste unique Roman-Jewish treats, including carciofi alla giudia (fried artichoke hearts), at Ba’Ghetto around the corner.
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06
Festivals and fireworks for Diwali in London
London, England
Sleeps 10
With a large South Asian population, London goes large on its annual Diwali celebrations. There are parties and fireworks across the city, but the most spectacular are at Trafalgar Square, which hosts a free, family-friendly festival (October 27 in 2024) with dancers, street food, and various workshops, from yoga to sari tying. Notting Hill, a quintessential London neighborhood with colorfully painted houses, is a short Tube ride away. Bed down at this townhouse with its own roof terrace, perfect for stargazing or firework-watching. For a local Indian feast, book a table at Empire Empire, a restaurant on All Saints Road dishing up butter chicken and lamb shank biryani with a side of ’70s Indian disco music.
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07
First feast festivities
Plymouth, MA
Sleeps 6
As the site of the colony founded by the Mayflower Pilgrims in 1620, Plymouth wears its place as “America’s hometown” proudly. At Thanksgiving, that means celebrating that first harvest feast of the fall of 1621 with a parade charting the American history that followed. Starting at Plymouth Rock, the floats represent key events from the 17th century to the present day, with bands and historical re-enactors marching alongside. This classic clapboard home is within walking distance to the waterfront, restaurants, and historic sites of downtown. Inside, the house has been sensitively updated, with a sunshine-yellow kitchen for whipping up your own Thanksgiving feast.
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08
Solstice celebrations with soul
Vancouver, Canada
Sleeps 5
Before Christmas and Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Diwali, the solstice was the original winter festival, looked upon by many communities as the beginning of the return of the light at the year’s darkest point. Today, it’s still marked around the world in different ways, from the Soyal ceremony of the Hopi peoples in northern Arizona, to pagan gatherings at England’s Stonehenge. In Vancouver, the solstice’s significance to many cultures is honored with the Winter Solstice Lantern Festival (December 9–21). There are lantern-making workshops, glowing processions, a candle labyrinth, and fire performances. Join the celebration from this stylish laneway house in family-friendly North Vancouver.
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Fiona Kerr is a food-loving travel journalist and former features director at Condé Nast Traveller. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Telegraph, Elle Decoration and the The New York Times. When she gets to a new country, her first stop is usually the local supermarket.
