It’s almost impossible not to get in the holiday spirit at the sight of twinkling lights. Across the world, communities come together to celebrate the season, but in recent years, holiday light displays around the world have gotten even more creative, elaborate, and high-tech. Check out seven epic holiday light displays around the world and the history behind these dazzling installations.

Tivoli Gardens – Copenhagen, Denmark

This historic theme park first opened its doors in 1843, and its decorative lights have become a beloved winter tradition in Copenhagen. Tivoli is especially magical during December, and once you’ve experienced it, it’s hard to imagine the holiday season without it. The scent of pine hangs in the air as a million LEDs glitter throughout the park. At Tivoli’s Christmas market, charming wooden huts sell handmade ornaments, trinkets, toys, cocoa, delicious Danish pastries, and other treats. Over a thousand Christmas trees with twinkling lights and baubles line the snowy park pathways. Sip a glass of gløgg — what Danes call mulled wine — as you take in the spectacular scene.

Rockefeller Center – New York, New York

The sight of white angels framing the view of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York is as iconic as the adjacent ice rink. But how much do you really know about the Big Apple’s world-famous holiday nexus? It all began in 1931, when the very first tree, a small balsam fir decorated with garlands of dried cranberries, paper chains, and a few tin cans, stood in front of what was once a construction site. Since then, a 75-foot-tall Norway spruce typically from upstate New York or other nearby states has been unveiled — although the 1966 tree came from Canada and the 1999 tree measured a whopping 100 feet tall.

Once the lights on the tree go dark, the Rockefeller tree is salvaged. In 1971, it was recycled for the first time — mulched and spread across nature trails in upper Manhattan. Since 2007, the tree has even featured energy-efficient LED lights, and has been cut into lumber, which is donated to Habitat for Humanity to build homes.

Fête des Lumières – Lyon, France

The tradition of the Fête des Lumières (Festival of Lights) in Lyon has roots that trace to the winter of 1852. It had been a turbulent year with social unrest, so when rain threatened the unveiling of a statue of the Virgin Mary at a church on Fourvière Hill, determined locals marked the occasion by placing candles in their windows instead.

That tradition has continued ever since but has evolved into an extraordinary festival that takes place each December. The event embraces creativity and encourages originality with an array of mesmerizing light shows that use the city’s many historic buildings and traboules (hidden covered passageways) as a stage.

Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Each December, residents of Rio de Janeiro eagerly await the lighting of the city’s iconic Christmas tree, which floats on Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. The tradition began in 1996, and was the brainchild of Roberto Medina, a Brazilian entrepreneur best known for staging the Rock in Rio concert. In 2007, the tree earned a Guinness World Record as the world’s largest floating Christmas tree, measuring an impressive 278 feet tall and covered in almost 3 million individual lights.

Trafalgar Square and Regent Street – London, England

London’s famous Christmas tree, a gift from Norway, is the star attraction in Trafalgar Square each December. A tree has been felled and shipped across the North Sea since 1947, as a present that expresses Norwegian gratitude for Britain’s help during World War II. Impressive though this is, the most stylish and sophisticated lights in the British capital can be found a mile away on Regent Street.

This street was the first place in central London to put on such a display — the first lights were installed back in 1954. In 2021, nearly 300,000 individual bulbs light up 45 angels as part of the street’s largest ever display, entitled “The Spirit of Christmas.” If that’s not enough, the dazzling gold stars of Oxford Street and the kaleidoscopic neon butterflies of Carnaby Street are only a short stroll away.

Christmas Wonderland – Singapore

As night falls year-round, colored lights accentuate the dramatic beauty of the Supertrees at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. These artificial, tree-shaped structures act as vertical gardens and host thousands of succulents and bromeliads. Unveiled in 2012 as part of Marina Bay’s redevelopment, the trees quickly became one of Singapore’s most recognizable and most photographed landmarks. So, it’s only fitting that the display becomes the backdrop for an additional nine magical light displays that comprise “Christmas Wonderland.”

The centerpiece is the Spalliera. Standing almost 70 feet tall, the structure was inspired by the Gothic-style cathedrals of Europe. A spectacular light tunnel called the Walk of Stars and the dazzling Enchanted Bridge further enhance these beautiful gardens. While you’re there, take a ride on a Venetian carousel, shop for gifts at Mistletoe Alley Market, and grab a selfie with Santa.

