Events & festivals in December
9 curated experiences happening in December — festivals, natural phenomena, food seasons, sport. We highlight the off-the-beaten-path versions of famous events.
Festivals & Cultural
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Christmas Markets
Strasbourg · Late November – December 24
Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik runs since 1570 — Europe's oldest.
Mainstream
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Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil)
Antigua · December 7, 6pm
Every household drags accumulated junk into the street, builds a giant devil effigy on top, lights it on fire, and throws fireworks into the flames at 6pm sharp.
Hidden gem
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Réveillon (New Year's on Copacabana)
Rio de Janeiro · December 31
Two million people in white on Copacabana beach, 16-minute fireworks barge offshore at midnight, candomblé offerings to Iemanjá (sea goddess) at sunrise.
Mainstream
Nature & Wildlife
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Monarch Butterfly Migration
Sierra Chincua · Late October – mid-March (peak: January-February)
100 million monarch butterflies flying 4,500km from Canada to overwinter in 12 Mexican mountain forests.
Hidden gem
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Coral Spawning, Great Barrier Reef
Cairns · Few days after the November / December full moon
Once a year, 500+ coral species release eggs and sperm simultaneously into the water column — an underwater snowstorm.
Hidden gem
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Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
Tromsø · Late September – early April (peak: November–February, dark hours)
Tromsø sits in the auroral oval — the band where Northern Lights are most likely.
Mainstream
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Whale Shark Migration
La Paz · October – mid-April (peak: November-March)
La Paz Bay, Baja Sur — juvenile whale sharks (12m long, gentle, plankton-eating) gather close enough to swim with from a boat tour.
Hidden gem
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Iguazu Falls, peak flow
Foz do Iguaçu · November – March (rainy-season peak flow)
275 individual waterfalls, 80m drops, 1.
Mainstream