We had such great responses to our article in the December issue on how strict traditions are overrated that we’d thought we’d share more stories from Beijing families. Here are some of our favorite responses from all around the city!
Van de Velde-Kasujja family (Gerd, Pearl, Ava, 9, and Tes, 1).
Like many expats living far away from home, spending the Christmas holidays in Beijing means a few adjustments on how we celebrate.
For example, back in Belgium, the holiday gift-giving season starts on 6th December, on the Sinterklaasfest where young children sing songs, put shoes in front of chimneys (with a carrot for Sinterklaas’s horse… how nice!) and Sinterklaas in turn leaves gifts behind for them.
When spending the holidays in Beijing, we try to connect with family on video chat, the only challenge being the hour difference between China and Europe and Africa (Where mum lives). We also make sure the kids feel the Christmas spirit by having them involved in decorating the tree and choosing and wrapping presents (not their presents of course :).
We try to spend alternate holidays with family back in Europe and Africa, but we also love the opportunity the holidays provide us to travel and explore the diverse parts of China and the different countries around Asia.
Alessdandra Azambuja and Family
The only thing that comes to my mind now about adjusting holidays celebrations after moving to China is when we first moved to Beijing, about ten years ago. After few years here, when my kids were attending a chinese primary school there were no Christmas holidays. I remember for a couple of times we had to “move” our Christmas Day to the weekend, as Christmas Day was a weekday and my son had exam on that day and could not miss the class. So we just told the kids Christmas was a few days later, during the weekend. For these years, Santa Claus visited us on a different day, not on Dec. 24.
I’m so thankful my kids can attend an international school now and we are able to celebrate Christmas together and enjoy this holiday season!
KEEP READING: Strict Holiday Traditions Are Overrated: Adapting Western Holidays to Fit Our Beijing Lifestyle
Photos: Courtesy of the families, Canva
