I spent a total of 10 Christmas Days as an expat based in Singapore and India. What I learned from the experience is that being away from your home country for a significant holiday is what you make of it, and is best approached with creativity and positive thinking.
Here are some ideas for how expats in New Zealand might spend 25 December:
Establish new traditions
Many expats want to follow some of their home country’s Christmas practices regardless of where they are in the world. That can be as simple as connecting with your extended family through a zoom call.
We always enjoyed hosting some form of Christmas meal together with friends or visiting family, or sometimes just us!
But we have brought back one element of Christmas from India that still appears each year in our home in New Zealand. While travelling in Goa, one of India’s most Christian states, I came across a set of Christmas tree placemats which we’ve used for our first Christmas in New Delhi, and every year since.
What Kiwi element can you introduce to your traditions this Christmas?
Eat out
On the other hand, some of my least-stressful expat Christmas’s were spent with someone else doing the catering!
Most Kiwis wouldn’t dream of eating out on Christmas Day as it’s a day for family and home, but living in Singapore was a release from that expectation. All the major hotels offered amazing buffet meals on 25 December - so easy to just gather a group of friends and book in for a novel experience.
If you are concerned that trying to replicate a home-based Christmas won’t work for you, why not explore what New Zealand’s hospitality sector has to offer?
Building a whanau
When you’re living overseas, the concept of whanau is a great way of shaping who you’d like to have around your Christmas table. Whanau means not just your blood relatives, but also close friends and people you form relationships with. Many expats build strong networks like this as they don’t have family living in the same country.
Consider having a Christmas celebration involving your whanau, and also reaching out to other expats - perhaps workmates who’ve recently arrived in New Zealand.
If you’re offered the opportunity to join a Kiwi family, jump at it!
One of the most heartwarming stories I’ve heard from a client was how much they appreciated their manager inviting all the expats in his team to Christmas Day at his house.
To help you prepare for what to expect, take a look at our recent blog here
Going back home for Christmas
This year, in particular, many New Zealand-based expats are heading back to Christmas in their home country for the first time since COVID hit in 2020.
Our Kiwi Christmases as an expat were wonderful - to be back in New Zealand summer with family and friends - but also very busy and not super-restful.
It’s important to set yourself up for success not exhaustion. We often found it easier to set a couple of dates for big gatherings and invite everyone to come to us, rather than racing around to see people individually.
Also take a look at our blog with tips on how to manage the big trip home here.
Volunteer
Why not spend some time giving back by volunteering on Christmas day?
Check what’s around your area and if any groups need help. There could be a homeless shelter nearby that needs extra hands for serving Christmas lunch, or a nursing home that’s looking for people to make their clients feel loved on Christmas day. Perhaps there’s an animal shelter and you can spend the day snuggling with kittens and puppies.
Who knows, you may even make some new friends or find a new calling.
Holiday
One of the best things about living in New Zealand is that Christmas coincides with the long summer holidays. Most people combine statutory holidays and leave to get at least 10 days off. Many businesses even shut down for around three weeks.
So one option is to take a completely different approach to Christmas and use it as an opportunity to explore this part of the world - either around New Zealand, the Pacific Island, Australia or even up into Southeast Asia.
Regardless of how you choose to spend your Christmas we wish you a very safe and Merry one!
Mobile Relocation connects you with what you need to thrive in New Zealand. Contact us today to talk about how we can carry your relocation burden.
Mobile Relocation delivers resettlement and relocation programmes for businesses employing offshore talent. Our goal is to get your expat and migrant talent up and running in NZ as quickly as possible - reducing their time to effectiveness in their new role, and enabling them to deliver their skills and expertise to your the benefit of your business.
Bridget is a New Zealander who has lived and worked as a diplomat in Singapore and India. After experiencing all facets of the relocation experience, she founded Mobile to work with private individuals moving to NZ and leading local and international businesses bringing in offshore talent. bridget@mobile-relocation.com
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