What is your relationship with Christmas? Is it Christmas ham, Jansson's and gift-giving with your family, or would you rather relax with an umbrella drink somewhere in Southeast Asia? Are you the one trying to combine a Christmas abroad with the classic ham and mustard?
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ShareWe have celebrated Christmas in Sweden a few times, but even more often abroad. Here's a brief summary of our Christmas destinations. Would you like to visit any of these places for Christmas? What are your own plans for Christmas?
Table of contents
Gran Canaria 2005
Three families and lots of children - we spent our first Christmas abroad in Gran Canaria. There wasn't much Christmas celebration here, but there was a lot of sunshine and a lot of hanging out in restaurants.
New Zealand 2006
We made our dream trip to New Zealand over Christmas and New Year 2006/2007. We had planned an adventure every day and the focus was hardly on Christmas celebrations - yet we celebrated Christmas Eve with a nice dinner at the top of the SkyTower in Auckland. The next day was worse. We learned the hard way that everything except petrol stations was closed on 25 December ...
On the way to Kenya, 2007
We didn't make it to Christmas Eve but celebrated at an airport somewhere along the way. When we arrived in Nairobi it was Christmas Day and people in the city were dressed to the nines in beautiful boots. "Merry Christmas!" shouted every single person. Perfect Christmas atmosphere!
Ukraine, 2009
Kiev in Ukraine was a cool place to celebrate Christmas! We pulsed around in thick snow, shopped for furry clothes and visited the cave monastery in Lavra. In the restaurants, you could choose between gold-shimmering luxury and grandmotherliness with folk dancing.
Morocco, 2010
We took Peter's son Billie to Marrakech and spent a week in this vibrant and colourful city. There may not have been much Christmas celebration, but there were palaces, quad bikes and camels.
Malaysia, 2012
We landed in Malaysia on 24 December, so the question is where did we celebrate Christmas? There was hardly any Christmas spirit on the beaches in Langkawibut we experienced great days on the beach, cosy restaurants and exciting jungle adventures.
Philippines, 2013
Christmas is an important holiday in the Philippines and we had barely landed before we were invited to the home of a family in the Philippines. Filipino Christmas food. By coincidence, we also ended up in a Swedish restaurant where we found both herring and gravad salmon ...
Spain, 2015
We started our 1 year long trip around Europe at the end of November 2014 and by Christmas Eve we had reached the Picos de Europa in northern Spain. The gas was almost gone and the electricity at the campsite was not enough to heat the motorhome. But what does that matter when you have an adventure ahead of you...?
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English (UK) 
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anita says:
We are travelling this Christmas. Where are we travelling to? We will celebrate Christmas in the exotic country of Sweden! We are hoping for a really nice Christmas with lots of snow. My husband is afraid that there will be nothing but herring, beetroot salad and Swedish meatballs on the Christmas table. I told him that he should bring some Cretan sausages if he doesn't want to eat Swedish prince sausages. For me, it is more than enough if there is Christmas ham and crispbread.
02 December 2017 - 6:10
Helena says:
How wonderful that you come to Sweden over Christmas! 🙂 Wish you (and us!) a lot of snow and hope that the husband finds something on the Christmas table that tastes good 😉.
02 December 2017 - 9:10
pilla says:
I always travel around Christmas! Been over 15 years since I was in Sweden for the whole weekend. When I grew up, we went with the family, then I have lived abroad or travelled by myself. It is part of my Christmas traditions. Dislike spending the holidays in Sweden in general.
02 December 2017 - 8:34
Helena says:
For us, being abroad is probably also more of a tradition than being at home, although we have alternated a bit. Where do you plan to spend Christmas this year?
02 December 2017 - 9:11
Åke says:
Thanks for the nice comment! Christmas celebration: It will be at home ? probably a little further out in the archipelago in a summer cottage on another paradise ? Where I also used my hammer... But actually I would have enjoyed mixing my garden visitors at my big windows with squirrels, deer and all the birds ?
