Christmas Afar

I love Christmas! The rituals, the traditions, the timeless repetition of decorations and activities. There is something so reassuring and comforting that no matter what changes in your life, year to year, Christmas remains a constant. Exactly the same time of year, doing the same things, eating the same food.

Taking out the Christmas decorations is a tug on the heart strings and an instant trip down memory lane; the hand crafted decorations the children created with their baby hands or feet; the gifted ornament from a friend reminding you of a place or time; the forgotten Santa coming back out with a smile - remember me?

However, it is the only time of year I truly pine for our homeland, of Christmas in England. I miss our family get togethers; our drunken cocktail parties with the Frieth Massive; the children’s nativities and carols concerts; the mulled wine and mince pies aplenty.

California struggles to shine at Christmas. You have to work it hard to make it have anything like the feel we have in the UK. With no hint of any of the religious celebrations within schools, there is a void for the children. Celebrating Valentines, St Patrick’s Day and Halloween with parties and decorations is just dandy but don’t dare give any sense of Christmas to the classroom  (bah, humbug, don’t get me started, this is my fav US v UK rant). Please, please someone say ‘Happy Christmas’ to me and not ‘Happy Holiday’.

The weather of course plays a big part - cooking a turkey with all the trimmings and looking at the beautiful turquoise skies is a juxtaposition that I never get my head around.  I miss the competitions for the best Christmas adverts and the beautiful window displays in London. The sparking lights strung across the High Street, the smells, the buzz. Here Christmas decorations are often dismantled on the 26th of December. For us Brits, Christmas is truly getting going on Boxing Day and staggers, with full bellies and bleary eyes along through New Year.

But Christmas is not all doom in California. Ice skating on the beach? Yup, it’s a thing! The festive parade of boats shimmer on the harbor. The fabulous theatrical Grinch is as big a tradition as The Snowman (and the Grinch is of course San Diegan). Palm trees are magnificent strung with red and white lights. Outdoor decorations have no fear of winter weather.

And as with shopping malls world over, those Christmas songs are relentless from 30th November.

The one thing Christmas abroad does is add the cement to the family we have created here. To beach walks together on Christmas Eve and Christmas cocktails from house to house. We get to share our traditions with those that don’t celebrate in the same way and have our eyes opened to others traditions (from Hanukkah, to the cookie exchanges and never forgetting the crazy Danes with all their beautiful food and rituals).

It may be different but it’s beginning to feel a lot like the new norm.