Relaxing in Turks and Caicos or Partying in Goa, Here's Where the Stars Will Take You this Week
Israeli postage stamp from 1961 designed by I. Blaushild. (Photo: Karen Horton)
This column is for the week of Dec. 22-28, 2014.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Ice skating on the frozen canals of Amsterdam (Photo: Thinkstock)
The majority of the planets including the Moon are all nestled nicely in your sign now, Capricorn, giving you loads of support and a bit of the spotlight too. Capture everyone’s attention as you do your best figure eight along the frozen Dutch canals in Amsterdam this holiday season. Then enjoy a mug of warme chocolademelk and a couple of delicious kerstkransjes wreath cookies to celebrate Kerstfeest (Christmas), which for the Dutch is celebrated over two days (Dec. 25-26) and is more about eating and being with loved ones than it is about gift-giving. Prettige Feestdagen! Happy Holidays!
Related: The Hot New Drink in Amsterdam? Genever — Gin’s Dutch Cousin
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Winter in Munich (Photo: Thinkstock)
Mars and the Moon in your sign on Christmas Eve are keeping you on the go — and stirring up an appetite. Fear not, hungry Aquarius! This holiday week, you are bound for Munich, where gingerbread and mulled wine are are aplenty. Once you’ve gotten your fill, you can head back to the festive music and the fantastic holiday shopping at the Munich Nikolaidult, a yuletide market that dates back to the 14th century. Frohe Feiertage! Happy Holidays!
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Santa Fe, N.M. (Photo: Getty Images)
The Moon in your sign this week is making your tummy rumble! Start your holiday week off the southwestern way, with a meal in the hip gallery-strewn Santa Fe Railyard district just outside of the town center in Santa Fe, N.M. Can’t decide how to have your blue corn enchiladas? Why order the “Christmas,” of course, the traditional New Mexican way, with both red and green chili served side by side on your holiday plate. Then bundle up on Christmas Eve for a luminaria-lit walk through Old Towne Plaza, stopping off to warm up by the bonfires, sip steaming hot cocoa, and nibble on cinnamon-sprinkled biscochitos. Happy Holidays, Pisces!
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Rue du Petit-Champlain in Montreal (Photo: Marielle Frigault/Flickr)
This holiday week, enjoy the ambiance of Quebec, one of the most picturesque cities in the world during the winter. Stroll along the snow-covered rue du Petit-Champlain, dubbed the most beautiful street in Canada. With its cobblestone streets and the white lights softly glowing outside of the boutiques decorated in garlands and wreaths, it’s easy to see how it earned this coveted title. Then wander over to Place d’Youville for some festive ice skating in front of the old city’s ramparts designated by the grand Porte Saint-Jean. Joyeuses Fêtes, Aries!
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Relax at the white sandy beaches and stunning blue waters of Turks and Caicos. (Photo: Tobias Lindman/Flickr)
You know what you need this holiday week, Taurus? A break. A good long rest. Good thing the most supportive place for you this week is – no, not the couch – Turks and Caicos in the shimmering blue Caribbean. Get comfy on your beach towel while you make little circles in the white sand with your toes. Stack a few coconuts on top of each other, and boom, you’ve got yourself a tropical snowman. Maybe even get up and take a dip in the calm azure waters of this most relaxing place. Or if you’re really up to it, explore one of the most extensive coral reef systems in the world, teeming with all the colors of the rainbow. See, this really is the way to spend the holidays after all!
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Ziplining in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (Photo: Anuj Biyani/Flickr)
Get playful with your loved one this holiday season as you ditch the snow boots in lieu of a daily swim in the azul waters of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Work up an appetite during an awesome cave-diving experience at La Sirena, while you visit the bats at Cave Oleg, or go for a high-speed, canopy zipline in Cap Cana. Good thing there’s always plenty to eat in a typical Dominican “bandera!” Try the hearty sancocho soup (It’s epic.), nibble on some quipes (tasty finger food with Middle Eastern roots), or, of course, you could just stick to a mono-diet of fried plantains. Calories you say? Ha! You’re on holiday, so it doesn’t count! Felices Fiestas, Gemini!
