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WHERE TO SPEND YOUR 2026 CHRISTMAS VACATION/HOLIDAY FROM DIFFERENT VOICES

We asked a question; "Where's the best place to spend Christmas in 2026?" and we got six different voices. Read below.

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Colombia is my pick for Christmas 2026, mostly because of how long the season lasts. It opens with Dia de las Velitas, when whole streets line the curb with candles and paper lanterns. From there it runs for weeks. The novenas start on the 16th and go nightly until Christmas Eve, with neighbors gathering to sing villancicos and share a table.

I'd plan the trip around the food. Bunuelos and natilla show up on nearly every holiday table, and natilla varies a lot by region, in its sweetness and in how firm it's set. Try it in two different cities and you'll be tasting two different recipes. In Tolima the celebration dish is lechona, a whole pig stuffed with rice and peas and roasted for hours. Tamales and ajiaco fill in the rest depending on where you land.

Medellin makes an easy first stop, since the river lights go up early and the city is made for walking at night. After that, head to the coffee region or Tolima for smaller, more local celebrations. Book Christmas Eve dinner early, because families gather at home and some restaurants close.

- Jose Gaviria, AI Food Tech Specialist, Comi AI

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Singapore stands as the premier choice for Christmas 2026 by balancing high-tech infrastructure with world-class festive aesthetics. For those managing global digital experiences and distributed teams, the ability to remain seamlessly connected while immersing in the Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay is a massive operational advantage. The reliability of the city's digital ecosystem ensures a professional can handle a year-end support escalation from a quiet corner of a festive terrace without the connectivity lag that typically ruins a holiday. It represents the pinnacle of frictionless travel where technology facilitates, rather than hinders, the holiday experience.

Dubai offers a different but equally compelling experience centered on high-end hospitality and strategic positioning. The city excels at high-frictionless customer experience, where every interaction from the arrival terminal to the hotel suite is optimized for efficiency. During the holidays, the festive markets at Madinat Jumeirah provide a seasonal atmosphere in a climate ideal for travel photography and networking. For a professional traveler, Dubai serves as a strategic middle ground for managing operations across Europe and Asia during the busy holiday retail peak, permitting a morning of business oversight followed by an evening of cultural immersion.

London remains the gold standard for a traditional Christmas that does not compromise on professional connectivity. Walking through Covent Garden or the Southbank markets offers the essential human connection and empathy emphasized in high-stakes customer service. Having managed UK-based banking operations, I appreciate how the city transforms into a festive landmark while maintaining its status as a global hub. It is a place where you can enjoy deep cultural history while staying plugged into global financial and tech centers. The best Christmas destination for 2026 is one where the technology is invisible enough to let the holiday moments take center stage, yet robust enough to keep global business moving without interruption.

- Pratik Singh Raguwanshi, Manager, Digital Experience, CXrove

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I recommend visiting Istanbul in December. The summer crowds are gone, and the queues at Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, and the Basilica Cistern are short. During the Christmas season, the old churches and streets of Beyoglu take on a special, unique atmosphere.

For those who might want to add a few more days to their trip, there's Cappadocia: when it snows, the fairy chimneys and valleys transform into an entirely different, magical landscape.

And a special note regarding Christmas: Saint Nicholas—the inspiration behind the figure of Santa Claus—served as a bishop in ancient Myra, located in what is now the Demre district of Antalya. His church can still be visited today.

You can find free guides for all these destinations on Turkeyora.

Ozan Alatli, Founder, Turkeyora * 

Turkeyora

- OZAN ALATLI, Founder, Turkeyora

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I'm Runbo Li, Co-founder and CEO of Magic Hour, the AI video platform that's helped millions of creators produce professional content without a studio or a budget.

Christmas 2026 is going to reward travelers who chase experiences over aesthetics. The Instagram-perfect destinations are overcrowded and overpriced. The places worth flying to are the ones where you actually feel something different when you wake up on December 25th.

