Celebrating Festive Beauty Around The World

Celebrating Festive Beauty Around The World

 

This year has flown by and we’re fast approaching the festive season. Staying true to the spirit of Shush in celebrating all things beautiful, we’re taking our readers on a journey around the world to experience some of the most stylish, enchanting events taking place this season. From Christmas in London, New York City to Hanukkah in Tel Aviv and New Year’s Eve in Venice, we’d love you to join us on this very special adventure…

 

Seasonal Celebrations London

 

 

London Lights are shining brightly with some of the world’s most recognised and famous stores,

Such as Harrods, Selfridges and Liberty’s fully adorned and glistening away to welcome people from

All over the world though their doors for festive designer shopping treats.

 

Giving the Gift of Preloved With Us At Shush

 

Style is such a personal choice which is why our online gift vouchers make the perfect present for those people in your life that adore preloved designed fashion but want to choose their own forever pieces. Our collections include items from a wide range of iconic and more niche designers with limited edition, classic and unique pieces worth anything from £25-£50,000. They are also the perfect present for those who wish to snap up a bargain in the January sales and discover truly show stopping pieces at great price points.

 

And did you know that we have a bricks and mortar store as well as our online shop? Packed with gorgeous luxury pieces just waiting to find their worthy owners, our shop is located in leafy St John’s Wood, just 10 minutes from London’s Oxford Street by bus or tube. With plenty of gorgeous restaurants and bars on our doorstep, we offer the ideal opportunity for shoppers to find some truly beautiful pieces before relaxing with a glass of champagne and watching the world go by. We look forward to welcoming you!

 

Christmas in The Big Apple

 

Spending any part of the festive season in New York City feels like being an extra in a magical Christmas film. The entire city is lit up from the world-famous window displays along 5th Avenue to the Empire State Building rising proudly against the city skyline.

 

The New York Botanical Garden is magical at the best of times but their “Let It Glow” festive celebrations take things to a whole new level. The outdoor light adventure uses thousands of energy-efficient colourful LED lights and dramatic festive installations along a 1.5-mile illuminated trail. This all takes place against a backdrop of dance performances, ice carving demonstrations and outdoor bars where you can warm up with a hot cocoa whilst wandering around the Bronx Night Market Holiday Pop-Up.

 

Festive celebrations in NYC are all about glitter, and we also love the celebrations at the Central Park Conservancy. Here, you can join a decades-old tradition and sing holiday carols among twinkling festive lights before enjoying the lighting of a flotilla of trees on the Harlem Meer. And don’t forget to visit Rockefeller Centre and be dazzled by the world-famous Christmas tree.

 

Enjoy the Festival of Light in Tel Aviv

 

If you’re not familiar with Hanukkah, this is a holiday that even the most secular of Jews can often be found celebrating. Also known as the Festival of Light, Hanukkah marks the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabean revolt against the Syrian-Greek army. Candles are lit on a special candelabrum with nine branches, called a menorah. Each night, one additional candle is lit by the main ninth candle until the final night when every candle burns bright.

 

This is a truly joyous holiday where songs are sung and oil-based foods are consumed en masse (doughnuts and latkes are especially popular) to commemorate when the Maccabees had to light a menorah that would burn within the temple at all times. The oil should have lasted for just one day but it miraculously burned for eight days, making Hanukkah a wonderful time to celebrate miracles. Often referred to as the “Jewish Christmas”, children typically receive small presents on each night of Hannukah and one large present on the final night.

 

Candles and Doughnuts

 

On the first night of Hannukah, the public menorah lighting in Tel Aviv’s Independence Park (Gan Ha’atzmaut) is a beautiful way to celebrate the opening of this festival with a real community spirit. There’s plenty of fun to be had with craft activities for the kids and live music performances

 

Menorah lightings take place across the city throughout the holiday, with some of the most exciting events taking place at Rabin Square and HaBima Square.

 

The traditional food of sufganiyot (strawberry jam-filled doughnuts) can be found across the city with all types of flavours – the Roladin chain of cafes are renowned by locals for having some of the most delicious varieties including Dulce de Leche.

 

New Year’s Eve in Venice

 

While Sydney, Dubai and Rio de Janeiro are famous for their New Year’s Eve parties, this year many people are keen to venture a little closer to home. While it’s more instantly famous for its canals and romantic backdrops, the Italian city of Venice also happens to offer some of the most vibrant New Year celebrations in the world. New Year in Italy means embracing all for which the country is best known and loved – delicious food, delicious wine and parties that just keep going.

 

Start your evening with a lavish dinner - the “Cenone di Capodanno’ is a hearty and super-traditional New Year’s Eve dish made of lentils and sausages, offered in all of the best restaurants in Venice – or aboard a boat if you’re feeling adventurous! Afterwards, head down to the Big Party at St Mark’s Square to enjoy live song and dance performances. You’ll welcome 2022 with the sound of the bells of the Campanile and then dive headfirst into the New Year with a truly spectacular midnight fireworks display.

 

If you fancy celebrating in a more relaxed style, take in a New Year’s Eve concert at Teatro la Fenice. From the elegance of the music to the beauty of your surroundings, this is an experience that will create the most beautiful memories.


Styling it up in 2022

Aside from beauty and hedonism in abundance, another thing that our three festive destinations have in common is that they are all renowned fashion capitals. While London, New York City and Venice have both been firm favourites on the global fashion map for decades, Tel Aviv is the continually rising star that has been credited with bringing some of the most original, ambitious designers to the world catwalk. Famous names include Shahar Avnet whose designs have been rocked by none other than Beyonce herself, and Alon Livne, whose pieces have been worn by Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga.

 

A shopping trip in Israel’s fashion capital is a true adventure regardless of the type of fashion you are looking for. At one end of the city, we have the world-famous Jaffa Flea Market offering vintage, one-of-a-kind pieces – on the other side, you’ll find the high-end boutiques along Neve Tzedek offering endlessly luxurious, show stopping pieces from iconic global designers. This is the place where fashion dreams really do come true.