Where Christmas is longer than in the Philippines

Christmas in the Philippines has been hailed by many, including “Mother and Father Christmas” Mariah Carey and Jose Mari Chan, as arguably the longest in the world, with decorations starting to pop up and carols beginning to fill the air as early as September.

But don’t you know that there is a place in Austria that challenges the Philippines as having the longest Christmas in the world?

In fact, in Museo de la Navidad de Salzburgo, Salzburger Weihnachtsmuseum, or simply “Christmas Museum,” Christmas is celebrated not only when -Ber months come, but all-year-round!

But more than just a showcase of Christmas trees and decors, this unique museum in Mozart Plaza, Salzburg is divided into two parts: the “heavenly” Christmas and the “hell” one. Upon entering, one can choose which entrance to go in first.

The “heavenly” side is stereotypically Christmas: happy and stout Santa Clauses, brightly-lit Christmas trees, festive and interactive toy gifts, greeting cards and giant advent calendars through the ages.

The “hell” part, literally, had demon Santa Clauses, elves and other scary stuff, all displayed in a dark exhibition, which not all guests might dare to take pictures of or even look at.

No matter where you choose to enter, you exit through only one way — the souvenir shop, through which you could take home a unique and handcrafted holiday décor to take home as an ornament for your own Christmas tree — yes, including pieces from the “hell” Christmas.

Open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., for a minimal entrance fee for adult and children, the museum, in general, offers interactive exhibits that both the young and young-at-heart can appreciate to learn more about Christmas traditions all over the globe – but the museum is yet to include an artifact from the country with the so-called “longest” Christmas in the world.