02 December 2017 - 8:42
Helena says:
Christmas in the archipelago sounds cosy! But of course I understand that you enjoy your large windows to nature! 🙂
02 December 2017 - 9:11
The travel dream says:
I have also celebrated Christmas in Malaysia, but in Penang. I have also celebrated several Christmases abroad in places like New York (where most things were closed on the 25th) and Nepal. I have also spent several Christmas Eves at work (health care) but I have also celebrated Christmas with family and relatives. This year it will be with family and relatives. I think the Philippines seems the most interesting of your Christmases abroad.
02 December 2017 - 9:04
Helena says:
Nepal sounds very interesting and exciting! The Philippines is a nice and nice country to travel around in! 🙂
02 December 2017 - 9:12
Husis blog says:
The owners are divided on this issue. The female owner does not want to celebrate Christmas abroad while the male owner would like to do so in a warm country. They have not celebrated Christmas abroad, but have travelled just after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
At least this year they will be travelling at Christmas, because the Christmas holidays will be celebrated in Gothenburg.
02 December 2017 - 9:16
Helena says:
It's probably not uncommon to have different opinions about this kind of thing, but that doesn't make it any easier ... Wishing you a great Christmas in Gothenburg!
02 December 2017 - 14:28
Snows says:
I've never celebrated Christmas abroad but it wouldn't bother me if I did. Christmas food is not for me and the holiday is what you make of it. One New Year I celebrated in Egypt when I visited my daughter who worked there. Very festive and different celebration!
02 December 2017 - 9:30
Helena says:
interesting to experience the New Year celebrations in Egypt! 🙂
02 December 2017 - 14:29
Ama de casa says:
Most Christmases in recent years we have celebrated at home. At home here in Spain that is. Last year, however, we went on a cruise and were somewhere on the sea off Chile on Christmas Eve itself.
When I was little, we often celebrated Christmas abroad with my parents. It was important to take advantage of the school holidays. I remember that I was very angry to have to wait for the Christmas presents until the 25th when we were in Florida and celebrated Christmas 😀.
02 December 2017 - 9:37
Helena says:
Wait for the Christmas presents until the 25th ,,,, I would probably have thought that was a disaster as a child ...! Then the priorities change a bit ... 😉 😉
02 December 2017 - 14:30
Liniz Travel says:
So many wonderful Christmas and travel destinations! I have also celebrated Christmas abroad but the husband does not want.... so celebrated with him since we met! Hugs
02 December 2017 - 9:42
Helena says:
Ok, then I understand that you celebrate at home. But you usually manage to get many trips anyway! 🙂
02 December 2017 - 14:31
Across the board says:
This year we will celebrate Christmas at home, so it will be traditional with ham and Jansson. We have no idea what next Christmas will look like. But we are not tradition-bound in that sense with food and place. We take it as it comes 🙂
02 December 2017 - 9:49
Helena says:
Then we are probably quite similar in that respect. If we are at home, we can pick up some Christmas food, what we like best. But if we're abroad, we don't mind if it's a different kind of celebration 😉.
02 December 2017 - 14:32
Mr Steve says:
What fantastic Christmas memories you have. I myself am so traditionally minded that it just screams about it and have therefore always celebrated Christmas at home with the family. So it will also be this year.
02 December 2017 - 10:11
Helena says:
You will certainly have a nice Christmas at Getingstorp!
02 December 2017 - 14:32
4000mil says:
How jealous I am! You have spent many Christmases abroad. Unfortunately, that's not the case for us. Children who want to celebrate traditional Christmas and a mother who also considers it the greatest betrayal in world history not to spend Christmas with her. 🙂
In 2014, however, we had an absolutely lovely Christmas on Koh Rong Cambodia and next year we will try to get away (anyway).
02 December 2017 - 10:21
Helena says:
I understand that it's not easy to get it right then ...! Luckily, Peter's sons didn't mind travelling at Christmas when they were younger, I'm sure Mum appreciates it when we celebrate at home, but lets us do as we please.
