How to Observe Holidays and Traditions Overseas?

By International Sea and Air Shipping / January 22, 2020

Moving to a new country usually implies entering a world where other cultures have different holidays and different practices and may not appreciate some of the practices of your home country. You are your culture, and honestly, that part doesn’t just disappear when you move internationally. You adapt to a new place, but your values don’t change just because the environment does.

By having the appropriate attitude, you can enjoy your holidays anywhere on the planet—only in new and more fruitful ways.

Learn the Local Variations of Popular Holidays

As an expat, you’ll likely discover, perhaps more quickly than you anticipated, that other countries observe holidays in unique ways. Some are similar to what you know, others are not, and sometimes you just see a festival happening around the same time by coincidence.

For instance, the occurrence of Christmas in China is a non-official public holiday, but from its ornaments, buying activities, and meeting people, it is quite clear that the major cities have embraced it.

Around the same period, China has the Dongzhi Festival, which is a winter solstice festival that revolves around family unity and seasonal customs. Although it is not a replacement for Christmas, it is a significant cultural experience that captures a similar sense of togetherness.

You can always go explore the local holiday versions around you. Make some new memories without losing what your traditions actually mean. You can alter the date of your celebration slightly, but the concept remains unchanged.

Be a Leader of Your Culture

Sharing your holidays with others is probably one of the most fulfilling methods of enjoying them in a foreign country. Some of the locals are honestly interested in foreign traditions, and they do like it when someone who really does celebrate them says something or shares a story.

You may invite a couple of friends over, make local treats, or just tell someone about what you usually do on this holiday. This makes you feel at home and lets your friends appreciate your background in a more personal way. You are not merely partying but making cultural exchange.

Meet Other Expats to Celebrate Together

It’s also nice to know that until you form this close-knit circle of local friends, you can enjoy the company of your ex-pat fellows from the home country. Expat communities, embassy groups, and international social networks tend to hold meet-ups based on common holidays and cultural events.

Spending your time together makes you feel part of the community, lessens the feeling of being lonely on holidays, and provides you with people to share your moments with during the most important seasons. And if there’s nothing happening, you can just start something yourself—usually someone else is wishing the same thing.

Keep in Touch With Family and Friends at Home

Homesickness still happens, especially during holidays, so staying in touch helps. A video call in the morning, a Christmas message, a simple card—small things, really—they remind you that distance doesn’t erase traditions.

Just be conscious of the time difference when making a call or sending a greeting. The small things take you out of the holiday mode and keep your family close.

Use Entertainment to Create a Holiday Atmosphere

Sometimes the place around you won’t feel festive at all. So you create it yourself. Put on a movie you usually watch, play some holiday music, and decorate a little—even the thought of these things can shift your mood.

Most of the films and specials you would have at home are available on legal streaming sites. The evening out, a traditional meal, and the atmosphere will remind you of your holiday origins.

Adopt Local Holiday Traditions When They Come

There are other countries that have similar holidays to yours, although the details may vary. For example:

• Thanksgiving in Canada happens earlier than in the U.S
• Boxing Day is the day after Christmas in the U.K
• Krampus traditions exist in Austria, in which a folklore character comes to visit during the holidays

There are also a number of peculiar foods, traditions, or holiday rites that are unique to many countries.

And honestly, adding some local traditions can be fun. You learn new foods, try different customs, or even end up mixing them with your own. Families sometimes keep those blended habits for years. Local culture won’t get rid of your traditions—it just complements them.

You Can Celebrate Both Locally and Globally

Celebrating holidays abroad is not abandoning your customs; it’s just doing them differently. With some flexibility and cultural sensitivity, you can enjoy the joys of both local and global celebrations by maintaining regular contact with your traditions. With an open mind, these foreign holidays can turn out to be the most memorable of them all.