How to Celebrate Christmas When You Are Far Away From Home

Perhaps you are travelling abroad in another country during Christmas, or maybe you are studying or working in a different city away from your family? Maybe you have moved because of a relationship or a job and you won’t be able to go back home to see your relatives for the holidays this year? Sometimes we end up far away from our loved ones during the holidays and this can make us a little homesick.

Travelling and living abroad is really exciting, but when the holidays come around it can be sad to think about how your family is not close to you. You will look back on holiday traditions such as eating a special meal, baking cookies together and opening presents while sitting around the tree and you might feel sad. What will Christmas be if you can’t have the traditions of home?

However, there are many ways that you can make Christmas special and meaningful wherever you are. Here are some tips for celebrating Christmas when you are far from home:

Take a Special Christmas Keepsake in Your Suitcase

If you know you are going to be far from home at Christmas time, why not slip something sentimental and meaningful from home into your suitcase so that you can take a little piece of tradition with you. For example, if you have a personalised ornament with your name on it (like the ones at OrnamentShop.com) you could bring it with you and hang it on your Christmas tree wherever you are.

It doesn’t matter what your special item is, whether it is a stuffed toy, a scented candle or an ornament, as long as it has meaning and significance and reminds you of home.

Make a Family Recipe

It doesn’t really feel like Christmas until you have eaten your mother’s shortbread cookies with red and white sprinkles on them or her famous eggnog, rum and cinnamon drink. However, you are living way too far away for her to ship them to you in the post.

Why not ask your mum to send you the recipe for your favourite Christmas foods so that you can try making them yourself? It might be difficult to find the ingredients depending on what country you are in, but if you are up for the challenge it can be a lot of fun. You can even share your family recipe with your friends wherever you are, so that they can enjoy your home-baked Christmas favourites.

Send a Card the Old Fashioned Way

These days we do so much of our communication via email that hardly anyone ever sends a letter anymore. However, the charm of receiving a handwritten Christmas card in the post is one of the wonderful experiences of the season. Take the time to handwrite a Christmas card for your family and send it to them via snail mail. They will love the gesture and it will make you feel good inside.

Depending on where in the world you are, remember to keep in mind the estimated shipping times so that you can send your card well in advance so that it is guaranteed to arrive before Christmas.

Set up a Christmas Skype Date

If you can’t see your family in person on Christmas Day, you can at least speak to them over webcam via Skype. This is the next best thing, because you will be able to see each other and talk. You can even watch each other open each other’s presents.

Make sure that you consider each other’s time zones when you are setting up a time to Skype. Christmas morning for you might be the middle of the night where your family live! There are helpful time zone calculators online that can help you to find a time convenient for both parties.

Spending Christmas away from your family is very difficult, as you will miss the hugs and kisses and family traditions. However, don’t spend the holiday season feeling sad and sorry for yourself! Do your best to connect with your family and honour your traditions, but don’t forget to also enjoy Christmas with the new friends that you have made wherever you are in the world.

About the Author

George Torres is a writer and blogger. He is currently travelling abroad and will be spending his first Christmas away from home.