02 December 2017 - 14:34
Carin says:
I have only celebrated Christmas with my family in Sweden. But now that we bought a house in Spain, maybe that will change, we'll see.
02 December 2017 - 10:57
Helena says:
How lovely to have a house in Spain! It can certainly be nice to celebrate Christmas there too!
02 December 2017 - 15:11
Ladies Abroad says:
This year it will be Christmas Eve alone on different planes/airports on the way to Cuba. I don't mind at all and my friend arrives in Cuba two days later, having swallowed the Christmas ham.
02 December 2017 - 11:03
Helena says:
Great trip to Cuba! Our neighbours have just returned from there and had interesting and positive experiences! 🙂
02 December 2017 - 19:28
Ann-Louise says:
I celebrated Christmas in the USA in 1998, with good friends there. It was nice, but I still prefer a traditional Christmas Eve at home in Sweden. And my mum, who is old and ill, would be very upset if we didn't celebrate Christmas with her as we always do, and I would probably feel far too guilty if I left her all alone at Christmas. However, I wouldn't mind travelling abroad on Christmas morning and spending the rest of Christmas and New Year abroad. 🙂
02 December 2017 - 11:12
Helena says:
I can certainly understand what you mean. It does matter where you have your closest family and relatives, especially if you feel that someone is lonely. We sometimes celebrate before or after Christmas with my mum if we are not at home at Christmas ...
02 December 2017 - 19:30
Lena - good for the soul says:
Wow, that's a lot of odd places to spend Christmas! For my part, it has usually been a traditional Christmas at home with parents and kids. One year we tried a mountain cabin in Sälen, a lot of snow which added to the Christmas atmosphere. And one year in Santa Barbara California. But no, none of the places lived up to the Christmas spirit despite bringing a Christmas tree and mulled wine?
Hug Lena
02 December 2017 - 11:21
Helena says:
We have also celebrated Christmas in Sälen once. I really like the snow and the atmosphere, but at that time we were many families with many children, so more noise and mess than atmosphere if you say so ... 😉 .
02 December 2017 - 19:31
Anette Åhnbrink says:
This year it will probably be Christmas in Portugal, if I get what I want... The husband thinks Spain, so we'll see... a lot depends on good friends if they come down to us on New Year's Eve, a bit tricky to find flights, good camping/site and where will they stay, in our motorhome, bungalow or hotel? Otherwise, I have probably always celebrated traditionally with the family, but always went to the mountains during New Year, it has been a lot of work at times and a few times in recent years we and the youngest have celebrated Christmas in the motorhome, when the brothers have been elsewhere, read Fiji, mother-in-law / father-in-law! I think that celebration becomes what you make it, you do not have more fun than you do sig❤️ Nice first advent on you both/Anette and Robert
02 December 2017 - 11:40
Helena says:
Then you have some decisions left to land in hay we 😉 Both Spain and Portugal can be nice and with a nice climate this year! Wish you a really nice first advent!!!
02 December 2017 - 19:33
Lena says:
We park the motorhome in Malaga and take the flight to Thailand. Then when we come back, it is on the right side of spring. Then stay with the motorhome in Spain for a couple of months.
02 December 2017 - 12:17
Helena says:
But oh what a lovely plan!!! Wishing you a nice first advent!
02 December 2017 - 19:34
Cattis says:
This year is actually the first year in a long time for us that we are at home over Christmas and New Year so we go down to my parents. Otherwise, we usually go down to Southern Europe and then there is no traditional celebration!?
02 December 2017 - 13:51
Helena says:
Then you can take the opportunity to celebrate a little more traditionally this year! 😉
02 December 2017 - 19:34
Marina says:
We have celebrated Christmas in Sweden every year. When the children were small, we were very tradition-bound, but now the celebration itself is not so important. It's more that we get together and socialise, even if there aren't that many of us. Christmas itself now is probably mostly for my parents' sake, you could say that the conditions change over the years. I'm quite convinced that there will be a lot of "celebrations elsewhere" when they are no longer around.
