It’s only fitting that since Santa Claus has the magnificent capability to visit homes around the world in a single night that more than one place would claim to be his home. It’s common belief that Santa hails from the wintry North Pole, but folks in Finland will also tell you that Santa calls that country his home. To prove it, the Finns will even invite you to visit Santa in his workshop before Christmas or during the year and talk with Santa Claus as he and his elves busy themselves for their end-of-year Christmas expedition around the globe.
The popularity in America today of the images and legend of Santa Claus can be traced to the poem, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,’ that was written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822. In that poem, Moore described St. Nicholas as a jolly fellow who flew from house to house in a sleigh pulled by reindeers and waited for children to go to bed on Christmas Eve before he came down the chimney to deliver Christmas presents for them.
Following the distribution of that poem, the popular magazine Harper’s Weekly published cartoons by Thomas Nast between 1863 and 1886 that depicted Santa as a cheerful fellow with a large round belly and long white beard who wore a bright red suit that was trimmed with white fur. In those cartoons, Santa also held a sack, which was filled with toys for boys and girls, over his shoulder. The cartoons also showed Santa reading letters from good boys and girls, working in his workshop with his elves, checking his list to make sure he had all the required toys and even showed his wife, Mrs. Claus.
The tradition of Santa Claus was brought to America however by Dutch colonists who settled in New York City, which was called New Amsterdam at the time. The real St. Nicholas is said to be a minor saint from the 4th Century with a reputation for generosity and kindness that gave rise to legends of many miracles that he performed for the poor and unhappy. One of the stories about the legend of St. Nicholas is that he saved three poor girls who were sisters from being sold into a life of slavery or prostitution by their father. According to the legend, Santa Claus provided the girls with a dowry so that they could get married.
The legend of St. Nicholas led to hundreds of people being devoted to him and consequently thousands of European churches became dedicated to him. After the Reformation period however, widespread practice and worship of St. Nicholas disappeared in European countries that were Protestant, except in Holland where the legend of St. Nicholas continued. St. Nicholas was known as Sint Nikolaas but that was later corrupted to Sinter Klaas.
Dutch colonists took this tradition of Sinter Klaas to New York City where it was adopted using the Englist name of Santa Claus. Over time, the Dutch legend of the kindly saint was combined with old Nordic folktales about a magician who punished naughty children and rewarded good ones with presents to give rise to the stories that now exist about Santa Claus.
The red and white-trimmed suit of Santa Claus is believed to be the colors that the original St. Nicholas wore because red and white were the colors of the robes worn by traditional bishops. It is also believed that the Coca Cola Co. played a role in what is regarded as the popular look of Santa Claus today through paintings by artist Haddon Sundblom that were placed in some of the company’s advertisement between 1931 and 1964.
Christmas is a time to be with family and friends; therefore, it is one of the busiest times of the year to travel. People travel to different regions of the U.S. and to international destinations to share Christmas dinners, exchange gifts, and recall fond memories they have of the season. Even on Christmas Day, the highways are busy as relatives and friends travel between towns and states to spend the day together.
The massive and rapid shift away from an agrarian society to one of commerce with the development of cities and suburbs caused family members to move farther and farther away from each other. The effect is that for many families it is necessary to travel by land, air or rail to be together for the holidays.
Travel during Christmas and the holiday is not limited to visiting relatives and friends. Many people travel for entertainment, including families who are interested in seeing interesting sights at Christmas and enjoying world-renowned entertainment that are in faraway places from where they live. Travel to a destination that is far away, within or outside a country, may only be done once by a family and that alone creates a special memory.
Within the United States, it is popular for families and groups of friends to visit New York City to see the general sights of the city and to shop at Christmas. Some of these sights are known throughout the country and are celebrated each Christmas. The annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is an example. The lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center has been a tradition since the time of the Great Depression. The first tree was placed at the site in 1931 but it wasn’t decorated with any Christmas ornaments. In recent years, more than 25,000 Christmas lights and other ornaments have been placed on the tree.
