No matter where you’re from, being away from your home country during the holiday season is not easy. The holidays are not only a time when families get together, but they’re also the times when our own culture plays a very active and important role in our lives. Sometimes we do not even realize how significant holidays are in our culture until we are immersed in a culture where our own holidays have no meaning. Therefore it comes as no surprise that so many expats should feel a bit down during the holidays. But being abroad at Christmas time doesn’t mean you have to sit around and mope – here are some ideas that can help you beat the holiday blues and make China feel more like home.

 

1) Have a holiday feast

The holidays are one time when you can justify splurging on some imported goods, so invite some friends over, expat and Chinese alike, and have a holiday feast complete with turkey, ham, stuffing and all the traditional holiday fixings. Do it potluck style, where everyone brings a dish, and make sure you assign everyone a specific role, such as main courses, side dishes and desserts. Consider calling up grandma and getting her special pumpkin pie recipe – and be sure to let her know afterwards what a hit it was with your Chinese guests!

2) Put up a Christmas tree (even a fake one)

It’s hard to get into the holiday spirit without a tree. Most big Chinese shopping centers will have plastic trees of varying size and tackiness. They aren’t expensive, and having a tree up will go a long way towards making Christmas feel less like any other day and more like a holiday. Make an event out of it and invite friends over to trim the tree. If you leave China you can always give your tree to your Chinese neighbours, who will most likely be thrilled to take it off your hands.

3) Organize a Secret-Santa gift exchange

A big part of Christmas is gift giving, but without a big extended family, Christmas gifts can seem a bit anticlimactic. Organize a gift exchange at work or among your friends and get together on Christmas Eve or Christmas day to exchange presents. Make sure that everyone wraps the presents in holiday-themed wrapping paper so that everyone has something to tear open, just like opening gifts on Christmas morning back home.

4) Create your own holiday traditions

There are some uniquely Chinese ways to spend the holidays, so when in China, embrace new traditions! Many nice hotels, for instance, will have holiday buffets with a mixture of Chinese and Western delicacies. They are usually pricey, at several hundred RMB a head, but just think of all the money you’re saving by missing out on the consumerism of the holidays back home.

5) Spread Christmas cheer

As the Chinese know, Christmas is the perfect time to have a party! If you find yourself alone on Christmas, consider going out and joining in the wacky Chinese revelry, fake snow and all. If you’re into a more traditional Christmas Eve, then throw a Western style Christmas party. Specify a more formal dress code and make sure you have festive holiday decorations up to give your party that special atmosphere. Don’t forget the mistletoe and eggnog!

6) Go caroling

Why not? Singing in groups is not considered strange in China, and a group of foreigners singing Christmas songs would most likely be warmly welcomed by most. Or, if you’re not brave enough to fill your neighbourhood with song, download a few Christmas Carols and put them into your iTunes rotation. Without hearing Christmas music in every department store and on the radio, it can be easy to forget the season is upon us. While you’re at it, pick up or download a few classic Christmas movies like Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer or White Christmas. Bake a batch of Christmas cookies and have a holiday movie festival in your living room.

7) Explain the meaning of Christmas

Chinese culture generally thinks of Christmas as a time to party, dress in funny outfits, wave around glow sticks and get drunk. Take the opportunity to talk to your Chinese friends about why and how Westerners celebrate Christmas. Explaining that for most foreigners Christmas is a quiet holiday, more akin to Spring Festival than to Halloween, and telling them the cultural and religious significance of Christmas can help your Chinese friends understand why you might not be so keen on wearing a blinking Santa hat or spraying your friends with fake snow come December 24th. Talk about various traditions that you celebrate and get your family back home to send over pictures from past holiday seasons. Sharing what makes the holiday season special to you will help bring you closer to those you care about in China.
 

Related links
Christmas in China
Sheng Dan Kuai Le: Christmas Chinese-Style
Beat those Homesick Blues

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Keywords: celebrating Christmas china china Christmas expat holiday blues china expat blues China Christmas