02 December 2017 - 13:56
Helena says:
Of course, the conditions are different, and it makes a big difference if you have children, elderly parents, a large family, etc ...
02 December 2017 - 19:35
Role o Carina says:
We have celebrated all Christmas in Sweden with our loved ones!
But when we have finished working, we want to celebrate away, preferably Florida 🙂 .
Have a good time and enjoy........SnowKram 1st Advent
02 December 2017 - 14:55
Helena says:
It sounds wonderful with Florida! Wishing nice first advent! 🙂
02 December 2017 - 19:36
Johanna in Skåne says:
We think it's the best time to go because the children are free and it's dark here at home. This year it will be the Philippines again. The years we are home (most of them so far actually) it is very nice to meet relatives and "do what we used to do" ?
02 December 2017 - 15:17
Helena says:
How nice that you are going to the Philippines again! We could also imagine going back there. I also understand how you think about Christmas. We thought the same when we had children at home (and partly the same still). Wish you a nice December!!!
03 December 2017 - 5:46
Ruth in Virginia says:
We have always stayed home at Christmas. Travelling in the US at Christmas time is
hopeless. Everyone wants to go home, wherever home is.
I like to have the family around me; taught the children to dance.
Christmas dances: We are musicians; Come Juliet, we walk with big clogs on;
and we would dance through the house to a gramophone record.
with Swedish Christmas music (Nu äre jul igen; Hej, tomtegubbar, etc. etc.).
We also sang Christmas songs around the piano.
The Americans have many beautiful ones. Singing and dancing is Christmas !!!
02 December 2017 - 15:22
Helena says:
It sounds like you usually have very nice and atmospheric Christmases!
03 December 2017 - 5:51
Matts Torebring says:
We have celebrated 17 consecutive Midsummer Eves outside Sweden. But never a Christmas Eve abroad, not even in another place. This is at the very bottom of my experience map. Christmas with children and grandchildren means everything to us.
02 December 2017 - 16:33
Helena says:
You have to do what you enjoy, and it sounds like eighteen usually have great Christmases!
03 December 2017 - 5:54
Ditte says:
Nice with a summary of places where you have celebrated Christmas. We are not "Christmassy" people and prefer not to be at home over Christmas. We have celebrated Christmas in Malaysia, Morocco, G.C. + Tenerife (in different ways) and in Spain. And several times in Thailand. This year it will be in Spain again. But our best memory has been in our Thai village, even though some Santas have come wrong and ended up there. Then I can't really say that I celebrate Christmas after 2002.
02 December 2017 - 17:10
Helena says:
You have celebrated Christmas in many nice places I hear! Then I'm not sure what you mean is the difference after 2002, i.e. what happened then?
03 December 2017 - 5:56
BP says:
As we are not at all "Christmassy", we have been away over Christmas many times. Not in quite as "exotic" places as you, but still. We have also celebrated Christmas in Morocco, but in Agadir.
This year it will be Christmas here at home with goodies from Hötorgshallen;-)
02 December 2017 - 17:27
Helena says:
If we're home for Christmas this year (we're probably starting to lean towards it), we might also consider indulging in some delicacies. And meet some relatives.
03 December 2017 - 5:59
advent necklaces Kerstin says:
seems to be a travelling people - the times we live in will change.
these habits if we want to preserve our planet...
HAVE WORKED IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY AND therefore seen the world from a
another point of view
i.e. travelling is no longer an option for anyone, but now it is just a matter of
"honk and accelerate"
and what will you experience! lousy service on board, cramped chairs, sitting in overcrowded airports, getting used to delayed flights, etc.
thank you I know my own home at Christmas time with the smell of homemade gingerbread,
ham, lutefisk etc. and Donald Duck in the morning before Santa Claus arrives.......
02 December 2019 - 4:40