Where will we spend Christmas this year? In just a few days, we will be setting off on our year-long journey across Europe by motorhome. Many people are asking where we'll be spending Christmas. Let's just say we don't have a clue... France maybe? Spain? Portugal? We are not (in the least) traditional when it comes to Christmas, so for that reason it doesn't matter.
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ShareIf we have any tradition, it's about being in different places. Here are our last nine Christmases ... How traditional are you at Christmas? Where do you usually celebrate Christmas, and where will it be this year?
Table of contents
Gran Canaria 2005
One of our first trips abroad together. Don't really remember, but guess we "celebrated Christmas" at some restaurant ...
New Zealand 2006
Christmas dinner at the top of the Sky Tower in Auckland. New Zealand. On Christmas Day, however, everything was closed, so we had to stock up on simple supplies at a petrol station and eat in the motorhome.
Kenya 2007
On Christmas Eve we were probably at Dubai airport, but Christmas Day was celebrated in Nairobi, among dressed-up and Christmas-celebrating Kenyans.
Sälen 2008
Christmas with Peter and his brother's company and all the employees' families, with skiing in Sälen and with Santa Claus and presents!
Ukraine 2009
Christmas dinner in a restaurant with Ukrainian food and traditional Ukrainian entertainment in Kiev. It was a real wolf winter with lots of snow!
Morocco 2010
Camels still feel quite Christmassy, don't they? On Christmas Eve we had dinner at an Italian restaurant, if I remember correctly.
Stockholm 2011
Christmas dinner at home! We celebrated with family and relatives the day before (or the day after) and then we went ... to Kiev again.
Malaysia 2012
Christmas dinner at a simple beachside restaurant on the Langkawiwith a beer and your feet in the sand.
Philippines 2013
On Christmas Day, we were invited by the owner of the hotel and his wife in the Puerto Galeraand were treated to real Filipino Christmas food.
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Role o Carina says:
We're not big fans of Christmas these days!
We probably like your Malaysia Christmas best 🙂
Take care......
24 November 2014 - 11:24
Lennart says:
Christmas is like any other holiday these days!
Last Christmas Eve we went to a good barbecue restaurant outside Marbella!
Will probably be the same this year!
24 November 2014 - 11:53
Ama de casa says:
Wow, that was a really mixed Christmas.
🙂
Since we bought the apartment in 2003 we have celebrated all Christmases here (except one). I think that Christmas is often the most expensive time to go away, so we go at other times instead. We eat some Christmas food on Christmas Eve and then we have some films that we usually watch around Christmas (like Bad Santa, Life of Brian...). Before, we couldn't watch Donald and them so we made our own traditions.
🙂
Then we always eat plank steak the day before Christmas Eve.
🙂
24 November 2014 - 12:14
Ditte says:
We don't really have any Christmas traditions. Mostly we have been away to warmer places over Christmas; Thailand several times, the Canary Islands, cruises in warmer latitudes, Vietnam and sometimes Åland. When we lived in Beijing, we were at home here in Stockholm just over Christmas and met my daughters.
I don't like Christmas, but when we are at home we have a modified Christmas table with the usual, (on a small scale) and then lobster and prawns later in the evening.
My favourite thing about Christmas Eve is the sand between my toes...
It's great to see where you're going this year.
24 November 2014 - 12:25
Mr Lars Permelin says:
Nowadays we take it pretty easy. Last Christmas was celebrated with children and grandchildren. This Christmas we will celebrate in a different way. We will probably have other things much more important to us, such as getting fully recovered and restored to health.
24 November 2014 - 13:14
BP says:
Superbly mixed Christmases. We are also not tradition-bound and have rarely celebrated Christmas and/or New Year at home. That way you don't have to decorate too;-)
24 November 2014 - 13:43
Marina says:
As long as the children were at home, we celebrated Christmas at home with a tree and Santa Claus in a very traditional way. Nowadays it's not so fussy and Christmas is still happening!
