If you’re heading to Toronto Pearson International Airport, you have one more day to take advantage of their “tweet-a-carol” program.

Anyone with family or friends traveling on a flight within Canada though December 24 can send a tweet to @torontopearson with the passengers’ first name and flight number and airport carolers will greet them with a holiday song on arrival.

At Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, travelers might be able to spot Santa Claus through December 26 and encounter the white Wish Fairies, the Xmas Skate Girls and other performers.

And through the end of January, 2012, Jan Dellaertplein, the square in front of the terminal, remains transformed into a winter wonderland complete with an ice-skating rink and complimentary skate rentals.

And, of course, NORAD , the U.S.-Canadian military organization that spends the rest of the year focused on the aerospace and maritime defense of the United States and Canada, is using a wide variety of sophisticated methods to track Santa’s progress around the world.

Here’s a tracking map to see where Santa is now:

Have a great holiday!

Among my many favorites are the giant indoor slide –

And the sunflower and butterfly gardens -

The airport goes all out during the holidays with floral displays and decorations and this year the airport has installed a series of giant topiaries (plants and shrubs grown and shaped into figures and structures) in the form of iconic landmarks from around the world. Look for the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, the Temple of Heaven, Singapore’s Merlion and others.

Even if everything goes according to schedule, getting to and through the airport can be a real headache during the hectic holiday travel season.To ease the stress and help keep passengers in good spirits, many airports offer holiday entertainment, promotions and contests as well as discount offers at shops and restaurants throughout the terminals.

Here’s a taste of what’s on tap for this holiday season.

The LAX TSA choir - really!

For more, keep your smartphone handy when you travel: Many performances and special offers are still rolling out on airport websites and some events are being posted exclusively on airport Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.

Prizes and promotions

This year it may pay to save some cash – and room in your carry-on – for last-minute holiday shopping at the airport.

San Antonio International Airport’s (SAT) coupon campaign is available online and will be printed on boarding passes. Those with smartphones need only show the coupon on their phones to a participating vendor to use the offer. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is also offering discounts to travelers who use their smartphones to scan barcodes on signs throughout the airport.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s Holiday edition of the Eat, Shop, Relax guide runs through December 31 and includes more than 80 coupons for some of MSP’s most popular restaurants, shops and services.

At New York’s LaGuardia Airport, travelers can print out or download a coupon good through January 2, 2012 for 20% off an item in a participating store or restaurant in the Central Terminal Food & Shops program.

And, as part of one of the holiday promotions taking place at Boston Logan International Airport this season, travelers are invited to write and submit a letter to Santa in the St. Nick Send Me to St. Thomas contest, which has as first prize a trip for four to St. Thomas.

Decorations, music and more

Most airports have holiday decorations strung up, but Fresno Yosemite International Airport is once again hosting a display of eleven uniquely decorated Christmas trees. This year’s theme is “An Airport Christmas…non-stop adventure” and each tree will be decorated to highlight one of the airport’s non-stop destinations.

At the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, “the holiday decorations are up and the children will be singing and dancing,” reports airport spokesperson Allan Siegel. The airport is getting ready to host its 23nd Annual Winter Festival of Music. From December 12 through December 16th, more than 1,200 children from various Broward County elementary, middle and high schools will be performing throughout the airport terminals.

The seasonal Choral Concert Program is already underway at Pittsburgh International Airport. Performances take place on the pre-security ticketing level of the Landside Terminal and feature choirs and orchestras from local schools and community groups and runs through December 22nd. A series of early morning (6:30 am to 8:30 am) piano concerts continues through December 30th.

TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez confirms that at Los Angeles International Airport, the LAX TSA choir is scheduled to perform December 20th at Terminal 4 and December 22nd in the public area of the international terminal.

Appearances by Santa are expected at a several airports, including Philadelphia International Airport, where Santa will be strolling through the airport and stopping to pose for pictures through Christmas Eve. PHL also promises passengers Victorian carolers, visits from Philadelphia’s famous Mummers, music performances, dance troupes and other entertainment.

Karaoke at the Houston Airport

Nashville International Airport will fill five stages with holiday-themed performances by the Cremona Strings Ensemble, the Pattie Cossentino Jazz Quartet, The Nashtones, Freeplay, The Billie Gaines Band and others through December 22nd and, each Wednesday and Friday through December 23rd, San Francisco International Airport’s ‘You are Hear’ program will be offering holiday-entertainment at stages located post-security in Terminals 2 and 3 and pre-security in the International Terminal. On Friday, December 23rd, the Golden Gate Bell Ringers return for a performance in the International Terminal.

At Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, a storybook-costumed character will read to children at the Red Balloon Bookshop (near Gate C12) December 22-23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the hour and half-hour.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which offers 15 live music performances each week throughout the year, has a holiday festival line-up (December 19 through 22) that includes Bishop Sterling Lands, the Judy Lee Dancers (tap-dancers 60 and older), the Austin Jazz Workshop and the Austin Square & Round Dancers.

Passengers (and some airport employees) will help provide the entertainment this year at two airports: Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport opens the mikes for airport karaoke on December 19th and Detroit Metro Airport’s karaoke event takes place December 19-22. “It’s been a big hit in past years, and we look forward to another great week of filling the concourse with the talent of travelers and airport team members while also collecting contributions for a great cause! [the Salvation Army],” said airport spokesperson Scott Wintner.

And, beginning at 6 am on December 23rd, travelers will be serenaded by the Full Measure Carolers and the Rockin’ Cranberries at the San Diego International Airport.

This year, as it has in past years, the TSA is reminding both its workforce and non-Muslim travelers that “passengers may be observed in various areas in the airport – including in security checkpoints – or on aircraft, engaged in religious practices and meditations during Ramadan.”

On its website, the TSA includes a list of activities that passengers observing Ramadan will likely be engaging in.

[The message seems to be: Be respectful. And try not to overreact.]

Passengers observing Ramadan will abstain from any food, water, smoking or vices of any kind.
Passengers observing Ramadan are more likely to engage in prayer at airports or on airplanes while traveling than during other times of the year.
Before prayer, Muslims go through ablution, i.e., a cleansing or washing of certain areas of the body that is usually done in private if possible, but may be observed in airport restrooms.
Passengers observing Ramadan may be seen reading, listening to or orally reciting the Holy Qur’an at airports and on airplanes.
Passengers observing Ramadan may carry prayer beads and “whisper” prayers constantly.

To prove you’re a mom, show a photo of your kid or kids (or any kid or kids… ) at the time of purchase and you’ll receive a 15% discount on selected food, beverage and retail items at participating concessions displaying this sign.

This flower thing has become a tradition at JAX airport.  Back in 2009, volunteers handed out carnations on Valentine’s Day and again on Mother’s Day and the response was so positive that they decided to keep going.

(From the George Eastman House collection, via Flickr Commons)

Jacksonville International Airport offers travelers some other nice perks year-round. There’s an art gallery that hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions and permanent art that includes the work of Gregor Tuck, who cataloged the wide variety of gendered pictograms and glazed them onto the tiles surrounding the restroom entryways on Concourse C.

And if your mother was here, you’d know what she’d say… “Go before you get on the plane…”

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is participating in St. Louis’ Historic Soulard Mardi Gras celebration with a display of historic posters and the unveiling of five new Mardi Gras-themed rocking chairs.

The chairs were painted by local artists and will join the fleet of Lambert Rocks chairs.

The airport is also showcasing official Mardi Gras Posters that date back nearly 30 years.

Look for these colorful, festive displays in the lower level of Terminal 1 and the upper level of Terminal 2

“St. Louis Mardi Gras events began in February and will culminate with the River City Casino Grand Parade on March 5 and the Lumiere Place Light Up the Night Fat Tuesday Parade on March 8.”

At Florida’s Jacksonville International Airport (JAX), volunteers continued their tradition of handing out Valentine’s Day carnations to arriving and departing passengers.  (They do this on Mother’s Day as well).

The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum shared this cute Charles Lindbergh-inspired Valentine:

And, although it’s not polite to listen in to other people’s conversations, today while waiting in line at a coffeeshop, I overheard this heartwarming conversation between two men:

He #1: “So where are you taking your wife for Valentine’s Day dinner?”

He #2: “Nowhere. We went out yesterday.”

He #1: “So what? That was yesterday. Today is a new occasion.”

Consider visiting one of the “Surprisingly Romantic Places” I discovered for a slide-show story on Bing Travel.

There’s Verona, Italy, which is finishing up the annual Verona in Love festival today with love-themed concerts and dance performances, a heart-shaped market, a minute-long community kiss and free entry to historical sites, including Juliet’s home and tomb. For Valentine’s Day, the Juliet Club awards a “Dear Juliet” prize to the best of more than 5,000 letters that arrive in town each year seeking advice in matters of love.

In Atlantic City, where the slogan is “Always Turned On,” the Convention and Visitors Authority hosts a free Valentine’s Day group wedding, civil-union and renewal of vows ceremony. A champagne toast and wedding cake are included, but you’ll need your own New Jersey marriage or civil union license, available after a three-day mandatory waiting period.

Love doesn’t always last, but in Zagreb, Croatia, lost love is at least lovingly memorialized at the Museum of Broken Relationships. Two artists — they were once a couple themselves — curate a collection of memorabilia, love tokens and other items donated by those whose broken hearts are now, hopefully, on the mend.

Find more Surprisingly Romantic Places.