However, work commitments, health issues or financial considerations keep others in their host countries to celebrate the holiday season in a different environment than they are used to, without their extended family. For some, this sparks homesickness and sadness, but with forward planning and organisation, the holiday season overseas is a chance to hold on to well-established family traditions, or start new ones that you will cherish and associate with your time overseas.
Linking Up with Family and Friends
If making it back to your base country is out of the question and your family cannot travel to you, make the most of technology to link up this holiday season. A webcam session on Christmas day so that grandparents can see their grandchildren opening presents, a chat session at Thanksgiving or a telephone call spreading good wishes for the year ahead on New Year’s Eve will close the distance a little, despite the miles in between.
Recreating & Adapting Traditional Celebrations
With planning, you can obtain the items you need to make the holiday season familiar and in line with your family traditions by visiting expat shops, internet shopping, and thinking ahead when you make a visit to your home country. Asking family and friends to send over food packages can also provide you with everything you need for the holiday period. After all your planning, if there is something missing from your Christmas meal, substitute it with local produce.
Try using your expat location to create new traditions whilst honouring old ones. For example, if you display a Christmas tree in your home, then take a trip as a family to a new place to choose a tree together. If you combine this trip with a lunch or sightseeing you create a new element to an existing family tradition.
Make the Most of Your Location
If you are used to snowy Christmas days or a grey, rainy New Year, then use a different climate to celebrate Christmas in a new way. British expats in Australia are a great example of changing celebrations to fit the environment: a breakfast BBQ on the beach on Christmas morning is something a Brit would probably not try back home.
If your host country does not recognise your chosen celebration as a national holiday then perhaps the local restaurants offer you a chance to embrace a new tradition by keeping you all out of the kitchen. Maybe many establishments are shut for the holiday period back home and the option to dine out in your favourite restaurant with your family is not available.
Your host location may incorporate a celebration into the calendar that you do not usually celebrate, but being overseas gives you the chance to embrace a new culture. Celebrating along with the locals can provide you and your family with fond memories and new experiences. For example, an expat in the Netherlands is faced with swarms of children excited by the prospect of Sinterklaas arriving, and eagerly put their shoes out for presents. Celebrating your usual holidays but also embracing the local traditions is enriching for your children, as well as a cultural experience for you on your own expat journey.
Sharing Traditions with Other Expats
It is likely that other expats in your location are also staying for the holiday season and getting together provides opportunities to create new traditions for your family. Experiencing how other nationalities celebrate Christmas adds to the expat experience of a holiday overseas. A Christmas meal created out of traditional courses from various countries can create a spectacular event; mixing traditions from different nations such as popcorn strings from the US, Spanish Christmas sweets and British Christmas crackers filled with novelty items and party hats can make the day unique and memorable.
You can also take advantage of the abundance of events that expat groups usually organise during the holiday season: special parties for the children, Christmas or New Year balls or informal get-togethers. These kinds of events are guaranteed to get you into the festive spirit, wherever you are celebrating the holiday season.
More Expat Resources
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