Also in New York City, it is very popular for tourists to travel at Christmas to see the spectacular Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall with the signature high-kicking Rockettes. The show is a favorite of both adults and children as it is very festive, lively and filled with the spirit of Christmas.
Many people travel during Christmas time to international destinations to escape the cold of a ‘White Christmas.’ For those who do not like the cold but like to be out and about at Christmas, the alternative is to go somewhere with a more tropical climate. Travel to destinations in the Caribbean, where Christmas is robustly celebrated, is popular during the Christmas season.
One of the intriguing places to travel during the Christmas season is to a place where Santa can be observed. There is such a place in Finland at a village where Santa Claus has his workshop. Travel to see and possibly talk to Santa Claus is a delightful adventure for children. But such a trip has to be made before Christmas Eve when Santa, his elves and reindeers embark on a trip themselves to every home in the world.
Wherever you are traveling to this Holiday season have a safe and fun Christmas vacation!
Favorite foods enjoyed by Americans for any given holiday, season or special occasion will likely include some ethnic dish, given the many ethnic groups that reside in the country. Despite this variety of melting pot cuisine, there are some similarities in dishes that will be a part of most meals during celebrations such as Christmas.
Christmas in the United States comes almost one month after another big holiday, Thanksgiving, in which the traditional meal must consist of a turkey as the main dish. This dish also carries over into Christmas, as roast turkey is one of the main dishes that may be served for Christmas dinner. But unlike Thanksgiving, which is solely devoted to turkey meat, Christmas dinners may also include other birds or poultry. These include roast goose or duck. Roasted ham may also be served. Cranberry sauce, vegetables, pumpkin pie and a plum pudding or fruity Christmas pudding for dessert tops off traditional Christmas dinners. Mince pies and pastry that is filled with a mixture of chopped, dried fruit may also be added to the menu.
For drinks at Christmas dinner, a bottle of champagne is very popular, as well as wines. But the everyday beverage of beer (Schlitz or Spotted Cow) is a must for many people to make a meal truly enjoyable.
Before Christmas Day and the big dinner arrives, there’s also another type of food that Americans enjoy in large quantities during the Christmas season. The consumption and sales of candies, gingerbread and other cookies and holiday treats increases rapidly during the holidays. Similar to how department stores seek to attract shoppers to buy items for Christmas gifts, candy manufacturers also put out special boxes and types of candies for Christmas and the holiday season.
A survey done in 2004 by the National Confectioners Association found that many adults derived much pleasure at Christmas from giving and receiving candies and other treats. In their responses the survey participants said that giving decadent boxes of chocolate to friends and family, placing candy canes on the Christmas tree and hiding candy treats in Christmas stockings were favorite ways to give and receive candies, cookies and treats during the holidays.
Sweet treats remain popular at Christmas despite a constant message about dieting that is present in everyday life in the media, in billboards and from some food manufacturers. At Christmas time, people feel free to enjoy the festive season without constraints. But they also know that they can enjoy candies and cookies that are health conscious by eating ones that are targeted to the low-carb dieter by having ingredients that are sugar-free and fat-free or both.
Cookies that are enjoyed at Christmas are often home-baked ones and usually include gingerbread items. The tradition of gingerbread cookies at Christmas is also believed to have originated in Germany and brought to America by German immigrants.
German bakeries began baking very fancy gingerbread houses with icing as edible snow and other decorations after the Grimm Brothers published their children’s story, Hansel and Gretel. That story had a description of a house that was made of bread, a roof of cake and windows of barley. The popularity of the creations by German bakeries gave rise to cookie cutters that were made in a variety of shapes, enabling small gingerbread cookies of various shapes to be baked at home. Some of these cookies that had the shapes of little people and animals were used to decorate Christmas trees.
More than one hundred years ago from today, German homes in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania would have cookies that were up to one foot high in the front of windows of their houses as decorative items during winter. The cookies were often giant gingerbread men and women that had colorful rows of buttons and big smiles. Passersby were often cheered and intrigued by the sight and brought the idea to their homes on a smaller scale.
