Walking down the streets with your family, hands shivering,
wishing you had blubber like a polar bear to keep you warm – and suddenly your
eyes land on the breathtaking Christmas lights in front of you. You don’t feel
the icy winds, the constant chattering of teeth stops, and you just look ahead
and find yourself in a dreamland, where anything and everything is possible.

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As Santa is ‘ho-ho-ho-ing’ his way to spread some holiday
cheer, cities around the world have decked up to welcome Mr Claus.

Here are some cities that have left us gaping at their
Christmas light displays:

1.       Casino Square, Monte Carlo, Monaco

Every year, as the month of Christmas
begins, Casino Square in Monte Carlo, one of the most famous James Bond
locations and Monaco’s most popular square, is laden with beautiful lights. The
display marks the beginning of the holiday season. Traditional Christmas trees,
starflash bulbs and white wadding make it a Christmas wonderland.

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2.       Tivoli Gardens, Denmark

Fairy lights, fireworks, Christmas trees,
pathways adorned with extravagant lights, Christmas market—what more could we
ask for! Tivoli Gardens is the heartland of Christmas celebration.  A casual stroll in front of the Moorish Palace
by the Tivoli lake shimmering with the reflection of the gorgeous Christmas
lights is a memory that will be stuck in your heads forever. 

3.       Cathedral Square, Vilnius, Lithuania

Christmas tree lighting next to the Vilnius
Cathedral is a spectacular affair. Trees more than 88 feet tall with their
70,000 twinkling light bulbs are a sight to behold. The framework for the
Christmas tree changes every year – once it was a storybook tree with a hidden
fairy tale cottage, and once it was decorated with fairy lights that resembled
a wedding veil.

4.       Rockefeller Centre, New York City

If you desperately wait for the entire year
for Christmas to arrive, then Rockefeller Centre is the place to be.  The centre-of-attraction is the almost
70-foot-tall Christmas tree adorned with a whopping 45,000 sparkling Christmas
lights. On top of the tree sits a large Swarovski star with 25,000 crystals. A
garden of lights, with baubles and angels is a soulful sight.

5.       Floating Christmas Tree, Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil

Brazil is home to the world’s largest
floating Christmas tree, sitting in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. Decorated
with more than three million lights that change colour and pattern every
minute—this Christmas spectacle will steal your breath away.

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6.      
Christmas
Market, Dresden, Germany

Dresden is popular for having the largest
number of Christmas markets in eastern Germany. 
The market is brimming with Christmas vibes, especially the
illuminations. A 15-metre-high Christmas tree laden with glimmering lights
never fails to steal the spotlight.

7.       Vienna, Austria

Vienna is the place to be if you want to
drown yourself in Christmas joy. The city is filled with glistening roped
lights and giant chandeliers. A Christmas market, full of festive cheer,
dazzling lights hung throughout the market, and a glowing carousel, adds to the
beauty of City Hall.

This year, as you sit beside the Christmas tree with your
family tugging on the blankets under the halo of Christmas lights, we hope
these lights fill your soul with hope and happiness.