It’s raining outside. The office is quiet. When you work in an international office, you can’t help wondering what your colleagues’ Christmas must be like. As a Maltese person, I’ve always seen Christmas as a celebration of love — time to be grateful for your blessings, to think of those less fortunate, and to eat a lot of great homemade food with your family.
I decided to use my two favourite tools — photography and words — to find out what Christmas means to people from across the world. All of them happened to be on our little rock, Malta, last week. The objective was to show how, despite our differences, we’re all unified by one thing: love.
Spyros Kanakis — Greece
“Christmas is the warm smell of honey, cinnamon and roasted almonds filling the house from traditional Greek festive desserts: Melomakarona and Kourabiedes. Christmas is sweet!” He spends it cuddling and laughing in front of the fireplace with the people he loves. All he wants: less bombings, less media terrorism — more caring, more understanding, more education and more love.
Neill Simpson — United Kingdom
“A time to reflect but not a time to neglect, hold your loved ones tight amidst the cold moonlights… remember to shed a tear for those that cannot be here.” He spends it with family, making sure the kids are content. All he wants: a hug and a kiss.
Mary Grace Cave — Philippines
“Christmas is in our hearts.” In the Philippines, Christmas spirit begins on September 1st — they have the longest Christmas celebration in the world. A tradition called ‘Simbang Gabi’ involves attending mass at 4:00AM from December 16th to 24th, where you can make a wish if you complete all 9 masses.
Mark Davis — USA/UK
Normally spends Christmas in Chicago with family. A special tradition: each adult draws a name and gives that person a book — new or used, just something you think they’d enjoy. This year he’s staying in London for his first Christmas with his partner, with plans for the Tate Gallery, skating at Somerset House, and NYE fireworks on the Thames.
Claire Tribert & Malick N’Diaye — France
Claire travels to her village in the South of France for 13 family members, eating Burbot and Lobster à l’Armoricaine on Christmas Eve, with old Christmas songs, singing, dancing, and the thirteen traditional Provençal desserts on Christmas Day. Malick spends his Christmas in the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe, with accras de morue, boudin creole, lobster, and dancing to Zouk-infused Christmas songs in the village square.
Sebastian Steek — Germany
Goes home to Rostock to visit family and friends. The highlight: his mother and grandmother’s traditional German Christmas food — Kartoffelsalat und Würstchen on Christmas Eve, and Duck with potatoes and red cabbage for Christmas Day lunch.
Debbie Kooy — Netherlands
“Christmas is a bit of a cozy fuss.” Spends it with family in Holland — nice food, good times, a walk on the beach, and hot chocolate after. All she wants: peace, love and happiness for all those in the world for whom those things aren’t a guarantee.
Olga Ushanova — Russia
Orthodox Christmas is January 7th, so the celebrations happen on New Year’s Eve. All relatives gather at one table. The TV is always on, broadcasting the clock from the Red Square Tower and the president’s speech — a tradition since the Soviet Union. Christmas is spent in the countryside, surrounded by snow, with sauna the next day for detoxing.
Henrika Jakobsson — Finland
“Christmas is the light and joy of the darkest time of the year.” Having lived abroad for nearly ten years, she’s adapted — cooking traditional Christmas dishes (rice porridge, swede, beetroot and carrot casseroles) wherever she is, playing Finnish Christmas songs, and waiting for Santa on Christmas Eve.
Zeki Gulluler — Turkey
Christmas doesn’t have a strong tradition in Turkey, but New Year’s Eve is celebrated with heavy dinners, oranges, tangerines, chestnuts, bingo, and New Year’s special TV shows. Some Turkish families even put up Christmas trees for fun. All he wants: world peace.
Linda Barreiro — Portugal
“Christmas is going home.” Two days of non-stop eating, drinking, speaking, laughing with family. Traditional Christmas Eve dinner includes Bacalhau (boiled codfish), followed by Rabanadas, Bilharacos, Aletria and Arroz Doce for dessert.
Robin Westerlund — Sweden & Keemon Landsfeldt — Denmark
Robin’s Christmas Eve: food, TV, Christmas presents, possibly chocolate, then catching up with old friends at pubs in the days after. Keemon’s Danish Christmas centres on “Hygge” — cosiness with family, dancing around the Christmas tree, and the risalamande tradition: a dessert with one hidden almond, and whoever finds it gets a special present.
Mateusz Kuzma — Poland
Christmas Eve dinner, sharing the traditional wafer bread, presents from Santa, then midnight Shepherd’s Mass. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are for church and family. All he wants: lots of snow!
Merry Christmas and happy New Year! Leave a comment below and share what Christmas is to you — where you come from and what your traditions are.