The trimmings of the season

Endless fun

For expats living in the City, Christmas begins with carol singing, cake-mixing ceremonies, wine, and of course, the sumptuous meal spread out on Christmas day for family and friends.

  
Most expats in the City head home during Christmas; those who stay back introduce their Indian friends to their way of celebrating Christmas with fun and endless cheer.
Apart from decorating the tree, making a crib and laying out a Christmas meal complete with roast turkey and wine, each family has its own way of celebrating Christmas.

Metrolife caught up with a few expats in the City to get a peek into their mode of
celebrations. Beth Chapman and Jeff, from the USA, have been in the City for more than a year. Both have made their rounds to numerous cake-mixing ceremonies and gingerbread chalets put up around the town.

“We will soon buy a tree and break out the trimmings this week, and the songs of
the season will fill the air in our home. My girls eagerly wait for Santa Claus and are also discussing whether they have been naughty or nice and what they might get for Christmas. That apart, we will be travelling to our family home later on for a get-together. This is the first time my children will be witness to a family reunion of sorts,” explains Beth.

She says that the family celebrates Christmas back home with a traditional roast turkey late afternoon on Christmas day. 

Valerie Rozycki Wagoner and her husband will also be going home to England for Christmas this year.

“We always go snow skiing, and I am very excited that both my family and my husband’s family will be celebrating and going skiing together this year. When not skiing, I hope to catch up on some missed work,” says Valerie.

She explains that her family always plans a big Christmas dinner, “which always
includes a family recipe for ‘corn pudding’ which has been handed down by my great-great-grandfather from my maternal side, including the kitchen tool that he designed and built himself that cuts the corn in just the right way,” she adds.

Yana Lewis runs the Yana Lewis Dance Company and confesses that most Christmas celebrations centre around shows and her dance company.

She’s usually stuck with a line of performances across the country and she points
out that this year is no different. “My dance company is like a part of my family, so if we end up spending Christmas and new year together, we enjoy it even more,” she avers.

But Yana observes that Christmas has changed since her daughter Jazmine arrived.
“Our daughter has turned three and is extremely excited at this time. Christmas for us is not about food and socialising as I am a fruitarian and my family eats predominately raw vegan food.”

“So, even if we travel I make and carry most of our food with us as it isn’t served in any restaurant,” she says.

Elise Cambournac from France has been living in the City for the last two years. They celebrate Christmas the French way complete with turkey, smoked salmon, champagne and wine.

“We have a Christmas eve dinner and put up a fig tree. We leave the presents around the tree for the kids on Christmas eve and Christmas morning is spent opening all the gifts.”
“The Christmas log, a dessert that has a cake rolled up in chocolate, is an integral part of the menu,” Elsie sums up.