24 November 2014 - 16:18
Åsa says:
For us, Christmas has had a bit of a revival since we had children. Before that, we had no great need to celebrate Christmas, especially during the years we were travelling. In the Swedish climate, the Christmas celebration becomes a small ray of light in the winter darkness if you don't make it too complicated and stressful. Of course, it feels a little strange and not at all as meaningful to celebrate Christmas in the sun and heat, but really there is no connection between the Christmas celebration, the baby Jesus and all that, and snow. Quite the opposite actually! Soon we will celebrate our second Christmas in Portugal. We have no Advent candlesticks, no Christmas decorations, no Christmas tree and there will be no Christmas table. However, we have been to IKEA and bought mulled wine (it can be a bit chilly in the evenings and rainy days here too) and gingerbread dough. If we light the fire, it will be a bit Christmassy. That's enough! / Åsa in Portugal
24 November 2014 - 16:26
admin says:
Rolle and Carina, Malaysia Christmas was probably a favourite for us too!
🙂
Lennart, good food and good company go a long way!
🙂
Ama de casa, I can definitely agree that Christmas is an expensive time to go away. Often we have had to adapt to work and schools, however, and then it has become so anyway....
Ditte, you have also celebrated Christmas in different parts of the world!
Lars, health is always one of the most important things!
BP, we like the idea of not having to decorate!
Marina, there is a difference when you have children at home!
Åsa, it sounds like you'll have a great time! And of course it will be a little different when you have children. I agree about Christmas and the snow, but as a northerner you have always associated it ...
😉
24 November 2014 - 16:59
Ladies Abroad says:
I agree with you; Christmas for me is nothing more than a bunch of days off that are best utilised on a beach somewhere. Being at home with so many days off feels completely wrong, even if it is more expensive to travel over Christmas as someone else commented. But you also have to take into account what you earn from not having to take as many holiday days to go away.
24 November 2014 - 22:56
Casa Annika says:
I love Christmas! At least before, when I look forward to it.
The first Christmas in Spain I was so disappointed. I had expected a celebration like the one in Sweden. Here, Christmas is a bit like any other celebration. Food with the family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Staying up all night until the 25th. Often lamb or some nice fish for dinner, traditional Spanish Christmas treats. No tree, no elves but a big crib.
Now it feels okay, I take it for what it is. Here, Epiphany is the big day in the Spanish Christmas celebrations, so I always want to be here. When you eat the traditional Roscón de Reyes with a little hidden figure in the cream and watch the parade and get Christmas presents.
This year we will be in Sweden with relatives on Christmas Eve, and I'm looking forward to it so much I'm going crazy! Less than a month left now, on the 23rd we leave!
25 November 2014 - 1:38
Snows says:
Christmas is one of my favourite holidays. This year we are celebrating it at our house. For the first time, all the children are together. For the last four years, some of them have spent Christmas abroad...
25 November 2014 - 7:10
admin says:
Ladies Abroad, it is unfortunately more expensive to travel over Christmas, but as you also point out, you have also earned some days off...
Casa Annika, wonderful to go to Sweden when you are longing for it! I think that Christmas celebrations can be very nice, but then I like travelling even more... Traditions can be different, and the difficult thing can be when expectations are not met, but as you say, there can be new holidays and festivals worth celebrating!
Znogge, fun when everyone is together!
25 November 2014 - 9:48
Anna in Qatar says:
Christmas at home in Sweden is the most cosy thing I know (ok sometimes the most cosy anyway). I have celebrated Christmas here in Qatar, in Oman, in France and it was nice but it was probably because I lived in Sweden then. Now I count down the days!
03 December 2014 - 12:22
Lisa & life on the bright side says:
Every other year at home, every other year abroad.
07 Laos, 08 home (with new baby), 09 Thailand, 10 home (in week 40+0 with new baby), 11 Australia, 12 home, 13 Dubai, 14 home.
15... hm, we'll see. Vietnam, Bali or the Philippines are on my wish list anyway.
03 December 2014 - 21:46