(CNN) --
Anywhere can put up a few lights and call it a holiday celebration, but travelers who really like Christmas want more.
Many places have plans to return to a livelier season after two years of festivities reduced or canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic.
From Finland to Mexico, these 15 destinations around the world traditionally offer the best festive atmosphere for a Christmas vacation:
Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland: Santa Claus meets children at his office near Rovaniemi.
Located in Lapland, Rovaniemi's Santa Claus Village amusement park is a snowy paradise of reindeer rides, ice castles, snowmobiles and igloo hotels where Christmas reigns 365 days a year.
Credit: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images
Although popular tradition would have us believe that the North Pole is the official home of Santa Claus and his merry lady, the Finns tell us otherwise.
For them, Rovaniemi is the headquarters of Christmas, located just north of the Arctic Circle, in Lapland.
Here children make gingerbread cookies with Mrs. Claus, enroll in Elf School or take calligraphy classes and compose their Christmas wish lists with a traditional fountain pen.
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You can also visit Ranua Wildlife Park, home to baby polar bears, wolverines, and moose.
The Arktikum is a scientific center where the mystery of the northern lights is revealed.
A green spectacle: the Northern Lights landscape in Finland
Those looking for a truly icy experience can stay at the Arctic Snow Hotel, made entirely of snow and ice, but equipped with saunas and jacuzzis in which they can warm up a bit.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
A Christmas Eve vigil at the Central Moravian Church.
Credit: H. Mark Weidman Photography/Alamy Stock Photo
Close to Philadelphia and New York, Bethlehem offers a Christmas getaway to a smaller city.
Founded in 1700 by Moravian settlers, Bethlehem is rightly proud of its Live Advent Calendar, which can be enjoyed from 5:30 p.m. December 1-23.
This is a free, family-friendly event where a town crier rings a bell along Main Street to call visitors to Goundie House (the oldest house on Main Street).
A child in the audience is invited to knock three times, and then a local business comes up with a surprise for everyone.
"Christmas Town" also features new decorations, including a giant LED star, life-size toy soldiers, and thousands of lights strung throughout.
Bath, England
The Christmas Market lights up at night behind Bath Abbey.
Credit: Allan Baxter/Stockbyte Unreleased/Getty Images
This historic town in south west England celebrates both the birth of Jesus and Jane Austen with much fanfare.
The Jane Austen Centre, with its Regency Tea Room, is the best place to meet the city's most famous resident.
The Theater Royal, mentioned by Austen in "Northanger Abbey" and "Persuasion", has a varied program of Christmas plays, musicals, opera and concerts.
The Bath Christmas Market features a multitude of wooden chalets selling quintessentially British crafts in a picturesque Georgian setting.
Located between the imposing Bath Abbey and the venerable Roman Baths, the market offers a festive way to discover the character of this historic city.
"Bath on Ice" is a good excuse to bundle up and put on your skates.
San Fernando, Philippines
Home to the Giant Lantern Festival, the city is a visual paradise at Christmas, like this walkway peeking out at the festive, illuminated decorations.
Credit: Vejay Villafranca/Bloomberg/Getty Images
If Asia had to have a Christmas capital, San Fernando, in the very Catholic Philippines, would be a top contender.
The city, northwest of Manila, is famous for its Giant Lantern Festival, which begins on December 17 and ends on January 1.
The San Fernando lantern tradition dates back to the end of the 18th century.
The highlight of the visit is the parol, a colorful electric Christmas lantern that symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem.
The paroles are reminiscent of psychedelic kaleidoscopes, brilliant stained glass windows, prismatic pinwheels or large snowflakes.
Barcelona, Spain
Whoever manages to extend their holidays until the twelfth day of Christmas, also known as Three Kings Day or Epiphany, will be able to meet Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar in Barcelona.
On the night of January 5, the kings (also known as the "Wise Men") arrive at the city's port on their own ship, the Santa Eulalia.
Artists dressed as the Three Wise Men - Melchor, Caspar and Baltasar - arrive aboard a boat at Bogatell beach in Barcelona on January 5, 2021, during Epiphany celebrations.
Credit: Pau Barrena/AFP/Getty Images
Cannons are fired, fireworks are launched, and when the mayor hands them the keys to the city, the magic of the Three Kings officially begins.
