Celebrate your Christmas holidays at captivating churches in Europe

Adding another aspect to your winter breaks

Some of you planning a winter break at European destinations can always add a trip to the churches in the major cities, with the international airports where you will be landing, in your itinerary. As for those traveling for this specific purpose will be looking to travel to cities with churches of the denominations that you follow. Although the churches are known to welcome everyone, you will know more about the services at some which are similar to the ones that you visit regularly. The main reasons for you to take such a long journey for this purpose could be pilgrimage and the wish to see the architecture of the churches at cities from where your ancestors came or the ones where it all started in terms of religion followed in your part of the world. Here we suggest some destinations where you will be able to join others for a religious vacation.

Vatican, the city within a city

This is the smallest nation on the planet but the center of the world for most Catholics around the world. The Christmas celebrations start here in the second week of December and last till early January. Yes, you can hear the Christmas message from the pope if you are willing to stand with a large crowd on Christmas afternoon. Though, the nativity scene and the Christmas tree with all of its decorations are on display as soon as the celebrations start. These are usually donated by different regions of Italy or by other Catholic nations in Europe. You can choose guided tours of the chapel, basilicas, and squares, which will require a ticket or you can travel around with the help of a map. If you hope to attend the Christmas mass, you will be required to have a ticket, which though free, needs to be requested for a few months in advance.

Come to Red Square in Moscow

You will have seen images of a church with differently colored domes every time you see or read a report about Moscow in popular media. It is the Saint Basil's Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox Church, in the Red Square of the city, popular with tourists not just from within Russia but with those coming from abroad too. Around the Christmas days, you will find a Christmas market here with Russian items along with miniatures of the church itself. As with all such markets, there will rides for the young ones along with ice rinks for skating enthusiasts. As for the church itself, it is as surprising on the inside as it is on the outside, with murals and doors that will transport you to the world of centuries ago. Though you should know that Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January by orthodox Christians.

A church not so ordinary in London

If you have seen the coronations of British royalty or their marriages announced on your national TV, you may be wondering what the name of the church is where these ceremonies are being performed. It is the Westminster Abbey, one of the major churches of the Church of England. The admission is free for everyone but if you need a guided tour of its history or explanations for what you are looking at there are paid guided tours on offer. The architecture itself is gothic and grand, centuries old and the insides are majestic. Here you will find paintings portraying the kings of England with monuments and parts to remind you of the days long gone.

Learn more about Ireland at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin

The Christmas celebrations are grand in this Catholic Christian nation and this cathedral is the focus of many of these, throughout December and continuing till the first week of January. Every important Christian date in these days like Advent is celebrated differently. You can expect to listen to carols and see popular plays here, some with free admission while others require you to possess a ticket. The building itself is a large structure with space for choirs and a chapel. If you come here on a date without any festivities, you will find that the Cathedral itself is surrounded by greenery, though having a picnic here is not recommended. You will find many monuments here with some statues of important personalities of the past and some archaeological findings.

The largest cathedral in the world at home

The Christians who established the new world took their religion with them and you will find churches, large and small in all nations in the Americas. If you don’t wish to fly as far as Europe, you can find celebrations of the same scale at Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City. Here every year the Christmas mass is celebrated at Christmas Eve, with programs starting late at night which continue past midnight as the Christmas day starts. There are carols and lessons earlier in the day too. You can even join some concerts that are organized some days before the Christmas day itself.

Conclusion

Most people find religion early in their life while others take it seriously in the later part of their life. If you have traveled around your country, you will have come across churches that the tour operators will take you to. This may make you wonder what doing the same will be like in Europe. Here we have recommended some destinations that are popular with religious tourists and one that is ideal for those who do not wish to travel too far for such experiences. Get the best travel deals on Christmas flight tickets with FlightsChannel.