We’ll probably return to London for part three, but right now it’s time to explore the options elsewhere so everyone can start making plans for next holiday season. A varied selection today, with two music festivals, different continents and in two very different cities.

Chickasha Festival of Light
What: A festival that gets national attention within the USA and receives over 300,000 people each year. Lights (millions of them), displays, holiday music, a musically-choreographed light show, rides…
Where: Shannon Springs Park, Chickasha, Oklahoma, USA.
When: November 22nd to December 31st.
If you would like to know more about this festival, you can visit http://www.chickashafestivaloflight.com/

Via Magna Festival
What: Vocal music in the incomparable setting of Madrid. Different styles, different places and different artists for everyone to get a little bit of Christmas spirit. Carols, gospel, pop, flamenco and classics with renowned interpreters and new rising talents.
Where: Different locations in Madrid, Spain.
When: Activities everyday from December 10th to the 20th.
You can download a PDF file with the program at http://www.festivalviamagna.com/

Image: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What does London has to offer for Christmas 2011? A lot! Here are some ideas if you are planning to swap houses with someone in London during the holiday season:

Christmas at Westminster Abbey
What: A series of live performances, with classic choral pieces, carols and concerts.
Where: 20 Deans Yard, London, SW1P 3PA.
When: Starts November 29th and ends on Christmas Day with the Sung Eucharist.

Raymond Gubbay Barbican Christmas Festival
What: Varied performances, like Mozart by Candlelight, ballet with artists from the Russian State Ballet of Siberia, the traditional New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Galas, seasonal favourites, Lee Mead and apparently a special appearance of Santa Claus.
Where: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS.
When: Activities during one month from December 2nd, 2011 till January 2nd, 2012.

Royal Albert Hall Christmas Festival
What: Christmas carols, sing-alongs and festive songs with performances from the London Philharmonic Choir, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the King’s College Choir.
Where: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP.
When: December 2011, from the 12th till the 24th.

We have more events to help you plan your swap’s fun activities and we’ll keep sharing them. If you have ideas, let us know!

Image: Lokal_Profil photo taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Christmas in the temperate zone of the Northern hemisphere often times involves snow. This holiday season, it seems like it is going to be one of those white ones so it is not a bad idea to warm our hearts and souls with Christmas carols, the warmth of family gatherings and some tasty traditional treats. On the other hand, for many locations in the Southern hemisphere, Christmas and New Year arrive with the Summer just getting started so there is no need to warm anything up! In fact, it would be better to find a place to cool down during the day.

There is yet another scenario, and it is that of people living in countries between the tropics. Statistics show that around 40 percent of the world’s population lives in the tropical zone and they do now experience four season (autumn, winter, spring and summer); instead, often they see just two: a wet or humid season and a dry season.

How do you want to spend your Christmas this year? Do you want it to be a white one? Do you want to go to the beach after you open your presents? Here we have some suggestions for you to consider. If your Christmas this year is too cold or too hot, next year it does not have to be that way.

For a snowy Christmas: Europe (United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Russia, Denmark…) the United States, Canada.

For a hot Christmas: the Caribbean, most of South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru), Australia.

One of the greatest things about travelling is that it can make you to see the world with different eyes, and with home exchange you can also experience life as a local. If you arrange a holiday home exchange for 2011 or if you are getting ready for your Christmas swap of 2010, remember to share with your home exchange partner some details about the local traditions in your area. It may be a good idea to leave them a welcome basket with some traditional season treats as well

Christmas is near and you probably have already planned your home swap for this special time as we recommended last year when the holiday season was near. However, we could not let this special time go by without bringing you a very special Christmas week (maybe weeks) at HomeForHome’s blog. There are tons of things to share about Christmas, and we had to find just a few interesting facts like a needle in a haystack!

Our first interesting fact is for those anxious ones that cannot wait to see what is under the Christmas tree. For them, nothing better than spending Christmas in one of the countries where December 25th arrives first. For them, we recommend a home exchange to New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati or even Australia. These are the first countries west of the International Date Line, so the change from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day takes place here first than anywhere else. Of course, if you have a boat you can actually be the very first to receive Christmas, all you have to do is set your course to longitude 180°. Well, move a little to the west of the 180th meridianbecause we do not really know what happens if you are on the exact International Date Line

On the other hand, if you want to be among the last to receive Christmas, you should travel to places such as Tahiti (French Polynesia), Hawaii (United States) or Samoa. Let us tell you, checking out this three destinations, it does not sound bad at all to be the last people saying goodbye to Christmas Eve. It may be worth the effort to be the last to open your presents

For most of us, an ideal holiday vacation during the Christmas season would include skiing in the Alps or anywhere where the snow is good and the runs are challenging. But there is one little fact that we should face: skiing is not a cheap activity. With a bad economy that loomed over us throughout the year, our hard-earned moolahs must be spent wisely. Is it really possible to take a skiing vacation on a string? Would I be able to treat myself some decent skiing vacation with a tight budget? Well, the answer is yes. If you know how to spend your money wisely, that is.

Ski resort prices on the Alps really are quite pricey, and food and accommodation prices would definitely be sky-rocketing during the holidays. So here are a couple of ideas how you could cut back on the expenses. Most ski resorts are near a small town where prices for food and accommodation are cheaper than resort prices. I would suggest finding a home exchange at a nearby resort instead of spending on hotel accommodations. For example, St. Moritz in Switzerland is famous for its slopes and with prices to match. But the place is nearby Celerina, and if you have a car rented, Pontresina, Champfer, Samedan and Livigno are just a drive away. Well worth it if you would ask me. Purchasing package flights or flying in business would definitely cut you. Renting a car is also practical. Driving your way to the nearest resort would be a great comfort, plus you could go on drive-thrus or eat out instead of dining in places just around the resort. Lucky you if you would be able to get a home exchange and car exchange deal!

Seriously, there are lost more ways to be able to enjoy skiing on a budget. All you have to do is plan things out and find the cheapest deals. Be creative on how you should spend during your vacation.

If you´ve ever found the idea of Australians spending Christmas day tending the barbeque - or diving into their endlessly blue outdoor swimming pools - all rather weird and fascinating, then a Christmas home exchange might be right up your street. Alternatively, if you´re sick of the mildness of a British Christmas, with the weather flirting dangerously with the cold, yet never quite committing to the much longed for beauty of a “White Chrismas”, then you may also want to take a trip during the festive season. In Canada for example, they keep their fingers crossed every year that the season may bring them a rare and coveted “Green Christmas”. Hence, there´s more soft cottony snow than you can shake a stick at.

Although the idea of requesting a home exchange in order to spend christmas in somebody else´s house might feel a little strange, it´s actually a popular time of the year for home exchange. Most people take the opportunity for time off over the Christmas vacations, and it´s a special time to be with the family. So what better way to get that snug cosy touch than to spend Christmas in someone´s home?

You don´t have to worry about that clinical feeling of hotels, nor the idea of feeling a bit empty and away from what is familiar. Because you´ll be right in the centre of someone´s loved and cherished family home. It will be intimate and comfortable, whilst also offering you a wonderful new experience full of variety and spice, (and snow or sunshine, depending on what you´re after). It´s a great cheap way to have a marvellous christmas holiday, and is one of the many opportunities given by free home exchange.