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
The red crabs of Christmas Island (Photo: Ingo Arndt/Nature Picture Library/Corbis)
This week, be the first to celebrate the holidays as you wake up in Kiritimati atoll, also known as Christmas Island. Named for the day it was discovered in 1777, this sparsely inhabited island with a delightful year-round temperature is the place for rare bird watching and saltwater fly-fishing, especially for the giant trevally bone fish. This time of year, it is the only place on Earth to watch the amazing red crab migration, in which more than 1 million land crabs work their way from the forest floors to the shores of Kiritimati to breed, creating a spectacular sea of crimson that washes over the island. Truly an amazing site to see, especially for you, Cancer the Crab. Happy Holidays, South Pacific-style!
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
The Christmas market and fair in Edinburgh, Scotland (Photo: Ross G. Strachan)
Put on your best plaid as you find yourself in Edinburgh, Scotland, one of the most festive places on Earth at the end of the year. The Christmas market is full of original creations from local artisans, as well as delicious gastronomical fare, like savory Scotch pie and buttery shortbread, for which the area is renowned. Enjoy the festive ambiance at the skating rinks at the Mounds and Gardens, and try not to get lost in the holiday tree maze, a favorite for young and old alike. Experience it all from the top of the observational Big Wheel, with unsurpassed views of Edinburgh’s skyline, all lit up for the holidays. As they say in Scottish Gaelic: Saor-Laithean Matha Agaibb! Happy Holidays, Leo!
Related: Smackdown: Glasgow vs. Edinburgh
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Party the night away in Goa, India. (Photo: David Pearson/Rex/REX USA)
This year, Virgo, put a special Bollywood spin on the holidays, and journey to where everything is over-the-top and glittery and oh so dramatic! Spend the week in Goa, which is hands-down the best place to spend this time of year in India. Lights strewn along every street, bakeries churning out holiday cakes, parties that go on until the wee morning hours… this is a place that really knows how to celebrate! As they may say in this Portuguese-influenced city: Boas Festas!
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
A snowy Christmas in Aspen, Colo. (Photo: Visit Aspen/Facebook)
Pull on your parka this week, and head out to the Colorado Rockies for some crisp mountain air, loads of fresh powder on the slopes, and the exciting “12 Days of Aspen.” This tiny mountain ski town is about as fancy, festive, and social as the snow gets. From the couture on Cooper Avenue to the fabulous restaurants throughout the valley, the celebrity-watching at every turn, and, of course, some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the world, Aspen is the winter wonderland for you, stylish Libra! Happy Holidays!
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
The famous light and music show at Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain (Photo: Chris Pelliccione/Flickr)
Saturn makes a big shift this week out of your sign, rewarding you with some new planetary freedom and a well-deserved break this holiday season. You’ve managed to endure the last few years of Saturn’s typical heaviness, so you should really treat yourself to something special from Chicago’s Magnificent Mile or the top-rated holiday Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza. Grab a cup of marshmallowy hot cocoa to keep your fingers warm and your spirits bright, and meander over to Grant Park to enjoy the music and light show at the gorgeous Buckingham Fountain. Then pop into Manny’s on South Jefferson for a typical holiday meal deli-style (It’s the place for fried latkes with sour cream and apple sauce.), ending the meal with a few gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins. Happy Holidays, Scorpio!
Related: The Ultimate Chicago Chow Down: Pies, Dogs, and Italian Beef You’ll Drool Over
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
The northern lights above Santa Claus Village in Lapland, Finland (Photo: Yoshio Tomii/Aflo/Corbis)
Saturn enters your sign this week and is here to stay for the next few years. It’s a big astrological event for you and happens to coincide with the week when many festivals of light are celebrated throughout the world, as we welcome the longer days after the winter solstice. NASA has said the aurora borealis this year in the northern countries will be at its best for the next decade, so get yourself to Lapland, Finland (Santa’s stomping grounds), to witness the magical light show taking place high above while you sleep snuggly in a thermal glass igloo hotel. And who knows – you may catch a glimpse of some reindeer as they zip across the night sky. Ho! Ho! Ho! And Hyvää Joulua, Sagittarius!
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