Start with Oaxaca, Mexico. I spent time there during the holiday season a few years back, and the Night of the Radishes festival on December 23rd is unlike anything you'll encounter anywhere else. Hand-carved radish sculptures, street food that ruins you for every taqueria back home, and a warmth from locals that no five-star resort can manufacture. Flights from the U.S. are short and affordable if you book by late summer.

For something completely different, Tromso, Norway. You're above the Arctic Circle, chasing the Northern Lights on Christmas Eve. The town is small enough that you feel like you know it after two days, and the contrast of polar darkness lit up by aurora borealis is the kind of thing that rewires your brain. It's cold, obviously. That's the point.

If you want warm water and zero crowds, look at Zanzibar. Most Americans don't think of East Africa for Christmas, which is exactly why it works. Stone Town is a UNESCO site with centuries of layered culture, the beaches are world-class, and December is peak dry season. You'll spend a fraction of what the Caribbean costs.

Closer to home, I'd say Santa Fe, New Mexico. The farolito walk on Christmas Eve, where Canyon Road is lined with thousands of paper lanterns, is one of the most beautiful things happening in the U.S. during the holidays. It's quiet, it's artistic, and the food scene has gotten genuinely excellent.

And for families, Tokyo in late December is magic. The illumination displays rival any European Christmas market, the food is obviously unmatched, and the energy of New Year's prep starting around December 28th gives you two holidays in one trip.

The best Christmas trips aren't about escaping your life. They're about jolting yourself into remembering how big the world actually is.

- Runbo Li, CEO, Magic Hour AI

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The best Christmas trips are in big cities that keep running through the holidays, so there is always something to do. I recently spent Christmas in Cape Town, South Africa, where December is peak summer, with beaches, late sunsets, and a festive feel across the city. Stellenbosch wine country and the hikes in Table Mountain National Park are a short trip away, and your dollar goes far, which makes it one of the best-value destinations I’ve visited. Book flights and hotels early, because the last two weeks of December sell out and prices jump. 

Bangkok, Thailand is another top pick: Christmas isn’t a public holiday there, so the night markets, malls, and rooftop NYE parties all keep going. Prices are reasonable, but December is high season in Thailand, so book ahead for NYE. Either city has enough going on to keep the whole family busy.

- Chris Joondeph, Travel Expert and Content Creator, Authentic Traveling

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Belgium. Most people give it one summer day in Bruges. December is when the country is most itself.

Start in Ghent. The Christmas market runs from 3 December to 3 January, and this year, for the first time, it stays open past New Year. But the city is the real reason. The sun sets around 16:40, so by five the guild houses on the Graslei are lit over the water and the quay is almost yours. The Van Eyck altarpiece in Sint-Baafs is the best reason to come in out of the cold. Book ahead, weekend and holiday tickets sell out. The Design Museum reopened in October after four years of work. Go up to the fourth floor for the view over the winter rooftops. Lunch in December means stoverij, beef stewed in brown beer, at Meme Gusta. After dark, walk to 't Dreupelkot on the Groentenmarkt and order a dreupel, a shot of jenever, the grain spirit Belgians drank long before the beer.

Brussels throws the bigger party. Winter Wonders runs from 27 November to 3 January, from the Grand-Place to the old fish market at Sainte-Catherine, and the town hall gets a light show every evening. Go on a weekday. Last year a single Saturday pulled close to 200,000 people. Eat smoutebollen, hot dough balls buried in powdered sugar. If you are brave, caricoles: sea snails in a peppery broth, served in a paper cup. Very Brussels.

Then leave the cities. The Ardennes are an hour and a half from Brussels, and in December they go quiet. Durbuy, a tiny stone town on the Ourthe, runs its Christmas market every day from 18 December. The monks of Maredsous hold theirs until 20 December, with a small ice rink next to the abbey. Up on the Hautes Fagnes, the highest ground in Belgium, you cross the peat bog on wooden boardwalks. Afterwards: game on the menu, a fire, and an N'Ice Chouffe, the winter beer brewed in Achouffe.