Being able to enjoy special dishes, candies, cookies and other goodies during Christmas and the holidays adds a sweet flavor to the season and also helps to create warm and cherished memories.
In Finland, Christmas Eve is the traditional time to set up the Christmas tree and it’s also traditional to visit the sauna and for families to listen to a broadcast of the national ‘Peace of Christmas’ on the radio. Christmas Dinner generally consists of a main dish of boiled codfish that is snowy and fluffy in appearance, served with cream sauce and boiled potatoes. Christmas dinner is rounded out with roast suckling pig or roasted fresh ham and vegetables. Among peasants, there is a tradition to tie a sheaf of grain, with nuts and seeds, to a pole that is put in a garden for birds. Many peasants will wait until after the birds have eaten before having their Christmas Dinner. And Santa Claus is expected to visit homes in person with his Christmas elves to give out Christmas gifts.
Christmas in France is called Noel, from the phrase ‘les bonnes nouvelles,’ or ‘the good news,’ which refers to the gospel. On Christmas Eve, cathedrals and churches are beautifully lit and filled with the sounds of Christmas carols, ringing church bells and carillons. The tradition among children is to put their shoes by the fireplace for Pere Noel or le petit Jesus to fill them with gifts. In the north of France however, children receive gifts on Dec. 6, St. Nicholas Day, instead of Christmas. Most French homes will have a Nativity scene or crèche on display during the season. In Southern France, some people will burn a log in their home from Christmas Eve until New Years Day, which comes out of a farming tradition of using the log for good luck in the coming harvest. The French also make a traditional cake called the buche de Noel, or Christmas Log, which is shaped like a Yule log and is part of a late supper called le reveillon held after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The main dish for this meal generally consists of poultry, ham, salads, cake, fruit and wine but varies according to region. The main course in Burgundy is turkey with chestnuts and in Paris it’s oysters, foie gras and the buche de Noel cake. The wines generally served are Champagne, Muscadet, Sauterne and Anjou. An annual tradition of puppet shows, particularly in Paris and Lyons, is popular during Christmas time. In Paris, it’s also popular for big department stores to have grand, animated window displays.
Christmas in Italy is called ‘Il Natale,’ or ‘the birthday.’ Christmas season starts eight days before Christmas, a period called the Novena, and runs for three weeks. During the Novena, children dress as shepherds and go from house to house saying Christmas poems, singing and playing pipes. They often receive money to buy gifts during this activity. The Nativity scene, called the Presepio, has miniature figures, carved in great detail out of clay or plaster, of the Holy Family in the stable and is the center of Christmas for families. Families say prayers and children recite poems around the Presepio. Christmas Eve dinner, called cenone, is a traditional dish of roasted, baked or fried eel. In some regions, various types of fish is prepared for this dinner, as well as pork, sausage in a pig’s leg or turkey stuffed with chestnuts. Christmas sweets are called panettone and traditionally have nuts and almonds. On Christmas Eve, children set out their shoes for a kind, old woman or ugly witch called La Befana, who rides on a broomstick down chimneys, to fill them with gifts of toys or candies. If they were bad, their shoes will be filled with coal. Some children wait until Jan. 6, the Epiphany, to receive gifts.
Norway is where the tradition of the Yule log started and which gave rise to log-shaped cakes, cheese and other desserts during the holidays. Norwegians today often go into the forest to cut their own Christmas trees, which is secretly decorated on Christmas Eve to surprise children. After the Christmas tree is revealed, Norwegians engage in ‘circling the Christmas tree,’ a tradition in which everyone joins hands forming a ring around the tree. They then walk around the Christmas tree singing carols. Gifts are distributed after this ritual is finished.
As you can see, each European country has unique Christmas traditions.
It’s only fitting, perhaps, that along with the magic of Santa Claus at Christmas, holiday and Christmas lights also came about through the work of a wizard – the Wizard of Menlo Park in New Jersey – as Thomas Edison was called. It was Edison who first developed and demonstrated an incandescent electric light bulb in 1879 that had commercial potential, an event that led the way for the mass use of electricity and lights on Christmas tree as used today.