The kings parade through the streets in a magnificent parade of floats that includes camels, elephants, giraffes and dazzling costumes.
New York
New York is brimming with Christmas traditions.
One of the favorites for tourists and residents alike is ice skating at the Rockefeller Plaza rink.
Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images
Rockefeller Center is the heart of New York Christmas.
Its famous ice rink has existed since 1936;
The decorated tree has been a Christmas tradition since 1931.
In nearby Radio City, the Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes, is held every year.
At the southwest corner of Central Park, Columbus Circle plays host to more than 100 vendors selling clothing, gifts, snacks, and drinks at the Holiday Market.
Big fashion brands join the party with elaborate holiday displays at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's flagship store in Herald Square and other department stores.
The famous "Tiny Doll House" store in New York changes to Christmas decoration
Nairobi, Kenya
The magic of Christmas is in the festive chaos of the Kenyan capital.
Visitors will find loud Christmas carols in different languages in various shops, on public transport and in the long lines of restaurants and supermarkets.
A visit to a friend's house or to a popular restaurant can mean a plate heaped with chapati (flatbread), a spicy rice known as pilau, and grilled meat known as
nyama choma
, in Swahili, to name a few.
A group of Kenyan acrobats entertain people on Christmas Day.
Most offices in this Christian-majority nation close days before Christmas and reopen after the New Year.
Kenyans take a collective break to enjoy long conversations and buffets heaped with traditional dishes.
Credit: Boniface Muthoni/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Visitors can burn off the calories with an excursion to the picturesque Karura Forest Reserve, an outdoor enthusiast's paradise made famous by Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai.
The iconic Nairobi National Park offers safari options for visitors to see rhinos, lions, giraffes and other animals against the backdrop of the sprawling city.
For holiday gifts, bustling open-air markets like the Maasai Market offer authentic African paintings, jewelry, clothing and unique Kenyan fabrics.
Nuremberg, Germany
The second largest city in Bavaria, the Nuremberg Christmas market crafts and treats are a big draw.
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The Nuremberg Christmas Market
(Nurnberger Christkindlesmarkt)
is a German institution, traditionally attracting more than 2 million visitors each year.
It has a lot of history behind it: the first known written mention dates from 1628.
In "the little town of wood and cloth", visitors can find traditional Christmas decorations, often handmade, wooden toys and all kinds of food and drink on the market stalls.
Adults can sample Nuremberg gingerbread and mugs of mulled wine.
And for families with children, there is the Toy Museum.
Bogota Colombia
A woman dressed as Santa Claus sits next to a Christmas tree and a Christmas star in Bogota's Plaza de Bolivar.
Credit: Fernando Vergara/AP
The high-altitude Colombian capital lights up each year with a riot of Christmas lights.
In Bogotá, there is a tradition of the "Christmas Route".
The celebrants tour the most popular places in the city to contemplate a dazzling spectacle.
Click here to see some of the best spots, like Monserrate, a high mountain overlooking the city.
The capital is famous for its lights, including this tunnel-like installation in Usaquén Park.
Credit: Devasahayam Chandra Dhas/iStock Unreleased/Getty Images
The Day of the Little Candles is celebrated on December 7, the eve of the Immaculate Conception.
It officially marks the beginning of Christmas in Colombia.
People light small candles and paper lanterns and place them on windowsills and balconies.
Here Christmas is sweet.
Custard is a dish that resembles a flan or pudding and is eaten alongside other festive dishes such as buñuelos (fried dumplings served hot).
Traveling to Bogotá at Christmas has one advantage: it is the beginning of the dry season.
malt
Although December is not high season, this very Catholic Mediterranean island has a festive and spiritual atmosphere at Christmas.
The Mediterranean island turns to Christmas.
This Christmas nativity scene was installed in the streets of Valletta, the capital.
Credit: Patryk_Kosmider/iStock Editorial/Getty Images
Visiting the presepju, or nativity scenes, is an integral part of Christmas here.
Each year, residents proudly open their shutters, and sometimes even their garage doors, to display their nativity scenes to the public.
A lively Christmas spirit is in the center of Valletta, with carolers being sung outside the baroque St. John's Co-Cathedral during Advent.
