Christmas – a time for celebration, to be surrounded by loved ones and holiday cheer however this year our holidays are bound to look a little different. In this blog article, we have a chat with Sash, Daphne, Ashley, Joyce, Mari and Charlene on what their festive plans look during the pandemic and what their Christmas traditions usually look like.
Christmas always varies as we are away from both of our families, so sometimes we would visit one or both of our families on different sides of Australia or, our families come up to Singapore to spend Christmas with us.
Raised from an Italian family, our family meals always include lots of courses including seafood, homemade pasta and cutlets, Christmas ham and turkey with sides, and then dessert! You normally can’t move and need a good sleep or a walk after! We also will always decorate the Christmas tree and house with lots of Christmas decorations at the beginning of December, this includes lights on our roof! A normal Christmas Day for us involves the sharing of gifts in the morning and the day spent with family and in the pool before having lunch (and/or dinner) with our family. We love to host a Christmas Eve dinner with our friends as well!
This year we had planned to be in Canada enjoying our first white Christmas and introducing our son to his great grandparents but instead, we will be spending it here in Singapore. We will likely host a Christmas Eve dinner with some friends and then attend a Christmas Brunch on Christmas Day. Our son will be old enough to open presents this year so it will be lots of fun!
Christmas for me usually means a lot of rest & binging on TV shows /movies. I usually feast with friends that include each of our favorite foods. I don’t follow any specific tradition so we may be eating out or gathering at a friend’s or my place. As we get older, we tend to meet more often at each other’s home than at the restaurant. It saves the hassle of making reservations, etc, and avoids crowds. When gathering, we’d organize a potluck or if one of my peeps decides to be adventurous he/she may cook or bake (that’s usually not me, except on occasions I’ve prepared salad if that’s the theme or “challenge”). I love honey baked ham so that’s my staple whether that’s when I am hosting at home or making visits. But they’re store-bought. Junk food and sweets are must-haves – chips, local crackers like chili belinjo, chili tapioca, chocolate /cheesecake and tarts etc. I don’t drink so booze is often not a key feature.
This year, I’ll be teaching a couple of hours in the earlier part of the day. In the later part, the highlight will be food! I love to eat. If the weather is kind (not too rainy /wet) I’d love to go on a ride on my beloved Brompton. Perhaps explore a ride other than my usual east coast playground.
When I was a kid my family used to have a family tradition of going to church then having Taiwanese porridge for lunch at Oasis Restaurant when it was located near the Indoor Stadium. I know it isn’t the most Christmas-y of meals, but white porridge with sweet potatoes will forever be a Christmas meal to me!
This year our pandemic holidays plans are pretty simple. We’ll be having a more traditional Christmas fare at my sister’s house for lunch, then we will probably pass out in a deep blissful food coma afterward on her living room floor like a family of fat, happy badgers. At night we are going to try to convince my 3-year-old son that Santa Claus will somehow enter our little flat despite its lack of a convenient chimney opening. I am not sure exactly yet how to spin it for our particular Asian setting. Maybe Santa Claus has a spare key? 🧐
At Christmas, I usually visit my family in Davao City, Philippines for two weeks. I come from quite a big family so our holidays are always very festive and full of celebration. Our Christmas eves are also very exciting, we will go for Christmas mass at 7 pm and Noche Buena which is Christmas Eve dinner full of our favorite foods and of course Lechon (the whole roasted pig), non-stop karaoke and exchange gifts. When the clock strikes midnight, everyone will shout and yell Christmas greetings and dad will turn the car horn on for a few minutes and there will be fireworks. The whole neighborhood is very noisy!!! Seriously!! It’s crazy!!
We encourage our 3-year-old niece to jump in celebration (it’s a superstitious belief to make her taller. She’s adorable!). On Christmas Day, relatives will come over and continue Karaoke and drinking with the boys and the ladies will have their spot on the table to catch up. Christmas truly is the best time of the year to spend with loved ones.
This year it is better and safe that I’ll stay here for Christmas, unfortunately, the Philippines is experiencing a second wave of the pandemic. So Christmas this year will be different because I don’t have a family here but I will still celebrate Christmas in my own way. I’ll still go to church and I’ll spend time with my cousins and friends too although I will miss my Mum’s home-cooked dishes this year…
For the past 2 years, I didn’t get to celebrate Christmas with my loved ones back in Singapore due to my work commitments as a flight attendant. However, I was privileged enough to actually witness and experience white Christmases overseas. As we were miles away from home during the holiday season, my fellow crew members and I celebrated Christmas in our own way (sightseeing, cooking up a feast or eating at a restaurant, visiting the Christmas markets etc.) in the company of one another.
I’m grateful to be back home during the festive period this year! My family doesn’t really celebrate Christmas but we will always make it a point to have a simple meal together. My friends and I, however, love Christmas and our yearly tradition will include a sumptuous Christmas feast and games such as Secret Santa.
Christmas is a big thing for me, I’m not religious but I love the spirit of Christmas. It’s all about giving and sharing love and warmth! So my family and I usually alternate hosting Christmas parties at home and traveling. Last year, we took the kids traveling around SEA and ended up in Hua Hin for Christmas. I even bought a Christmas tree and presents along to liven up the hotel room!
This year, we’ll be hosting smaller parties in order to keep up with COVID-19 social distancing regulations. We love cooking up a feast and the Christmas excitement and energy fills our entire household! It’s truly amazing! There is laughter and smiles in every corner and everyone enjoys the moment. As much as we miss traveling, I can’t wait to spend time with family and share a glass of mulled wine together.
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