Before the discovery and use of electricity, candles were used to light Christmas trees. That practice evolved into having glass covers with candles inside them or metal lanterns that had small wicks. These were hung like ornaments on Christmas trees. But even after Edison invented the incandescent electric light bulb, it took many years before the large-scale manufacture of Christmas tree lights were available commercially.
It is said that the idea of Christmas lights came from one of Edison’s assistants, Edward Johnson. In 1882, Johnson had Christmas tree bulbs made just for him. He displayed these electric bulbs on his Christmas tree at his home on Fifth Avenue in New York City and it drew widespread attention.
But Christmas tree lights underwent many changes and improvement before General Electric Co. introduced Christmas lights on a commercial scale. As an example, among the earlier lights used on Christmas trees were night-lights that were strung together to make light strings. After the commercial introduction of Christmas lights, sales and wide-scale use of them soared.
Decorative mini-lights to be used for Christmas tree lighting were introduced in the 1970s. Since then, they have continued to be popular and are the dominant types of Christmas tree lights in the marketplace. Before that, icicle lights were introduced as decoration for rooflines. Those decorative lights are the most popular ones used for outdoor landscape lighting during the holidays. Outdoor decorative lighting has evolved from Christmas tree lighting to also become a popular way to use colorful lighting during the holidays to create spectacular scenes.
Another development in decorative lighting at Christmas time is the use of candles. Real candles can be used, but electric candles became more popular and safer because they present less threat of a fire hazard. Today that threat has also decreased with the development of flameless battery candles. The battery operation also makes their use more flexible because they can be placed in areas where there aren’t electrical outlets. Candles are usually displayed at several windows of a house during the holidays. They produce an appealing look especially if there are at least two sets of three windows each other where they can be placed.
Battery-operated candles can also be used during Christmas and the holidays for other activities such as caroling, church services, school activities and for other holiday arrangements around the home.
As Christmas lights have become a mandatory feature of the holidays, they are continually being used in new ways that differ considerably from their early beginnings. Outdoor lighting is now just as common as indoor lighting and that is an area in which a change in the use of holiday lighting can be seen. Along with icicle lights that illuminate rooflines and frames of houses, there are also lights that are placed in shrubs. Holiday lighting also comes in the shape of trees and other ornaments that can be placed on lawn to enhance the visual appeal during the holidays.
Many lawns are landscaped by lighting during Christmas and the holiday season with lighted figurines and various other items associated with the season. In some communities, entire blocks of streets will have such elaborate holiday lawn lighting that they attract passersby and even tourists – residents from elsewhere – who are captivated by the spectacular visual displays of the landscaped holiday lighting.
Many things remind people that Christmas is already fast approaching. Mostly it’s a combination of factors. For some it’s more specific things, such as the change in season, which is difficult not to notice, or decorations inside public establishments like malls and outside buildings, e.g. Christmas lights, wreaths, red-and-white candy canes. Mix all those visual elements with the audible ones—Christmas carols being sung by choirs, pop singers releasing their Christmas albums, and classic Christmas songs playing in the radio and on your favorite music video channel—and bingo, you’re sure the holiday season is just around the corner.
Who hasn’t sung along to “The First Noel,” “Jingle Bells,” “Away in a Manger,” “Silent Night,” “Joy to the World,” and “The Christmas Song,” when they were children? You may have been part of a caroling choir yourself and have sung to whoever’s willing to listen to you spreading the Christmas cheer, or you may have just grown up listening to your mom’s old Christmas compilation CDs. But you can’t have ignored that fuzzy feeling you got inside you whenever you heard Christmas songs and surely you won’t do better ignoring that even now that you’re older. They communicate everyone’s longing for peace, joy, and love that bring warmth to everyone’s hearts during the chilly winter season. They bind family and friends together during moments of singing out loud and recalling with fondness long gone and recent memories. And most of all, they remind everyone of the reason for the season, all the gatherings, and the gift-giving.
