Celestial might ... the interior of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral. Photograph: Graham Turner
There aren't that many buildings you can visit this time of year that make you think - ah, yes, I'm definitely in the mood for Christmas and ready for the turkey. But without identifying the secret lair where Santa builds up his arsenal of lead-coated toys from the People's Republic of China (like this equally controversial project, it's designed by Norman Foster and may also house his archive), here are some suggestions for places to visit that might help you manage more than a brief bah-humbug.
For snow
It wouldn't be Christmas without snow, except in Britain and Australia, but if you insist on soft flakes you're spoilt for choice. Still, it would be hard to beat this geodesic dome at the South Pole, run by American scientists - perhaps the ultimate Christmas destination in the world, and about as accessible from Heathrow as anywhere else on the 24th December. Also watch out for this amazing British base for future Christmases.
Likewise, you can't get much more wintry than the Ice hotel in Sweden, and it's handy for the reindeer as well!
For lights
Nothing says Christmas like maxing out the credit cards, but there's definitely something atavistically festive about lots of fairy lights. So combine the two for a contemporary Chrimbo! In the UK, it's hard to beat Harrods, which combines expense, bulbs and make-believe...especially now that Oxford Street has let itself go a bit.
In France, Galeries Lafayette is considerably more romantic and will also help you get your groceries to the sledge.
For a fat man in a suit
Where to start? The obvious place would be Number 10, but Gord Almighty tends to take things away (about 30% of them) rather than leave treats in stockings - that's Lord Admiral Alan West's job. It really is a government of all the talents.
For Baby Jesus
Commanding a price of close on £650,000 you'd expect this former stable block to come complete with frankincense, myrrh and a large pile of gold, if not a walk-in archangel, but they're just not listed in the home information pack.
In reality, you can't do much better than St Paul's, which may just be the greatest piece of architecture in the world (although it was widely hated by the public at the time - an argument since used to justify everything from brutalism to preserving St. Pancras). It's also supposed to be quite religious.
Choral Eurcharist on Christmas Eve is open to the public, and begins at 11.30pm. There's no better way to celebrate architecture and the true meaning of Christmas at the same time - unless of course you can still get tickets to Disneyland Paris.
