St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean

The trimmings: Christmas is honored in this observant destination with the Nine Mornings, a festival unique to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Each morning at sunrise for the nine days leading up to Christmas, locals celebrate with church services, street fairs, and tree-lighting parties. At these "lighting up" events, there are often carolers and steel-pan bands, religious scenes from the nativity, and a tropical, beachwear-clad Santa who rides in on a donkey.

Check in: The Palm Island Resort in the Grenadines—a 41-room, 135-acre private island resort—really gets into the holiday spirit, sharing the local traditions with visitors. Activities include island-style storytelling and steel bands, but the highlight just may be the Caribbean Christmas fare. On Christmas day, the resort serves a local brunch, with ginger beer and sorrel to drink with holiday foods such as stewed green pigeon peas, black pudding (a dark fruit sponge that's soaked with Caribbean rum), and Christmas cake.

Palm Island Resort
Palm Island
The Grenadines
Tel: 866 237 2157 (toll-free)
From $725 per couple per night, all-inclusive

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