One thing outsiders miss: for us, the season starts on 6 December. Children wake up to Sinterklaas presents and speculoos, and in many families the tree only goes up after that. Christmas Eve is the big dinner, with croquettes on the side, and the 25th is quiet. The best time to come is the weeks in between, when the markets are open and Belgium is at home.

- Joris Desplenter, Founder, Belgium's Wanderlust

WEARABLE CHRISTMAS GIFT 2026

Brand name: Portraits de Famille

Brand description:

Portraits de Famille is an independent fashion brand bridging art and fashion through premium, limited-edition capsule collections created with distinct artists. Each garment transforms the artist's creative vision and personal narrative into a wearable piece of collectible art, blending contemporary minimalism with Mediterranean elegance.

Featured product:

The Tee Mucho Flow from the "EL MAR BLAU" capsule collection crafted in collaboration with artist Linus Lohoff. This premium heavyweight garment makes a distinctive gift for art and fashion enthusiasts who value meaningful design, quality craftsmanship and limited-edition pieces.

Price: €70

Product page

Contact:

Email: contact@portraitsdefamille.com

Website

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portraitsdefamillebrand/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/portraitsdegon/

Source: Gonçalo Teixeira, Founder, Portraits de Famille

THE BEST FEMALE CHRISTMAS GIFT IN 2026

The best gift for a female this Christmas ?

EWIGSC, an online label making synthetic wigs, hair toppers and clip-in extensions.

The piece: Beige Blonde Synthetic Lace Wig  8-Inch Classic Straight Bob 

Price: $214.00 USD

Why it works for a Christmas gift guide:

It photographs like real hair. A lace front and natural parting mean it reads as "salon blow-dry", not "costume"  which matters in print.

It's a one-step look. Party season is exactly when readers don't have time for a salon appointment; this is a five-minute style.

It's a considered gift, not a novelty. At $214 it sits in accessible-luxury territory, and it's genuinely useful to anyone dealing with thinning hair or hair loss over the holidays.

It has range. There's also shorter pixies, a 13-inch lob and clip-in toppers from $49.99 if you need a lower price point.

GRAB YOURS

Source: Wayne Parker

EWIGSC

ewigsc@pearlcoin.com | e-wigs-c.com

Wayne Parker, Brand Representative, EWIGSC

DIGITAL CHRISTMAS GIFT 2026

Brand Name: Asynx Devs Private Limited

Brand Description:

Asynx Devs Private Limited is a technology company primarily focused on developing custom software solutions, healthcare software, and AI-powered models. The company helps businesses streamline operations, improve efficiency, and solve industry-specific challenges through tailored digital solutions. Its expertise includes custom software development, healthcare technology, AI model development, SaaS platforms, and business automation.

Products / Services and Pricing:

Asynx offers customised software development, healthcare software solutions, and AI model development. Pricing varies based on project requirements, complexity, and scope.

Product / Brand Photo:

Company logo and professional visuals showcasing software solutions, healthcare technology, and AI capabilities.

Contact Information: Website

Company: Asynx Devs Private Limited

Email: info@asynx.in

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/asynx-pvt-ltd

Source: Mr. Dhileep M, Managing Director, Asynx_Pvt_Ltd

LOOKING FOR THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT IN 2026

FROM THE VOICE OF THE FOUNDER;

Brand: Magic Hour (magichour.ai)

Magic Hour, An AI-powered video and image creation platform that gives creators, small businesses, and marketers the ability to produce studio-quality content in minutes. Built on top of leading open-source AI models, Magic Hour makes professional video accessible to everyone.

SUITABLE FOR CHRISTMAS?

Here's why: we're the tool that turns a small business owner, a creator, or a social media marketer into a full production studio overnight. I built this company because I spent years helping my parents market their small businesses on social media and watched them burn an entire day just to produce one video. That pain is universal, and it's exactly what we solve.

The product is simple. You pick a template, customize it, and share. No complex prompting, no stitching together five different apps. We've built this to millions of users as a two-person team, which tells you everything about how much AI leverage is baked into what we do.

