Until Christmas Day, the charming traditions of the Ban Tha Rae community in Sakon Nakhon will honour Jesus Christ's starry natal night.
Tomorrow at 6pm, Catholics will showcase their artistic talents to create a floating procession that will light up Tha Rae pier and allow visitors to travel back to 1884 when a French missionary and Vietnamese families settled down on the banks of Nong Han Lake.
In recognition of being the largest Roman Catholic community in Thailand, more than 20 parades adorned with sparkling stars will march through the village on Saturday night to St Michael's Church.
On Christmas Eve, visitors can enjoy paper star-making workshops and a walking street selling local food and festive handicrafts. Around 200 Christmas Star parades from churches in Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan and Kalasin will take to the streets on Christmas Day and end at Saint Joseph Sakon Nakhon School.
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New Taipei City to host Christmasland
Until Jan 1, Christmasland in New Taipei City is hosting a festive celebration with Santa Bear and his friends Robbie, Gingerbread Man, Snowman, Chocobi and Macaron. This year, the massive Christmas tree is covered in colourful fondant desserts and light decorations to create an inviting atmosphere.
Glittering light installations will illuminate the streets and public areas under the themes of "Sweet Xmas Party", "Sweets Town", "Lan Lan Cat Sweet Xmas Party" and "Gingerbread World". Visitors will be greeted with an internationally acclaimed 3D projection mapping show, which fuses cutting-edge 3D projection technology that can be seen with the naked eye with a grid of Santa Bear-shaped light bars to offer a high-quality immersive experience.
During the opening scene, the motionless Santa Bear film will be on display on a façade of New Taipei City Hall and come to life thanks to a laser beam scan. It will greet the crowd with a range of goofy expressions and accompany Gingerbread Man in telling stories.
The 2nd floor corridor of New Taipei City Hall has a dynamic performance created by Santa Bear-shaped LED strips. The customised animated scenes are synced with the joyful motions of Santa Bear.
Visit christmasland.ntpc.gov.tw.
Mark New Year with Mahanakhon Festive Carnival
To brighten the mood throughout the holiday season, King Power Mahanakhon is organising the Mahanakhon Festive Carnival until Jan 1, set against the breathtaking background of Bangkok's skyscrapers.
Mahanakhon Square is a wonderful playground where people of all ages may enjoy fun activities like ping pong, shooting, ball throwing and ring tossing. Fancy food trucks offer up a range of festive treats, such as mini pizzas, banh mi, ice cream and refreshing drinks for light meals.
Tomorrow night and Dec 29, visitors can groove to the tunes of live music performances from 5-9pm, while a group of talented DJs will throw a party on Saturday and Sunday.
On the 74th floor, a massive Christmas tree sits in the centre of the Indoor Observatory, leading tourists to the Mahanakhon SkyWalk. On the 78th floor, visitors can put themselves to the test by taking selfies at 310m against the background of Bangkok's horizon while standing on a magnificent glass floor.
Additionally, guests will get a free Christmas present from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Partygoers at Mahanakhon SkyWalk will be treated to a performance by Kaimook J on Dec 31 and well-known singer Tom Isara will take the stage on Jan 1.