The various types of decoration used at Christmas are what gives a pretty and sparkling look, and what puts some splendor into the season. The Christmas tree with its myriad decorations is a standard and central decorative element of Christmas. But the presence of the Christmas tree is also enhanced by decorations such as wreaths, garlands, lights and figurines.
Wreaths have a round or circular shape and are often used as the decorative piece on the front of a door. Variations of wreaths include berry, grapevine, poinsettia and snow. The berry wreath will have individual and small clusters of red berries, holly leaves with features like a gold tint, pine cones and needle styles. A grapevine wreath has a vine-like look and may have pine sprigs and clusters of red berry.
Poinsettia wreaths showcase leaves that are red or different shades of red, and may have glittered fruits such as pear, apple and grape clusters throughout its structure. Based on the size of a poinsettia wreath, it may also have large or small pinecones, pine sprigs and holly leaves. And then there are snow wreaths that have an icy look from pinecones that are sprinkled or covered with snow and which are scattered throughout the wreath.
Garlands are primarily used to decorate stairways, banisters and mantels. Garlands also have variations such as those that have a lighted Christmas tree look with twinkling lights and tiny ornaments or tinsel to sparkle. Others such as a mixed needle lighted garland would have branches of wide and thin pine needle and Christmas lights.
Christmas lights come in various forms and are also used in numerous ways to make homes and business places shine and sparkle during the holidays. Christmas lights may be colored or plain, may or may not twinkle, and may be single-stringed or have multiple strings to be hung to create a look like icicles, which makes them very flexible in how they can be used.
To beautify houses during the Christmas season, Christmas lights may be strung around the roofline, in shrubs, placed at windows to form different patterns and placed on patios or porches to hang as icicles. Lighted candles are also used in windows to make them visually appealing.
Another type of lighted decoration seen during Christmas is in the form of figures that are placed on lawns. It’s a matter of personal taste that decides how many figures to place on lawns, whether a lot or a few pieces or sometimes just a single one may be attractive enough.
Christmas trees are the standard decorative elements that are mandatory during the season. They may be real or artificial and can be placed inside or outside. If placed outside, they should be lighted and also in a sufficiently lit but subdued lighted area to maximize their visual beauty. Christmas trees are wonderful to decorate because the entire family can participate in the decorative process by placing the ornaments, baubles, lights and tinsel on the tree. Some ornaments may even be personal, such as hand-made items or treasured keepsake mementos. When these are placed on the tree every year, it can become a tradition that is kept in the family and which creates a special memory as each Christmas comes around.
Poinsettia flowers, with their flaming red leaves, are also a staple decoration at Christmas time. They can be placed wherever it’s suitable to place plants. Poinsettias are commonly used around offices in general and personal work spaces during the Christmas season.
If there’s snow and a lucky ‘White Christmas,’ especially on Christmas Day, then it’s worth it to bundle up and with the children jump into the snow to make a ‘Frosty Snowman.’ While a smiling snowman on a lawn is a temporary decorative feature during Christmas, it’s always a surprise and delight because it means that children were out playing in the snow and having fun.
Given the many types, variations and ways in which Christmas decorations can be used, everyone can have some pleasure and be creative in arranging some form of Christmas decoration to add their own sparkle and twinkle to the holidays.
Maybe no other single activity really embraces camaraderie, playfulness and fierce but friendly competition as heartily participating in playing indoor games with friends and family. Christmas games does all those things but also serves the purpose of bringing friends and family together to interact directly with each other in a competitive and happy way.
Participating in Christmas games is great way of sharing, but it is also doing something tangible to get into the festive, jolly and relaxed mode for the holidays. Otherwise, its easy to get caught up in all the preparation and shopping and become ridden with anxiety. Here are some holiday and Christmas games that will cause fierce but friendly competition and leave everyone in a jolly mood.