Amsterdam Light Festival – Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Artists from around the world are invited to submit ideas for Amsterdam’s annual Light Festival. For nearly a decade, the festival has incorporated the selected designs into light displays that often use water to produce exquisite reflections and illuminate the city’s historic canalside buildings. While it’s possible to walk or bike along the art trail to view these illuminated pieces, the displays are best appreciated via boat tour, which allows you to listen to commentary about the artists’ objectives.

Everyone loves the festive season — the twinkling lights, the comforting foods, the caroling and other beloved traditions — but some towns take it to the next level. From unbelievable light displays to historical reenactments and other festive affairs, these 10 places are some of the most festive cities and towns in the U.S.

McAdenville, North Carolina

You don’t get a nickname like “Christmas Town U.S.A.” if you don’t go all out for the holidays. In 1956, the McAdenville Men’s Club decided to use red, white, and green lights to decorate the trees all around the McAdenville Community Center, and since then, the town has made it a group effort to bring as much adornment and cheer to the season as possible. The town decorates more than 300 live trees, which range in height from 6 feet to upwards of 90 feet, and feature as many as 5,000 lights on a single tree. Residents get in on the fun as well, decorating their homes with vibrant displays. As spectators stroll along the town’s lake to take in the lights, they’ll also hear the seasonal sounds of carols from the nearby historic bell tower that sits in the charming town center.

North Pole, Alaska

It’s only fitting that the small Alaskan town that shares the name of Santa Claus’s hometown pulls out all the stops for Christmas. Located 14 miles outside of Fairbanks, this North Pole celebrates Christmas year-round, with parades in July and nostalgic red-and-white candy cane stripes splashed across the city streets. In the town center, you’ll find the Santa Claus House, a one-time post office turned holiday shop. You can visit live reindeer, shop for Christmas gifts, take a photo with the world’s largest Santa statue, and say hello to the man in red himself. Perhaps best and most spirited of all, a resident who is legally named Santa Claus serves on the North Pole city council — long white beard and all.

Branson, Missouri

Kicking off celebrations in early November and carrying through the New Year, Branson is known as “America’s Christmas Tree City.” The city in the Ozarks features a trail of more than 700 trees, ranging from traditionally decorated evergreens to mechanically designed light shows — and even eccentric original creations made from wine bottles, library books, and go-kart tires. If the tree trail doesn’t give you your festive fill, there are several other light shows to take in, including the “Let There Be Lights!” drive-through light display, “Branson’s Lights of Joy,” and the awe-inspiring “An Old Time Christmas” festival at the town’s Silver City amusement park. For an extra dose of holiday whimsy, hop aboard the Polar Express train ride, a beloved Branson tradition inspired by the popular movie of the same name.

Big Spring, Texas

When you think of the holidays, a white winter wonderland is likely one of the first images that comes to mind. But snow certainly isn’t a requirement for having lots of Christmas spirit — just ask the people of Big Spring, Texas. Residents take pride in their temperate southern city being known as the “Lighted Poinsettia Capital of Texas.” The title comes from the stunning illuminated displays in the annual Comanche Trail Festival of Lights, a beloved local spectacle that features more than a million lights — including larger-than-life twinkly poinsettia creations. For an extra dose of Texan Christmas coziness, check out Big Spring’s historic Hotel Settles and its festive lobby adorned with a massive Christmas tree every year.

Duluth, Minnesota

Duluth’s holiday celebrations are an annual winter highlight for many Minnesotans. The season starts with the Christmas City of the North Parade, a celebration now in its sixth decade of elaborate floats, marching bands, dancers, and regular appearances by Santa Claus himself. From there, holiday revelers can climb aboard the decked-out Christmas City Express for a scenic train ride to Lake Superior with hot chocolate, cookies, and classic holiday tunes. But Duluth’s Christmas spirit really kicks into high gear with the Bentleyville Tour of Lights, America’s largest free walk-through light display, featuring intricate themed displays made up of more than 4 million brilliant lights.

