Christmas around the world with 25 Travel Families

Have you ever wondered how travel families celebrate Christmas around the world? Everyone has their own holiday family traditions, and on top of that, country traditions influence the way we celebrate our holidays too. From food and decorations to gifting and spending time with friends and family, there’s a vast array of holiday spirit out there.

So put your ugly holiday sweater on, turn on that Hallmark Christmas movie, and get ready to experience Christmas around the world…

Zimbabwe

Growing up in a large Irish family in Zimbabwe, Christmas was all about bringing the family together. Christmas morning was all about Santa sacks and the distribution of wrapping paper over floors. It was then time for family fun, including games in the pool, tennis, or my family’s favorite pastime, cricket. One of my favorite memories is playing cricket and one of my uncles wearing my aunt’s dressing gown so he could be easily identified as the umpire. 

Australia

For Hubby, being part Italian, Christmas Day is all about the food and family discussions in the kitchen. There is a lot of work that goes into preparing Christmas lunch and the many courses. It is a serious affair not to be messed with or altered in any way! On the years when we are Christmasing with Hubby’s Clan, I do my best to steer clear of the kitchen and find a safe space to shelter with my gin. 

Family Traditions

It took us a couple of years to figure out our own family Christmas tradition. I would say it began with the last time our little family spent Christmas in our own home. It was December 2013, and we were living in Laos. We decided to invite ten ex-pat families to spend the day with us and join us for Christmas dinner. And it turned out to be one of my favorite Christmases to date. There was only one family where both parents were from the same country! It was truly an international affair with all continents represented. 

Since then, we have kept to the international theme, with our main tradition of getting on a plane. We are either flying to Africa or Australia or convincing our families to meet us on a beach somewhere new. This year, thanks to the international travel restrictions, we won’t be heading to Zimbabwe to meet my new niece. We can at least fly locally and head to Hubby’s hometown and explore some of the wonderful outdoor adventures Tasmania has to offer.