For the ‘Gift Wrap’ game, items needed will be small gifts, wrapping paper, scotch tape and music that can be turned on and off at will. Each gift item is wrapped in several layers of paper. The number of layers used will depend on the duration you want the game to last. A gift is given to the group, which should start passing around the gift when the music starts. Whenever the music stops, whoever has the gift should remove one layer of gift-wrap. This continues until the last layer of paper is removed. Whoever has the gift unwrapped gets to keep it.
The items needed for the ‘Sock Guessing’ Christmas game are two or three thick new thermal socks, items used or seen during Christmas, pens, pencils and paper. Each sock is stuffed with 20-25 items that are used or seen during the Christmas season. These can be useful items such as scotch tape, ornaments, decorations etc. Each sock should have the same items and the opening should be tied with a ribbon so the contents inside aren’t visible. The socks are then passed around for each person to try to feel and guess the items then write down what they think is in the sock. The person with the most correct guesses of objects is the winner and can be awarded a separate special gift or token.
The ‘Gift Grab Card Game’ needs two decks of cards and a few small Christmas gifts that are wrapped to look very interesting and enticing. One deck of cards is passed out one at a time to guests. Each should have an equal number of cards from the deck. The gifts are then placed in the center of the group. Someone then calls out cards from the second deck. Whoever has an identical card gets to choose a gift. When all the gifts are taken, everyone can steal gifts from each other until the deck is finished and those with gifts get to open and keep them as prizes. The fun increases when the stealing begins because everyone will have different ideas about which gift looks interesting and try to hang onto it by stealing it over and over if it is stolen. Some people will also try to disguise the fact they have a gift, although they should be kept in sight.
A children’s Christmas game is ‘Pin the Nose on the Reindeer,’ which is the Christmas game version of ‘Pin the tail on the Donkey.’ The items needed are a drawing of a reindeer’s head with an incomplete drawing of the nose and several noses with the names on one side and tape on the other. The picture should be placed against a wall so that children can reach the nose. Each child then gets a nose. They take turns being blindfolded spun around a couple times to disorient them a little then told to walk to the reindeer and place the nose on the picture. The child who places the nose closes to the reindeer’s nose wins.
A delightful Christmas game for work is the ‘Match the Desk to the Item’ game. A day or so before the Christmas party at work, someone needs to secretly take one item from each person’s desk and assign a number to each item. At the party, all the items are displayed for everyone to guess whose desk the item belongs to.
It can be very satisfying to cater to friends, families and loved ones during the Christmas holidays. Taking the time to share food, fun and laughter in a happy, jovial manner truly embraces the spirit of Christmas.
In deciding to have a party at home, one of the first things to consider is whether it will be formal or informal. Among the key things that need to be considered are the number of people to attend, the menu, the preparation of food and arrangement of decoration that is attractive and has themes for the holidays. It’s also important to make a note of how much, if any, help will be available from friends or family members.
A formal Christmas party likely would include a small number of people – not more than 12 and likely fewer – who would be seated at a table for the duration of the meal. It means that place settings and seating have to be done and a decision made on whether the meal will be a three- or four-course dinner.
The advantage of a formal dinner is that it is very organized, it has a known content and everyone around the table usually engages in pleasant conversation. It also usually provides a good opportunity to get to know and hear from everyone present without having to initiate any small talk, which some people are not comfortable doing.
As the host of a formal dinner, you will also have the responsibility of keeping the meal flowing smoothly by having each course brought out at the perfect timing and to also be aware of any special needs that a guest may have.
In contrast, an informal Christmas party (Ugly Christmas Sweater Party) at home is organized in a different manner and does not have the predictability of a formal one. The fun and festive spirit of an informal holiday party comes from groups of people who mill around, move about freely to have conversations, laugh and enjoy munching on Christmas treats, goodies and other foods.
Despite the easy, fun-filled atmosphere, it is necessary to plan the use of space and to think about the area that people will use or wander around. Making such a plan will facilitate contact between partygoers so that the party spirit will pervade everywhere and put participants in a livelier mood. Another consideration to make for an informal Ugly Christmas sweater party among friends and family is if children will be present and about their ages, if they are allowed to attend. Children, even older ones, always need careful supervision. If children are going to attend a holiday party at home, arrangements should be made for adequate supervision of them and special activities should also be provided that can occupy their attention.
