How many of you spend Christmas in a different place away from home?
My family has always had ours in Christchurch (NZ), moving from our own home to the homes of our siblings.
A few years ago my family travelled to France for several months, so that we could experience a northern hemisphere winter. I concluded with the view that Christmas was made for the Europeans! In the southern hemisphere the month of December is manic as we have schools and businesses winding up for their summer vacations. Everyone wants their work completed “by Christmas”. There are school break-ups, work social events, everyone wants to have a party before people disperse for their summer vacations, and everyone is busily preparing to go away for a three or four week holiday. At the same time you are trying to do some Christmas shopping for your nearest and dearest, which involves driving on the roads which are already chocker with people going to school break-ups, attending work social events etc. etc.!
In France we did not have any of these stresses. People just enjoyed Christmas for Christmas’ sake. They went to the magical Christmas markets in a leisurely manner. There were no work events, no school break-ups, no stress!! So you wrap yourself up in a winter coat, wrap a scarf around yourself and head out into the streets to see the decorations, to stop at the corner seller with his glasses of “vin chaud” (warm mulled wine). Then you walk past the oyster sellers, always with a queue of people selecting these delicacies to take back to their apartments. You have the time to consider and prepare a feast, time to choose your chocolate Buche de Noel (chocolate log cake), and to select your seafood platter, and to leisurely browse the wine shelves.
So back in New Zealand, it’s summer. It can be very hot. Very busy! The arrival of 26 December is almost a relief!!
For me the thing that I most appreciated in France was being able to think about Christmas without the extra pressures. But at the end of the day, what more would you want, as long as you have your family around you. Joyeux Noel!
For other writings on Christmas I especially point out this article by Norbert from GloboTreks who writes about the joys of coming home for Christmas. As well you should enjoy reading what Caz Makepeace from yTravelblog.com has to write about her experiences of Christmas Day.
Decorations in Riquewihr, Alsace
Christmas street decorations
Houses decorated for Christmas
Decorations in Colmar
That's me with my son in Eguisheim - trying to keep warm!!
One way for Santa to arrive - in Colmar!
Now here are photos of some places where Christmas decorations just fit right in! We’re never “home” for the holidays…sometimes we visit family, but we live so far away from everyone that my husband and I just spend it together. Home is where the heart is, I suppose
Agree! I don’t care where I am as long as my closest are with me! By the way my wife is Andrea, and I’m John!!! Snap!
Love the post and the fantastic pictures! I particularly like the idea that in France “People just enjoyed Christmas for Christmas’ sake.” Isn’t that a great thing? If only we could always take away the stresses. We should at least aspire to that and just enjoy the holidays.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, John!
Maybe you could try a European Christmas one year?? Try and do it once at least!
Have a wonderful Christmas!
I’ll be spending mine in Vientiane, Laos. We’ve even found a little pub run by an ex-pat that’s doing a full Christmas dinner on the 25th. As long as I get some turkey and gravy, I’m happy!
I once had Christmas in Asia and it was the strangest thing ever!! So to be surrounded by ex-pats will be fantastic – have a great time!
Happy Christmas to John,and Family and Blog Friends,
We have also spend many Xmas Holidays visiting countries
and really enjoyed the experience since 1998.
New Zealand is home, but Xmas in San Francisco,Carmel, USA, Grand Canyon, on a cruise to Mexico, Cape Town, and Hawaii , Cruise in the Caribbean Islands, Fiji, and Australia has wonderful memories, and experiences that we will never forget and appreciate for the rest of our lives. Life is before us still , and we want to make the most of your youthful years to experience the greatest times of our life. We have many years of wonderful travel and look forward to more. Christmas Greetings to all Travellers, and lovers of experiences of life. Its the best education that one can obtain. Our travels really started when we were both 13 years of age – and that’s a bonus, and a big thanks to our parents.
Great post John. I think what you have written here is fascinating and something I never thought of. It makes so much sense. A southern hemisphere Christmas is full of busyness and stress, purely because of the season and all that is happening at this time of year.
In the Northern hemisphere you do get to focus just on Christmas. Craig and I were only talking this afternoon how Christmases always felt like Christmas more when it was winter. And we didn’t even grow up with it being this way. I get it more thanks to your post!
I love that photo with you and your son
Thanks Caz. I had dinner with a doctor friend last night and she was saying that even doctors are rushing through their operating schedules so they can get away in time for Christmas and their annual holidays – I’m glad I’m not on the operating schedule!!
Sorry, I forgot to say, thanks for the trackback to my post
Are you on twitter by the way?
I love reading about different Christmas traditions as I have only spent it in my hometown, with the exception of one year in Buenos Aires, which was a shock to me as it was summer down there. Being from the US, we are obviously a consumer driven society, which makes for utter chaos during the holidays, to the point of annoyance. Sometimes it’s just too much. The French seem to have it figured out. We got the same feeling in Argentina as the culture as a whole is just so laid back. It was quite nice not to be running around like crazy the weeks leading up to Christmas. Great post!
The Argentinians must be similar in their approach – do you think it is the English speaking countries that get so busy and stressed over Christmas – there’s a research project for someone!!
Neat that all that comes from Alsace, just across the border from me.
I’ve even been to Riquewihr.
Maybe France is different than Germany, but here we are still trying to get stuff done before Christmas. So many people take vacations that things just stop, so you have to get projects finished before people leave and drink and forget stuff.
Thanks Andrew! I guess you’ll be sampling a bit of gluwhein (vin chaud) in between sampling the local beers!!
Great post, John. If Christmas were more about spending time with family, and less about driving ourselves crazy getting a million things done, then I might actually like this holiday a little more. Christmas in France sounds like my kind of holiday! Minus the cold.
But the cold is one of the best parts about it! Sitting in a little bar with a mulled wine, or at home in the warmth preparing a lovely dinner with a red wine looking out at the fluffy snow flakes drifting from above!! Then you could also head out to do some ice skating on one of the many ice skating rinks in the centre of Paris!! Magic!!!