Natchitoches, Louisiana

Natchitoches is so serious about Christmas that preparations for the annual Christmas festival begin in June. Each year, more than 300,000 lights and 100 individual displays cast the town (and the Cane River running through it) aglow as locals celebrate not only the season, but also their Creole heritage. Over the years, the celebrations have grown to include a parade, fireworks, live music, a “Miss Merry Christmas Queen” pageant, and holiday eats galore. The small Louisiana city of 18,000 people has proudly outfitted its town in twinkling lights since 1927, making it one of the oldest community-based holiday celebrations in the country.

Newport Beach, California

Newport Beach’s coastal waters light up during the annual Christmas Boat Parade and Ring of Lights celebrations. More than 100 boats (including some with V.I.P. guests like Santa and Mrs. Claus) plaster their decks with hundreds of lights as they sail around Newport Harbor and spread colorful Christmas cheer for five consecutive nights. Alongside the boat parade, which includes everything from yachts to canoes, residents of Newport’s Balboa and Harbor Islands decorate their houses to the nines for the Ring of Lights home-decorating competition.

Santa Claus, Indiana

A town named after Christmas’ most famous figure would be remiss if it didn’t celebrate the holidays in style, and that’s just what this one does. Santa Claus, Indiana, proclaims itself “America’s Christmas Hometown,” dedicating much of the year to Christmas-themed shops and attractions, and the town works extra hard during the holidays to make sure not only locals, but also kids all over the world, have a joyous season. The post office receives thousands of letters to Santa each year, and since the early 1900s, a group of volunteers has worked to make sure every letter gets a reply from Santa.

St. Augustine, Florida

Christmas in sunny St. Augustine is known for its award-winning Nights of Lights display, a massive undertaking that features millions of tiny white lights creating a warm and festive glow all throughout America’s oldest city. Locals and visitors alike revel in the shimmer of the bayfront installations, while the iconic Plaza de la Constitución Christmas is surrounded by mountains of gifts. Nights of Lights, which runs from mid-November until the end of January, has its origins in the traditional Spanish practice of placing a white candle in a window during the Christmas holidays.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Williamsburg fancies itself the “Best Christmas Town in America,” and with their unique take on the holiday, history buffs would be inclined to agree. Each year, in the historic Colonial Williamsburg district, holiday traditions from the 17th and 18th centuries are celebrated with authentic costumes (worn by local participants) and era-appropriate, hand-crafted decorations. If the other Colonial holiday traditions, such as caroling by candlelight or drum corps marches and gun salutes, are too old-fashioned for your tastes, you can always head to the holiday experience at Busch Gardens amusement park. Its awe-inspiring displays — made up of more than 8 million lights — are a local favorite.

The United Kingdom is home to over 6,000 villages and small communities spread throughout England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town, these villages typically have a population from a few hundred to several thousand residents. Some act as quiet commuter settlements for nearby urban areas, while others — thanks to their beauty and history — attract hordes of tourists and sometimes even location scouts for film productions. If you’re keen to have a starring role yourself, here are nine of the prettiest small villages in the U.K. 

Castle Combe, England

Deciding which village in England’s gorgeous Cotswolds region is prettiest is no small task. Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury, and Chipping Camden are all deserving of a place on this list, to name a few. Still, Castle Combe is a standout.

Just like its neighbors, planners have long insisted on the use of the local sandstone for its housing stock, which resembles the color of honey or caramel depending on the light. Throughout the village, gable ends and skinny chimneys poke out above the ivy and rambling roses that cover walls and surround windows. The By Brook flows gently through the middle of town, with its leafy surrounding trees providing a rural backdrop. Castle Combe also sets itself apart as a filming location for Downton Abbey and Steven Spielberg’s 2011 movie War Horse.

Grasmere, England

Poet William Wordsworth was among the many who have been enchanted by the village of Grasmere in England’s Lake District. Wordsworth lived at Dove Cottage from 1799 to 1808, and is now buried in the graveyard at St. Oswald’s Church in Grasmere. Nearby is Wordsworth’s daffodil garden, where wild flowers still flourish in a space that’s a fitting tribute to the poet’s most famous work, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” Next door, you’ll find the Grasmere Gingerbread Shop, where bakers follow Victorian chef Sarah Nelson’s original 1854 recipe for the scrumptious cake-cookie hybrid. 