See a dizzying display of Christmas lights on Republic Street.
A visit to the privately owned Malta Toy Museum, with dolls, soldiers, trains and tin figurines dating back to the 1790s, is a moving tribute to childhood.
Quebec City, Canada
The elegant streets of Quebec's historic Petit Champlain neighborhood make for a sublime winter stroll.
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A paradise for lovers of outdoor activities and respectful of the environment, Quebec is full of life during the boreal winter and offers Christmas programs for all tastes.
Old Quebec becomes a quaint Christmas town.
Sausage and roast chestnut lovers can browse the German Christmas market.
The most religious can stroll through an exhibition of births from around the world.
The nearby "Sentier des Caps de Charlevoix" allows hiking, snow walking and skiing with the family.
Speed lovers can go snowmobiling at Nord Expe.
Can't go at Christmas?
There is still the Quebec Winter Carnival, from February 3 to 12, 2023.
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
This popular artists' haven is a great place to celebrate Christmas with the generally mild, autumnal weather.
Credit: Megapress/Alamy Stock Photo
Piñatas, posadas and punches sum up the festivities in this colorful city in the center of inland Mexico, where Christmas is both solemn and festive.
On the eve of December 24, visitors are likely to see María and José strolling the streets, while locals make pilgrimages from house to house, chanting for "posada" as they reenact the journey to Bethlehem.
Travel to San Miguel de Allende: here are some of its tourist must-sees
Piñatas and punch put the finishing touches on a long night of pilgrimage through this cobbled city, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco for its wealth of grand churches, well-preserved architecture, and grandiose plinths.
Salzburg and Oberndorf, Austria
The Christmas Market and the festivities in Salzburg really are for singing.
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Birthplace of Mozart and filming location for "The Sound of Music," Salzburg has it all: snow-capped mountains, Baroque architecture, and traditional Christmas markets.
It is even the cradle of "Silent Night".
The popular anthem was first performed in nearby Oberndorf bei Salzburg on Christmas Eve 1818.
The city also plays host to an unusual Christmas tradition.
Throughout Austria and Bavaria (in neighboring Germany), people dress up as a terrifying alpine beast known as Krampus and roam the streets looking for mischievous children in need of punishment.
The Krampus races in Salzburg are held on various dates in December.
Release the Krampus!
A man dressed as Krampus, the companion of Santa Claus and one of Austria's most unique Advent traditions, makes his way during a traditional procession.
Credit: Kerstin Joensson/AP
Strasbourg, France
Enjoy a Christmas that is both French and German in this border city that feels the influences of both cultures.
Dating back to 1570, Strasbourg claims to be the oldest Christmas market in France and one of the oldest in Europe.
Why choose between a German-flavored Christmas and a French-flavored Christmas when you can have both in Strasbourg?
Credit: Jon Hicks/The Image Bank Unreleased/Getty Images
Strasbourg's themed Christmas villages transform the city into a visual and gastronomic paradise.
Hundreds of stalls are spread over numerous routes.
Fill your memory with memories with the 30-meter-high Christmas tree that is moved to the central square of Kléber every year and decorated with decorations and lights.
In addition to the traditional market, the alternative Christmas fair OFF is held, with live music and an urban art tour.
Queenstown, New Zealand
A paraglider takes to the skies over New Zealand, where the outdoors and Christmas go hand in hand.
Credit: damianalmua/Adobe Stock
The traditional Christmas colors of red, green and white take on a whole new meaning in New Zealand.
Here, red represents the pōhutukawa (the New Zealand ruby-flowered Christmas tree).
White represents pristine sandy beaches.
And the green?
The kiwi, of course.
Sun worshipers wanting to tag along with Santa in their surf shorts shouldn't miss Queenstown, where warm summer temperatures allow for jet boating, river surfing or paragliding on Lake Wakatipu.
Summer begins here and people celebrate Christmas with outdoor activities, such as surfing in the river.
Credit: Lisa Wiltse/Corbis Sport/Getty Images
You can also camp on the shores of the lake and enjoy a hearty Christmas meal of barbecued lamb, seafood and chicken.
-- Forrest Brown, Roseann Lake, Laura Ma, Faith Karimi, Maureen O'Hare and Al Gerard de la Cruz contributed reporting.
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