New Year's Eve on the Herzliya Promenade, Israel

In Netanya, where winter means +16–20°C and occasional rains, the New Year’s holiday is hardly felt on the streets. Yet the desire to experience the magical December spirit, together with the rest of the world, is very real. One of the brightest moments leading up to New Year 2025 was the festive atmosphere at the Arena Mall in Herzliya.

Every December, Russian-speaking Israelis start looking for information on where New Year’s will be celebrated that year and where they can buy all the traditional things we are used to: baubles, garlands, tinsel, gnomes, party hats, and festive crackers. This year, the New Year’s bazaar opened in early December. The Arena Mall fair seemed like the perfect choice for me — it’s close to Netanya and combines shopping with a pleasant walk along the marina. The mall doors open directly onto the waterfront.

I visited on a Friday afternoon, like most shoppers. The bazaar offered a Moscow-style abundance of Christmas tree decorations, artificial trees, garlands, and sparkling tinsel. What caught my eye were the glass ornaments in the traditional Gzhel style, with their blue-and-white patterns, as well as the countless figures of Ded Moroz, Snow Maidens, and little gnomes.

To complete the atmosphere, Russian New Year’s songs played throughout the first floor of the mall, while Ded Moroz himself walked around with his staff, making it feel like a real Moscow winter fair.

The most unique dissonance came when I walked out with my newly bought tree, a bag of tinsel, and party hats — only to be greeted not by snow and frost, but by the sunny marina and yachts.

Visiting such New Year’s bazaars, whether in Herzliya or the German Colony in Haifa, is a way to prepare for the holiday, soak up the festive spirit, and indulge in nostalgia. And of course, to record a fun video for friends scattered around the world — wearing a Santa hat, wrapped in tinsel, standing proudly by the tree.