The holiday season is here, which means it’s time to celebrate! The UAE truly comes into its own when given the chance to celebrate and honour different cultural and religious holidays and festivals from around the world, bringing together people and faiths in a unique show of unity. At Christmas, there’s always an added dose of sparkle, with the Emirates coming together to make the holidays as festive and fabulous as possible. I used to retreat back to the UK every year, thinking England had the monopoly on making Christmas most magical, in all its wishful white Christmas glory, but I’ve since realised that, firstly, we get snow in the desert too (who knew!), and secondly, the holidays are as magical as you want them to be – and choose to make them – regardless of where you are in the world. So, this issue is dedicated to end-of-year celebrations of every kind – from Christmas to New Year, and the snowy foothills of the Alps to the sun-baked shores of the Seychelles.
Happy holidays, happy New Year!