Tell me about your overseas Christmas

[CeciliaMcFlange]

I'd like to hear how global MNs are spending Christmas, where will you be? What will you eat? Who will be there? Who will you miss?

I'm in South Australia, in a small town in the Adelaide Hills, it will be 35 degrees and we'll have lunch with my husbands family. We all bring something for the lunch, I'll do salads and dessert - probably a choc cheesecake for the kids and thinking about Prosecco Jelly with Aperol Granita for the grown ups.

We eat outside, the kids play and much wine will be drunk (dh in the wine biz). Hopefully the local Koala will make an appearance. Then off to friends for the evening where the kids can swim. After 15 years of living here I am now used to, and love, a hot Christmas.

However, all my family are in the UK, I will miss them horribly. Would love to be home for a cold Christmas one year and my children are desperate to be somewhere snowy!

I'm in France. DH's tradition is a big slap up dinner on Christmas Eve. My tradition is a big slap up lunch on Christmas Day with turkey, sprouts and crackers, but as he's working all week (😡) it's just me and DS (2) to cook for on Christmas Day. I'm getting turkey fillets as opposed to the usual bird.

Boxing Day is a normal working day over here so I'm thinking of taking DS to Disney for the first time. He's too little tbh, but rather that then sit at home alone all day week

There's usually another big slap up meal on New Year's Eve, too. This year we're spending it with friends in the south. I hear they sometimes have barbecues for lunch on Christmas/NYD so I hope it's warm enough to try it!

I'm in NZ at a holiday destination. Currently raining but still hot. Looking forward to BBQs and the ocean beaches.

I miss the cold UK Christmas but have travelled back for the past two years and couldn't do it again. The flights are tough and I did it for my mums birthday in October so have just seen my family.

Doesn't really feel like Christmas but it's nice to have time off with family here and relaxing

@kikipost I had never heard of it in the US! Also no Christmas cake or Christmas pudding.

@turnipsaretheonlyveg I’m sure you’ll have your fill of snow in the next few months! Where are you going for hot dogs? I’d love a Chicago style hot dog right now!

I'm in Cyprus. There's aren't any English things I've not been able to get hold of. Everything is similar. Even Down to local supermarkets having price wars over Heroes and celebrations and we walked out of our supermarket in our nearest big town as the meat counter was so busy.

Dd was an angel in her nativity and knew the words to the Greek songs better than the English ones.

It's a pleasant 20 ish degrees. Everywhere is decorated nicely but not ott. I am not religious but love the nativity scenes outside the village churches.

We're going to a resort hotel over the border for a couple of days which we booked when the Turkish lira rate went silly. It's cost us 100 gbp 5 star AI for the 4 of us for Xmas eve-boxing day. It's because we have no visitors this year, in laws heading back to the UK and we fancied doing something different.

@mrsnec

That sounds really pleasant. Interesting post. I’d imagined Greece very different st Christmas time for some reason.

May I ask what brought you to Greece?

Cyprus. In laws retired here. We followed.

I love Christmas here. Lots of people go back to the UK but every year gets better. We have Xmas markets and events and the winter wonderlands etc.

It's just a bit lower key. I didn't do cards this year and dd didn't have a party at nursery and they didn't have a Christmas train at nursery which they did last year and it was gorgeous so I was disappointed about that.

We have some festive food and drink for when we get back. Been to Lidl and got a big ham and a case of Merlot which was about 20e so we're sorted! I know I would have spent a fortune had we still been in the UK.

France here ! We are doing a mix of UK and French Christmas as we always do... So Christmas eve is the big deal-Snails, smoked salmon, pate and a lot of seafood, before the big 'main' Christmas dinner which goes on until very very late... The kids will probably be allowed to stay up late, but we will hold back the presents to do a UK style Christmas morning, with stockings and bucks fizz... DP is working on Christmas day so we will probably join him for the afternoon (it's a bar/restaurant) and enjoy free booze and catching up with people from the village... Then an emotional Skype call to relatives at home, a feast of leftovers and mince pies lovingly made from scratch as impossible to buy here! Boxing day isn't a thing, but I like to take the kids for a long walk on the beach to burn off some energy, before watching a Christmas film or going to the cinema.

Also in Australia, but in NSW, couple of hours north of Sydney.
We do "Aussie style" Christmas lunch at MIL's on Christmas eve, at her house on the water, where the boys can swim or paddle board and catch fish. Family friends also come over.
Lunch is cold meats, prawns, maybe barbecued meat as well - pavlova for dessert of course.

Christmas Day is at our house and is traditional UK style - husband cooks a roast turkey or goose (hard to get these days) and we have home made Christmas pudding as well. MIL comes over to our house for this.

Brussel sprouts are easily found in Coles where I live - possibly not in all Coles in all areas, but we have them - $12 a kg though!!

I like doing both styles - but wouldn't want to do Aussie style on Christmas Day.

Portugal calling! Just me and DP, we'll feed all the animals as normal then fizzy wine, smoked salmon and scrambled egg for breakfast followed by pressies. Due to be around 18c and sunny so we might go for a ride or just take the dogs for a walk if there's not too much shooting around (big hunting day here).

