Christmas Traditions

Go ahead; break from tradition this Christmas…a bit.

We all perceive the concept of tradition, as the notion of holding on to a previous time, but being an expat means your holiday traditions may just have to take on new forms.  

Christmas decorations in New York

I remember well my fist English Christmas. I looked forward to experiencing the very English traditions the British side of my family upheld. I eagerly embraced pantomime, mince pies, Christmas pudding and what I would characterise as rather understated decorations (keeping in mind I was used to New York City decorations where bigger is always better). I even voluntarily took part in my husband’s unique tradition of having ham for Christmas morning breakfast. It was an amazing Christmas, my first exposure to a very large family celebration filled with laughter, warmth and an overall jovial spirit. I was overwhelmed. 

Bouche Noel

As the years progressed I did have to admit that mince pies, Christmas pudding and childhood paper ornaments were not really my thing and the pantomime I just found annoying, And so there were years when the over the top, verging on gaudy, decorations filled most corners of our flat, bouche noel was served at the end of the Christmas meal and there was not a mince pie to be found.

Mince Pies

For a while a sense of relief came over me that I was still able to just about hold onto the Christmas traditions that I had grown up with and I believed, rather selfishly, that my husband would come around to my style. After all, isn’t Christmas tradition more of a girly thing? Then I began to take in what was around me during the holiday. Mince pies were served with great enthusiasm at each Christmas fair and party we went to, families spoke of their annual outing to the Pantomime with contagious excitement and the understated decorations even began to grow on me. 

Pantomime

I have realised that transporting my exact traditions to a foreign country didn’t really feel right and often led to frustration. Simple things like finding the correct brand of candy cane ended in defeat. I am certain not to be alone in admitting that this is not really the spirit of the holiday. I felt alone in my quest for Christmas. Equally I felt like a fake going all out British. 

Today we have settled on a blend of English and American traditions. More importantly we have exposed our children to a multitude of traditions, some of which they will embrace when they get older and some of which they are sure to dispose of! Yes, it is great to hold onto a previous time but do not miss the chance to take on some new traditions of your own.
Happy holidays! 

Written by Nancy Dickinson who is the Director of Events and Seminars at FOCUS.