Price: Free to start, with paid plans for higher volume and premium features. Details at magichour.ai.

Contact: press@magichour.ai

The most valuable gift for any creator or small business owner isn't a camera or editing software. It's the ability to turn an idea into a finished video in minutes. That's what Magic Hour delivers. We're not a tool for people who already have production budgets. We're the tool that makes the budget irrelevant.

Source: Runbo Li, CEO, Magic Hour AI

NEW ERA OF FASHION: THE UNIQUENESS OF FASHION (6)

The new era of fashion starts in a search bar or a feed, and the store comes second. Shoppers find a label through a Google search or a creator's post, and they decide in a few seconds if it looks like them.

What makes fashion unique from where I sit is that every product page has to do two jobs at once. It has to rank for what people actually type, like linen wide leg pants or wedding guest dress. It also has to feel like a point of view the moment it loads.

The setup I keep running into with small labels and boutiques is a gorgeous lookbook on a site with thin product descriptions and no category pages. Google has almost nothing to read, so the collection never shows up for the searches that match it. The clothes are great and nobody finds them.

The labels that grow tend to write plain descriptions of fabric and fit, and they build category pages around how people shop. Photography and story still do the selling once someone lands. Local boutiques also get a lot from a Google Business Profile with fresh photos of what's on the racks this season.

Victor Smushkevich, Founder, Tested Media

FASHION'S NEW ERA: DIVING INTO WHAT MAKES FASHION UNIQUE (5)

I think what makes fashion unique is its ability to communicate without words. The way we dress can express who we are, what we believe in and the culture we feel connected to. Fashion has always been a form of self-expression, allowing people to find their own identity while also feeling part of a wider community, or what we might call their own "tribe".

As a fashion photographer, I see how important imagery is in shaping the way we experience fashion. An image stands out when it shows us something we haven't seen before, makes us feel something or reflects something we recognise in ourselves. In a world where we scroll through hundreds of images every day, the challenge is to create something that makes people stop and look.

I also believe independent designers have an important role to play in the future of fashion. There is space for a more personal approach to design, where the story behind a garment matters as much as the product itself. Since the pandemic, I feel there has been a stronger desire for meaning, individuality and pieces that last, rather than constantly buying into mass-produced trends. Independent designers can offer a different perspective, creating work that feels more considered and connected to the people who wear it.

Technology is another part of this new era. While AI is still developing, I can see how it could become a useful creative tool in the future. Much of our inspiration comes from existing images, movements and ideas from the past. AI could help us explore these references in new ways, develop moodboards and discover visual directions we might not have considered. I don't see it as a replacement for human creativity, but as something that could expand it. The ideas, emotions and personal experiences behind the work will still come from people.

For me, the future of fashion is not just about creating something new, but about creating something that means something. Whether through design, photography or the way we choose to dress, fashion has the ability to connect people, challenge expectations and express individuality. In an industry that moves so quickly, I think that ability to make people feel something is what will continue to make fashion unique.

Nicola Sclano, Photographer, Nicola Sclano | Nsgraphy

THE NEW ERA OF FASHION: DEEP DIVE INTO WHAT MAKES FASHION UNIQUE (4)

To me, what makes fashion unique is the meaning someone gives a piece after choosing it. Two people can wear the same design and have very different reasons for keeping it. That is the part I find most interesting in personalized jewelry.

I would distinguish personal meaning from simply offering more options. A name, date or small inscription can refer to something specific in a person's life. A long menu of finishes and decorative details does not necessarily make a piece feel more personal. I think the design should leave room for the wearer's story rather than requiring the wearer to explain the brand's story.

My hope for a new era of fashion is that we give that kind of attachment more attention when discussing originality. I would ask whether a person still wants to wear a piece once the occasion for buying it has passed. Can it belong in an ordinary day as well as a gift photograph?

For a designer, I think that means treating wearability as part of the creative work. A meaningful detail should sit comfortably within something the person actually wants to put on.

Aviad Faruz, Owner, FARUZO Jewelry