Late lunch of roast beef, roast spuds, yorkshires, veg followed by a long snooze. Feed animals again and watch a movie.

We live in Germany, and are having a traditional English Christmas. The only thing I haven't been able to get us is a gammon joint.

In Bangkok. My brother is visiting which is nice, but we aren't doing a British Christmas at all. Dog walk (ok that bit is British!), swim, BBQ. Haven't been able to find stockings so considering putting small presents in Santa hats, they are everywhere here and lots of decorations etc but weirdly no stockings. I'm sure I could have tracked some down but I left it too late. Most expats here go to hotels for a proper western feast but my children are small and it will be so much more chilled staying at home.

It's a normal working day here so we've had to book the day off. Malls and businesses all open as normal. We could go to the cinema or ice skating or eat McDonald's or street food or a fancy dinner, whatever we want!

Will miss my family but not the strss and grey skies and wet weather.

No excessive chocolate as a tub of Roses or whatever is over a tenner here and there aren't enough people to ensure they all go, the ones nobody likes would be left forever!

They do sell turkeys for Thanksgiving so it is possible to get them, but the thought of cooking a proper dinner in this heat horrifies me! I loved cooking in the UK but never cook here!!

I hope everyone has a lovely day, however different from 'home' it might be!

@canihaveacoffeeplease - have you asked in Coles about Brussel sprouts? I realise it's a bit late now but they might have some!

@Kiki - sprouts wouldn't have been considered a traditional Christmas thing at all in Australia except for all the British expats who want a traditional Northern Hemisphere turkey roast, I expect! Sprouts are a winter veg, not a summer one. But there's enough of us here to create sufficient demand for them, I suppose, which is why I can buy them.

@Eledamorena are they still bonkers about hampers over there. I remember it was a huge hi-so thing to give hampers with M&S bits, baked beans and PG Tips in. Made me giggle.

I used to love the gingerbread houses at the Ambassador and the German supermarket in Sukhumvit.

We are in Perth Australia ( born and bred so have nothing to compare too).
Its meant to be 34 degrees so will have the paddle pool out. Delicious ham, prawns and duck ( and salads) and Trifle and Pavlova ( DH is a kiwi). Our family here is small so just us, kids my Dad and Sister. I am looking forward to some pineapple daiquiris and lots of wine :)

kescilly I think we will go to Portillos, I have already explained about the no ketchup rule. We are also going to see an ice hockey game, to help make up for the lack of wintery weather. I don't really want snow in March, I wanted a white Xmas. I feel rather like having a toddler foot stamp!

@turnipsaretheonlyveg I miss Portillo’s! Have some for me! It’s okay if they want ketchup on their hot dogs, really. I miss going to Hawks games too.

I don’t miss putting my winter clothes away in May only for it to snow again. You’re probably getting snow in March whether you want it or not! I’d happily trade you all the rain here.

Our plan to go to the beach and watch sunrise has gone out the window as the rains have started with a vengeance here in Far NorthQieensland. Looks like our First Aussie Christmas won’t be that different from an Irish one 😢😢

Apart from the end of Cyclone Owen we had avoided a lot of rain even though it is the wet season. Typical it arrives on Christmas Eve!

We are in Argentina, so will be by the pool, then a big lunch and visiting all the family in the evening (which will take forever)

We are in the algarve but having a normal uk Christmas lunch instead of the traditional Portuguese seafood dinner on Christmas Eve evening.

As the Dutch, Belgian. Portuguese and German residents and visitors all tend to celebrate on Christmas Eve it’s fairly quiet in our village with most bars and restaurants closed.

I spoke to a Portuguese friend this week and they’re having a traditional meal on 24th but turkey and stuffing for lunch on 25th - he’s never had it before but seen it on tv and thought it looked nice. I hope he enjoys it!

And there’s no Boxing Day here, or day off in lieu if Christmas falls on a weekend

@PopSugarTart, re your star anise and coriander turkey: I received an email last week from the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore, advertising their “Deliciously Magical Christmas, featuring hearty roasts including our signature Nasi Lemak turkey”. I’m intrigued to know how they combine turkey with the national coconut rice dish, but I would certainly try it!

cheesenpickles sorry not sure how to tag you...

Yes hampers are still a thing! Not just the fancy ones, they're also big on hampers of prune juice?! Nice way to show you care about someone's digestive system I suppose!

I'm in Southeast Brazil.
At least with my relatives, the Eve is more celebrated than Christmas Day. Each household takes a dish to whoever is hosting and there's usually a Secret Santa due to the ridiculous amount of people involved. Stay up until midnight, say Merry Christmas, open gifts, go home.

On Christmas Day, we meet for lunch again and eat the leftovers from the Eve. Happy Christmas, Happy Christmas, eat and go home.

This year, however, it's going to be rather downplayed due to one of my uncles being very ill with cancer and not being able to eat. We're only gathering on Christmas Day. No secret santa, no countdown to midnight.

Considering last year we didn't have Secret Santa either due to my grandma passing away a month before, I'm really hoping Christmas in 2019 goes more smoothly.

@Eledamorena haha! Love it!!!