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While living abroad for more than twenty years in Europe and Africa, holidays spent away from family and friends are sometimes lonely.
We often long for “home”—wherever that is.
A few years ago, we spent the holidays in the United States. While there, I found myself longing for my “home” abroad. My longing was for something that I couldn’t seem to find. It was the beautiful simplicity of an “overseas” Christmas that I was missing. Where had it gone? Where could I find it again?
I can remember . . . the weeks before Christmas were frantic and stressful—decorating, shopping, wrapping, making Christmas cookies for events, attending Christmas programs, planning, more shopping, more wrapping.
It didn’t seem to end.
Our fourth son also has a Christmas Eve birthday, so that added some extra planning and gifts to the season.
Sucked Into “It”
Distractions were everywhere! Every storefront window, TV commercial, and billboard beckoned you to buy more—
—Buy the biggest, most brilliant diamond ring.
—Buy the brand-new car that you have been longing for (but can’t afford) at “the best end-of-the-year prices” ever.
—Buy that awesome, electronic toy that your deprived child has been dreaming of—convincing you that you are not a good parent if you don’t cross everything off their “wish list.”
I quickly found myself sucked into “it,” almost hypnotized. It was like a vacuum that I couldn’t seem to resist.
The world screamed, “More! More! More!”
I fell quickly into the trap of purchasing more gifts than my children could ever need or desire. Our house was soon filled with more Christmas decorations than any storage box in my garage could ever contain.
One day, I woke up to reality and yelled back at the world, “Enough! Enough! Enough!”
Where had the beautiful simplicity of those holidays gone—especially the ones during our days in Morocco—living among people who didn’t traditionally celebrate Christmas?
There was nothing vying for our attention, distracting us from the true meaning of Christmas. The grandiose decorations, sparkling lights, and Santa Clauses were nowhere to be found.
There was just Christmas—in all its beauty and simplicity.
A Memory From North Africa
A dear friend of mine who had lived in Tunisia for many years, reminisced about her family’s Christmas experience in North Africa.
Our family didn’t experience the constant pull towards multiple festive activities, the abundance of gift giving, any visual representation of Christmas through city lights or decorations, holiday music on the radio, the smell of peppermint in stores, nor any trending Christmas campaigns.
We created our own memorable Advent seasons with our cute little Charlie Brown tree, homemade decorations, special foods with ingredients (candy canes) shipped by family from the States, and joyous times with friends, who became family.
Our family often invited friends who didn’t celebrate Christmas to decorate cookies. Advent was simple, void of distractions and oh, so rich.
This year, we find ourselves in a new corner of the world and appreciate even more the memorable years shared and the valuable lessons learned of authentic, stable-like simplicity during Christmas.
—A.B.
The Real Meaning of the Season
My friend’s family holidays in North Africa seemed very similar to ours in Morocco. While living abroad, my mind and heart weren’t overwhelmed by Christmas preparations.
Rather, my heart and mind could focus on Christmas and the real meaning of the season—the birth of Jesus into the world.
Shopping and wrapping weren’t time consuming, because gift selection was very limited. If we could find one or two small gifts for each person, that was a miracle. Many of our gifts arrived from the United States through kind and generous American friends traveling through—willing to haul our favorite foods and items across the ocean.
Our children weren’t saturated with presents on Christmas morning. Rather, they appreciated each special gift they unwrapped.
A Simple Celebration
Our small, artificial Christmas tree was decorated simply with colored lights, popcorn strands, and handmade ornaments. We baked cut-out, frosted Christmas cookies and went to the heartwarming candlelight and caroling service at our local church on Christmas Eve. Afterwards, all of our “international family” would gather together outside in the church’s garden courtyard to eat cookies and to drink hot chocolate. It was beautiful and simple.
Upon returning home, we would each open a gift, sit in front of the fireplace (Yes, it gets cold in North Africa!), and then peacefully drift off to sleep.
Early the next morning, we would gather around the tree to open the few remaining presents and then enjoy our family pancake brunch. We would lounge around all day in pajamas until we would gather later in the afternoon with other “internationals” for Christmas dinner. We had become “family” to each other.
The holidays were relaxing and enjoyable—spent hanging out with our boys, playing games, and taking walks on the beach.
It’s true that we missed being back “home” to celebrate Christmas with our extended family in France and in the United States. However, we had created a new “home” together with our family in our foreign land.
The beautiful simplicity of an “overseas” Christmas is something that we will never forget and something that we will always miss.
Wherever we all find ourselves this Christmas—whether “overseas” or “at home”—may we push past all the distractions and re-discover the beautiful simplicity of Christmas.
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
Have you ever experienced the Christmas holidays “overseas?” What was your experience like? Was it a place void of distractions? If so, did you like the beautiful simplicity? What did you appreciate most about those faraway Christmas celebrations?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
I agree. My early (Polish) holidays were simple and revolved around the Church celebration. We shared a meatless meal cooked by all the ladies in the family. After dinner, the men would play cards while the woman tidied the kitchen, then everyone bundled up in hats and gloves and walked to the St. Stanislaus church for Midnight Mass. My older cousins babysat for me and my sister and read the story of the Star of Bethlehem. When everyone returned from church we put the baby Jesus in the cresch. Then we children would be given ONE present to open.
Christmas day was a time for visiting and leftovers added to a meat dish.
The next week was spent cooking (food) gifts for our neighbors. I especially remember making nalesniki with farmer’s cheese – dozens of them. I couldn’t have been more than five. Then Three King’s Day on January 6th was when we exchanged hand-made gifts: pictures we drew, knitted scarfs, crocheted doilies, inexpensive little toys like jump ropes and yo-yo’s, cookies and boxes of Whitman’s Samplers. All very simple and all full of love.
Don’t you miss those days of simplicity? Your early Polish celebrations sounds wonderful. We are also gearing up here in Spain for “King’s Day” on January 6. 🙂