Getaway Calendar - December

December 2 - December 3: Chichibu Yomatsuri, Japan
One of Japan’s grandest float festivals takes places every year in the small town of Chichibu, near Tokyo. For nearly 300 years the festival has been held to honour the town's six protective deities, each represented by a float weighing up to ten tons and reaching ten metres in height. Lanterns, wood carvings and tapestries adorn the floats while flute music and drums provide a dramatic soundtrack as they leave the grounds of Chichibu Shrine and wander through the streets.

One of the highlights of the festival is the spectacular fireworks show, which lasts for a couple of hours. And for those courageous enough to brace the cold winter night for that long the food stalls lining the streets provide plenty of comfort food and drinks such as amazake, a sweet rice wine that is sure to warm you up.

Getting there:
Fly direct on Virgin Atlantic and British Airways or take a connecting flight on Alitalia to Tokyo then take a short train ride to Chichibu.

December 6: Moors and Christians Festival, Alicante
Dating back to the 16th-century, this ancient festival is one of Alicante’s most popular events combining history and religion. It marks the battle between the Moors and the Christians and honours the patron saint, Santa Marta, who helped play an important role in the Christians’ victory over the Moors.

The festival kicks off in the early hours of the day with dianas waking the townspeople up then heading to the centre of town to wait for the Christians and Moors to arrive. Spectators gather and watch in amusement as the soldiers, dressed in period costumes, dramatically re-enact the battle while engaging in anecdotal dialogue. The long day ends with a big parade and lots of eating and drinking.

Getting there:
Alicante is a popular year-round destination and flights are easy to come by. You can either take a direct flight on Monarch and BA or connecting flights on bmi and Iberia.

December 21: Glorieuses de Bresse, France
Ask any gourmet where the finest tasting chickens in the world come from and they will all agree – Bresse, in Eastern France. The chickens in this region are treated like royalty, they’re fed real food (corn undoubtedly) and wander around the countryside. So it’s only fitting that these prized birds have an event held in their honour.

Les Glorieuses de Bresse is a competition that takes place every year in Bresse and involves all sorts of entrants: dead chickens, turkeys and capons. The proud farmers display them in front of judges competing for the title of the "Glorieuse". But there are lots of gourmet events to keep spectators busy throughout the day including food and wine tastings.

Getting there:
The easiest way to get to Bresse is by flying into Paris or Lyon direct on BA or Air France then taking a train from there.

December 31: Umbanda - Festival of the Goddess of the Sea, Brazil
Where in the world would a festival be named after a sea goddess? Rio of course, where the city’s love of the sea is hard to ignore. Everywhere you turn you’re confronted by surfers, beach bums and bikini-clad Cariocas all walking towards or away from the water. And on the 31st of December they all gather on the shores of Brazil’s famous beaches: Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon to pay homage to Iemanjá - Goddess of the Sea. Some of her devoted followers even go into a deep trance while others simply take offerings of champagne or flowers that are later thrown into the water. The festival brings everyone together to ring in the New Year in true Rio style – on the beach.

Getting there:
There are connecting flights from the UK to Rio de Janeiro on Iberia, Air France and British Airways.

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