London warmly welcomes Christmas this year as the city plays host to a series of wonderful festive events. The city is the perfect place to spend the Christmas season with family and friends and soak up the magnificent atmosphere, with stunning Christmas lights, numerous festive events, Christmas markets with treats, gifts and delicious seasonal food. There is no doubt that London and Christmas most certainly go hand in hand.

This year London will twinkle with an array of magical Christmas light displays to brighten up your Christmas shopping trips. Each and every year the lights have a different theme and this year the Regent Street lights celebrate the London 2012 Games, with Marmite sponsoring the Oxford Street lights, and the Carnaby lights designed by the Rolling Stones. some of this year's big names include Robbie Williams, said to be on Oxford Street and Taylor Swift, heard to be coming to Westfield London.

There are also so many other magical events throughout the city this Christmas. Make sure that you don't miss the wonderful fair taking place in Hyde Park, featuring the UK's largest ice rink, a huge observation wheel, a tempting Christmas market, family favourite Zippos Circus and the Bavarian Village and many more festive treats. The Winter Wonderland also contains the Magical Ice Kingdom, a sparkling frozen realm in which visitors will encounter more than 500 ice sculptures.

A Christmas concert in London is sure to put you into the festive spirit. The cities major concert venues all stage performances this Christmas. Many feature world-famous singers and orchestras as well as family-friendly, singalong shows. Beautiful historic houses and churches in London also have a wide range of recitals to lift the spirits and put everyone in a festive mood. Pantomimes are also a great Christmas tradition in London. Typically based on traditional children's fairy stories, family pantos contain song, dance, comedy, slapstick, magic, innuendo-riddled word-play, cross-dressing, and of course, audience participation.

With so much hustle and bustle during the holidays it might be hard to forget that there is nothing more exciting than meeting Santa at Christmas. However, he will be making appearances all over London this year. How does he manage to be in so many different places at once? It must be all the Christmas magic!

However exciting every other Christmas activity is, ice-skating will always be one of London's favourite winter pastimes. When the temperatures drops in the city, you can keep warm with a spin on several different ice rinks in London. Whether you fancy ice skating in front of a historical backdrop at Somerset House, taking to the ice at the new Westfield Stratford City or a skate with a view at the Tower of London, you'll find it in London this festive season.

Make sure you don’t miss out on Christmas this year in London. All in all, this wonderful city has something to offer all ages, making it the perfect place to get some Christmas cheer with events taking place at varying venues and times over Christmas and throughout winter.