Rice, curry and Skype

In Southeast Asia, Christmas is not necessarily celebrated on December 25. This year it will take place on the 1st of December.

Most Christian families do not celebrate privately in their home but with the whole church family. There is an all day event at the church, which is decorated with balloons and tinsel of all colors. It usually ends up looking more like a birthday party than what we consider to be Christmas decorations. During this event, special skits, songs, and dances are sung and someone also preaches a sermon. There is always a meal that follows, which usually consists of rice and curry or some kind of noodle dish. The remainder of the month is often spent traveling and visiting (to areas that we foreigners are still not permitted to visit).

Once our church family is out and about in other parts of the country, we have the opportunity to celebrate at home in a more traditional fashion. We are blessed to have a Christmas tree and this culture uses colored lights year round for various festivals so it is easy to get Christmas lights too. We also cut out paper snowflakes and hang them around the house to remind us of cold weather back home.

Christmas day begins by waking up as a family, reading the Christmas story together and enjoying a breakfast quiche, a family tradition. We then gather around the tree and open presents from each other and from family sent to us from the States.

In the afternoon and evening we invite friends over for a Christmas potluck. Last year, we had friends from America, New Zealand, SE Asia, Denmark and England come to celebrate with us. It was also fun asking everyone to share how they celebrated Christmas in their home culture. It was surprising hearing how different these traditions were!

The following morning is then spent on Skype with family back home in the U.S. who are still enjoying their Christmas evening!

While it isn't quite the same as being at home, it is always great to celebrate with fellow believers whose lives have been changed by the birth of a baby that we now call our Savior.

Missionary's name withheld for security purposes