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The meaning of Christmas in Japan is rather profane; it is an adaptation of the most striking and commercial traditions from west. If you are visiting Tokyo during Christmas, you’ll find the city decorated with even more lights than usual, the streets will be adorned with Christmas trees and all kinds of adornments. You’ll also find a Christmas tree in most of the houses from the 14th of December, which is the day the trees are displayed for Japanese Santa: Hoteiosho to come. Although not exactly like his Western namesake, Hoteiosho also loves children. Japanese Santa is always alert with his magical eyes to reward children with gifts. Before New Year’s Eve, Japanese people perform a thorough housecleaning called, Susuharai, which means that they want to start the year, clean , with good luck and prosperity. However, although they have adapted some of the western traditions, on the 25th of December, they don’t have any kind of celebration, indeed, the 25th is not even a holiday. For some youngsters, Christmas Eve is usually just a day to go out for dinner with their couple. On the other side, New Year´s Eve, better known as O-misoka, is a big celebration in which Tokyo gets beautifully adorned, as these are the two most important days in their calendar. Tokyoites gather to celebrate New Year´s Eve with their families. They normally have a traditional dinner that includes the “toshi-koshi” noodles that represent the desire a long life. After dinner, they drink their first sake of the year, which is called “O-Toso”, they normally don’t drink champagne during this celebration. After dinner, as...
Mónica Boixeda
It is said that Chinese Empress Hsi-ling-shi began to develop the culture of the domestic silkworm some 4,700 years ago. Associated with silk production, China soon became synonymous with wealth, and merchants traveled all over Asia and to the Mediterranean coast under strict prohibition of disclosing the secret of the sericulture. This is how the Silk Road, a road of multiple branches that connected East and West during ancient times and medieval times, came about. Although it took more than 1000 years for the sericulture to develop and expand through Europe, the coveted secret was finally revealed during Justinian’s reign in what is now Istanbul, a city which had always been an important stop on the route, when two Persian monks brought the first silkworm eggs hidden in their bamboo canes to the limits of the western world. The truth is that for centuries dozens of other valuable products such as linen, precious metals, opium, spices, coral, amber, ivory, and glass, among many others, were conveyed along the route and that with them came a set of religious and philosophical ideas without whose influence it would be difficult to conceive of essential aspects of Western thought and spirituality. Thus, for example, the Silk Road not only spread Buddhism from India throughout Asia but it also brought important scientific knowledge in fields such as medicine and astronomy to Europe. The route took on a symbolic character that may still be alive today, as evidenced by the fact that the stretch from Istanbul to New Delhi across Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India remains one of...
Mónica Boixeda
Christmas always takes us back to childhood, to the beautiful family memories and a time of festive tranquillity that generally makes us forget about our problems, routine and stress. Almost always, we celebrate Christmas with our loved ones, so why not think about a beautiful place with slightly different customs to the ones we are used to? Here is a bit about what Dubrovnik has to offer if we decide to spend the holidays in this Croatian city that has been declared a World Heritage Site. Like many Croatian cities, Dubrovnik celebrates the arrival of Christmas with markets, that not only sell Christmas gifts but also allow you to see the different customs and traditions of Croatian popular culture. Dubrovnik carries out its Christmas Fair every year in one of the most important areas of the city, next to Sponza Palace, where the carols accompany it in its entertaining route. The fair is generally inaugurated on December 13th during the local celebration of St Lucia. This Renaissance-style palace is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the city and it fills up with life and colour during the Christmas holidays. The Christmas Fair is made up of two parts: The first part is dedicated exclusively to culinary wonders and local gastronomy. There you can find from the hrostule, which are delicious fried biscuits and very typical of the area, to caramelised almonds and the traditional kontonjata, which is a delicious combination of quince jelly with cheese, that you can accompany with a nice glass of mulled wine. The second part takes place in Luža Square, where there is beautiful craft...
Diana Rodríguez Pretel
Vienna is transformed by the arrival of Christmas. During the month of December, the city becomes a large market with stalls of all kinds that fill with magic the streets of the Austrian capital. On the 24th of December, Austrian children expect baby Jesus to bring them their favorite toys, not Santa. Christmas is a day to invoke the Spirit of Jesus, who is the one in charge of spreading happiness and prosperity. In the countless markets in Vienna, people normally buy nativity scenes figures, drink mulled wine, eat cookies, enjoy gingerbread and hear carols. Baby Jesus’ Market, right in front of the city hall, is the most famous. There you’ll have the chance to see the largest Christmas tree of the city, as well as a hundred of wooden stalls where Viennese buy candy, decorations and gifts. In addition to the stalls, many activities for children are often organized in the market including Christmas train rides, a pony ride and cooking workshops to learn how to make rich butter cookies, which, by the way, if you eat them often, you could become addictive. If you happen to be in the 7th district of Vienna, you should visit the Spittelberg Market, which is trendy and very bohemian; typically, there you’ll find crafts for charity. The Freyung market, which is the oldest in the city, hosts Christmas performances by Austrian bands and gospel choirs that create a very special atmosphere added to the smell of roasted chestnuts. Apart from visiting the markets, you should visit Vienna’s Opera and if you happen to be there on New Years Eve, you should...
The Only Team
Doesn’t everyone know how to ride a bike? It’s a comfortable, clean and cheap way to get around. During our creative meetings, we always thought about showing our team getting around by bike. We sincerely believe that there is no better way to visit and discover parts of cities that you would otherwise not get to enjoy. We started to look for companies that are devoted to renting bicycles and we found one that just happened to be located a few meters from our office. We told them our idea of making a video to show people the way we understand this type of travel and they kindly agreed since they felt similarly. The company that gave us bikes to use was Bike Rental Barcelona. We were able to ride along the sea on some very comfortable bikes. We hope you like the location we chose, because the truth is it is a lesser known beach inBarcelona. This is thebeach ofBadalona, which is known because of the factory of Anis del Mono. There is a bridge that juts out into the sea, from which you can have amazing views. Getting around by bike is healthy, fun and inexpensive. If you want to discover Barcelonaup close and personal, check out the bikes at Bike Rental Barcelona. They offer delivery service and mobile assistance to ensure that your travels are comfortable. They will pick you up or drop you off as well as help you out with any problems you may encounter. If you would like a tour guide, find out more about their guided trips. Miss Moci The only thing...
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