Christmas vacations: 15 of the best places to go

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Anyplace can throw up a few lights and call it a holiday celebration, but travelers who really adore Christmas want more.

They want a place where Christmas markets beckon, lights dazzle in all directions, holiday feasts offer endless temptations and Yuletide traditions such as Advent are longtime, serious business.

From England to the Philippines, these 15 places around the world traditionally offer up some of the best holiday atmosphere for a Christmas-drenched vacation:

While popular lore would have us believe the North Pole is the official home of Santa Claus and his jolly missus, the Finns would have us believe otherwise.

For them, Rovaniemi is Christmas HQ, located just north of the Arctic Circle in Lapland. Children here make gingerbread cookies with Mrs. Claus, enroll in Elf School or take a calligraphy class and compose their Christmas wish lists with a traditional quill.

You may also want to visit the Ranua Wildlife Park, home to baby polar bears, wolverines and moose.