Port Isaac, England

Charming Port Isaac is perched on England’s stunning North Cornwall coast. In peak season, Port Isaac swarms with visitors who know it as the setting for Doc Martin, a popular television series starring Martin Clunes in the titular role. Long before the location scouts arrived, though, Port Isaac was a fishing village and a bustling port where cargos of timber, stone, and coal were traded. Whitewashed cottages dating from the 18th and 19th centuries still line the tightly-packed streets that lead down a steep hill to the harbor. The smallest street of all is Squeeze Belly Alley. Measuring just 18 inches across at its narrowest point, it links Dolphin Street and Fore Street. 

Plockton, Scotland

Beautiful Plockton is one of the many gems of the Scottish Highlands. Because of its northerly latitude, you might be surprised to see palm trees thriving here. However, Plockton is nestled in a sheltered bay on Loch Carron, which means it enjoys a surprisingly mild microclimate and rarely sees winter snow. The village is a delightful place from which to explore the Lochalsh Peninsula, drive the challenging Bealach na Bà (Pass of the Cattle) to Applecross, and venture over the bridge to the nearby Isle of Skye. Nevertheless, it may prove difficult to leave Plockton behind, and you may wish to stay here to kayak, paddle board, sail, or row on the water — or simply take a stroll along its cobbled beach.  

Corfe Castle, England

The ruins of Corfe Castle sit atop a small hill overlooking the Dorset countryside in the south of England. The fortification, destroyed by Oliver Cromwell’s army, has been here for around a thousand years, but historians believe that the area was settled long before that, perhaps even as early as 4000 BCE. Below the castle, a steam railway loops around the village of Corfe Castle, with historic buildings constructed from local grey Purbeck limestone. In the main square, a cross commemorates Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee of 1897, and an area of common land known as the Halves separates the village’s two main roads, East and West Streets. Along them you’ll find a selection of charming pubs, cafés, and boutiques.

Beddgelert, Wales

The village of Beddgelert is located in Wales’ Snowdonia National Park and is a stop along the Welsh Highland Railway. Its name translates to “Gelert’s grave,” a reference to a 13th-century folklore tale in which a dog named Gelert is killed by mistake by his heartbroken owner, Llywelyn the Great. The picturesque village Beddgelert sits at the confluence of the River Glaslyn and the River Colwyn. A photogenic stone bridge with two arches spans the Colwyn, flanked by stone cottages. Beyond, trails lead through woodlands, past waterfalls, and up hilly paths to scenic overlooks. Copper was mined here as far back as Roman times; visitors can don hard hats to learn more at the nearby Sygun Copper Mine.

Lavenham, England

Located in the English county of Suffolk, Lavenham flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries thanks to the wool industry. Wealthy merchants erected timber-framed mansions and built a magnificent church in town. However, their prosperity was short-lived — when Dutch refugees settled in nearby Colchester, they undercut prices and Lavenham went into decline. But the past’s loss is today’s gain, as this quaint town retains much of its old-fashioned charm. Lavenham’s Guildhall tells the stories of the now crooked and weathered buildings and those who lived here. Once you’re finished, browse in the village’s many antiques shops. 

Ballintoy, Northern Ireland

Visitors will find Ballintoy, once a filming location for Game of Thrones, on Northern Ireland’s popular Causeway Coastal Route. Erosion from the sea has created dramatic coastal scenery here, including sea stacks such as Elephant Rock and the UNESCO-listed Giant’s Causeway. Located on the edge of Ballintoy is Carrick-a-Rede, a vertigo-inducing rope bridge to Carrick Island that was first used by the area’s salmon fishermen in the 18th century. In the village itself, stone and whitewashed cottages provide a photogenic contrast to the verdant landscape. Follow the road down Knocksaughey Hill to enjoy a traditional Irish breakfast in the stone café beside Ballintoy’s small harbor.   

Cley-next-the-Sea, England

Cley-next-the-Sea is one of the most appealing small villages on the scenic North Norfolk coast of England. However, it’s a bit of a misnomer, as marshland and reed beds now separate the village from the sea. Cley-next-the-Sea was once one of the area’s busiest ports, a place where barley, oats, malt, and fish were traded. Flint cottages date back to the 17th century, some of which are still private residences..Neighboring villages offer seal-watching boat trips and sandy beaches, but if you’re after peace and quiet, it’s hard to beat Cley-next-the-Sea. Visitors can stay in its 200-year-old tower mill or in rooms above the village’s cozy pub.