An important feature that must be a part of a festive Christmas party at home is the right mix of music. In selecting Christmas music, consideration should be given to what will be played at the start of the party as guests are welcomed and introduced to each other, the songs that can be played later to inject or enhance liveliness and later to create the right mood as the partygoers bid farewell with ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘Happy Holidays.’
Along with the music, Christmas decorations and even the food can also help to enliven a Christmas party at home. Food that is interesting because it looks ‘pretty’ due to the color palette of items infuses a mellow feeling among guests and adds an intangible element to the level of enjoyment and excitement of the partygoers.
Christmas parties at home can also be personalized with special cookies, treats and dishes that are ethnic. The presence of some ethnic food, but not an overwhelming quantity, which isn’t frequently enjoyed by guests will be different and will add something that is unique to the host. And that is a part of what a Christmas or holiday party at home is about. It’s to entertain family, friends and acquaintances with a personal style while all enjoy some merriment in the season of goodwill and good cheer.
When doing the research for this piece, I found a ski holiday business that offers just what you are after. If you are young and laid back, this would be the cheapest method of arranging your ski holiday.
Just to put you in the picture I run my own site selling catered chalet holidays, but what I’ve found now are a lot cheaper and may be advertising them shortly! But let’s get on.
Thirty years ago I was employed by a company which sold cheap ski holidays. Diamond Ski (not their real name!) really were great value. Their prices may have gone up now but they still do great ski deals. I know because I worked for them. Well I didn’t truthfully work for them. they paid me to have a rollocking winter in the mountains at the punters’ expense.
For a salary of £50 a week, free board and lodging, a lift pass and free transport, I lived the life and the punters paid. What the punters paid for was the cheapest possible service – draughty old chalets at rock bottom rents high on the hillsides and a hundred steps to clamber up with their bags a welcome from a toothy bimbette who was only in the resort to score as many young men as she could, and a ride in a battered old banger that rattled and smoked its way up from Geneva Airport As well as being a taxi driver part of the job involved taking them skiing – if we felt like it.
This may seem like a red herring but it isn’t – this is what to expect on a cheap holiday. What you pay is what you get – just the absolute minimum with nothing added unless you want to pay for it, just like that no frills airline which shall be nameless. You are unlikely to get more than you pay for, but sometimes there are cheap deals to be found with a good cheap ski holiday.
For some of the best late deals in French Ski Resorts type in ‘Cheap Ski Holidays France’ as a Google search.
There is no way you are going to spend as little on a ski holiday as a summer beach vacation – I’ve just found a late summer deal to Crete for £218 leaving next week (I haven’t gone for it yet). The stuff you have to buy to go skiing bear little relation to a g-string.. The only bits of ski wear that double up on the snow or beach are the sun glasses and sun cream, and if you are a fashionista with fair ski, then you will be getting stronger versions of these too.
Discounting the ski clothes that can be spread across a few years, you now have to arrange the travel, board and lodging and food, ski equipment hire, lift pass, ski lessons and insurance. How much is that going to be? Choose a typical ski resort in France like Meribel. The cheapest I can find is the first week in January for £318, which includes flight and accommodation only All the other necessaries I’ve mentioned above is going to cost at least £450 on top of that, which comes to around £750 – a lot more than a summer holiday.
So what’s the bottom line from here? Last season my son found the best deal available. Action Outdoors is the name on the tin. A basic, all inclusive holiday during January is going to cost you just £467, but that’s pared right down. You get what you pay for All in my son spent £600 and had a spiffing time skiing on the best snow ever – he worked out he’d spent about £130 on alcohol and the nightlife, which I considererd was good going.
Simon Dewhurst has been skiing for over 30 years and is a qualified Norwegian Ski Instructor. His website has many late ski deals for ski holidays. Simon is the author of a useful ski e-book that will help all levels of skiers. For a limited period you can download a free copy from => Cheap Ski Holidays
