Father Christmas and Roasting Chestnuts

Spending Christmas in the UK can be rather difficult for students studying abroad.  If you are one of the precious few who can afford to fly back home (and want to) then good for you! Now stop reading.

However, if you can’t go home due to income restraints or don’t particularly want to spend your holiday with crazy Aunt Beth or drunk Uncle Tom (and who could blame you), then there are several avenues for you to follow!

The first: You are by yourself and your friends have all gone home. This is the most difficult of the three.  It’s hard to not have anyone to spend Christmas with and being a Christmas lover, I found it especially difficult.  My second year abroad I was by myself.  Instead of crying in my eggnog and listening to “All by Myself” playing over and over a la Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones’ Diary, I went out and bought a two foot pre-lit Christmas Tree, a mini bottle of champagne, and some thrift store decorations. I decorated the tree, roasted duck breasts (overcooked actually), and had mimosas.  It was actually pretty fun!  I took a walk and talked to friends over the phone and wasn’t too heartbroken.  You just need to think outside of the box and fill your room/flat with enough comforts and treats to get you through holiday.  It became one of my favorite memories.

The second: Your English friend has invited you to visit with his/her family over the holidays.  It’s important to keep an open mind here.  You are not with your own family and these are not your traditions but that doesn’t make them any less entertaining as long as you expect nothing more than to enjoy yourself.  It’s a great way to learn more about the culture and to ensure that you make some lasting memories!  It also gives you the opportunity to explore parts of the country you might never have visited and if worse comes to worse, it can make an interesting story.

The third: Your friends from home come to visit you!  This can be heartwarmingly lovely or teeth-grindingly nightmarish.  My first year abroad, my best friend from the US and her other best friend (who I had never met…) flew to England to spend Christmas with me.  After making a lovely mess decorating gingerbread houses (see the amazing creations below...mine's on the left) and opening presents, we went to stay with my English friend and her family in London.  And while it was lovely to see them, I found it difficult to completely welcome them.  It was my experience and they had the misfortune to intrude.  It took a day for me to realize that England doesn’t belong to me! Groundbreaking! Once I shifted my attitude around a bit, things ran much more smoothly and I found myself glad that they came.  Remember that while they are there to see you, England is running a close second.  Or you are just the excuse.  Either way, it’s not all about you!

Whichever of these scenarios you happen to fall into, try to be flexible and open.  Only then will you have a pleasant holiday with little to no homesickness. Have a Happy Chrimbo!

-S.