Skip to Content

Spending Christmas Day abroad? How to keep the magic alive

Spending Christmas Day abroad? How to keep the magic alive

Christmas is a time for tradition and family. But it’s also a time when public holidays sit nicely for a big chunk of time from work with minimal annual leave taken. Plus, the kids have about a 2.5 week holiday from school in the UK state sytem. That’s a nice amount of time to do something exciting!

If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably a family who love to travel, and are always looking for ways to maximise your travel time around work and school commitments. Have you thought about breaking tradition and exploring a new destination for Christmas?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click to purchase, it is at no additional cost to you, and I receive a small commission.

Not being at home for Christmas may be a bold decision to make, especially when you have young kids. In the UK we’re brought up with strongly entrenched traditions for how Christmas should be spent.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas, and having the boys makes it all the more magical! But once in a while, we shake things up and celebrate Christmas a little differently – we’ve celebrated Christmas in Bangalore (when we lived in India), and also San Sebastian (when we took a Bongo camper trip around Northern Spain), plus many more Christmases travelling when we used to live in Australia (albeit pre-kids).

And you know what? These are the Christmases with the strongest memories and we’ve really really enjoyed them! Every year we talk about that Santa who came to meet us in Bangalore for Christmas dinner (which included sushi and curry dishes).

But when we are abroad for Christmas Day, we don’t forget Christmas altogether. There are a few things we do to keep the traditions going and the magic alive; no one is ‘missing out’ on Christmas here!

1. Move the date

Present giving is a huge part of Christmas. But a pile of presents isn’t realistic for your luggage allowance, especially if you try to pack light for family travel. And an even bigger part of Christmas is sharing the celebrations with extended family.

So, move the date and celebrate a ‘Christmas Day’ before you leave for your travels; exchange the gifts, pull open the crackers, cut the Christmas turkey, and argue over a game of charades. The day will still feel special as you’re with your loved ones.

The build up to the the 25th December is huge in the UK, as it is in most Western countries, and it seems to get bigger every year. But it’s just a date. Even Christians agree that the 25th is unlikely to be Jesus’ actual birthday, although it is the date that Christian’s celebrate it.

2. Research where a Christmas mass is taking place

If you are a family who attend Christmas mass on or around Christmas Day, then research before your trip where a Christmas mass is taking place (your accommodation should be able to help you here).

We have found churches almost everywhere we have travelled with our kids, from Essaouira in Morocco, Bangalore in India, and Bangkok in Thailand (none of which are Christian countries).

And what an experience it is celebrating Christmas mass in a different country; seeing how they do things differently or the same! It’s all part of the worldschooling experience that travel presents.

3. Pack some Christmas crafts

Downtime is always needed when travelling with kids and an hour crafting session provides just that. Pack a Christmas craft kit in your luggage before you leave, ready for when you need it. The crafting result can then be used to decorate your accommodation!

Baker and Ross craft kits are always a winner with us. These are ones we particularly enjoy:

And classic paper chains are always a winner! Although it’s always handy to have a stapler or sellotape with you as they always seem to fall apart after a day or so.

Baker Ross AX486 Christmas Pom Pom Kit – Pack of 3,…
  • Personalised Decorations: These creative christmas ornaments can be made from a traditional…
  • Festive Designs: 3 festive designs to choose from when making and displaying these lovely homemade…
  • Make Your Own: Once the kids have finished creating their masterpieces, these pom poms turn into the…
  • Included in the Pack: 3 christmas pom pom kist in 3 assorted designs. Each kit includes…
  • Made by experts: Baker Ross has been designing and providing the very best art and craft supplies,…
Baker Ross FE902 Christmas Tree Spinning Decorations ,Wooden…
  • Christmas Crafts: Children will love to make their very own spinning decorations and display them…
  • Make Your Own: Enjoy personalising these wooden decorations with our Deco pens, acrylic paints,…
  • Multi Use Crafts: This craft pack is perfect for creative minds to get started on and personalise a…
  • Included in the Pack: 3 christmas tree spinning decorations to make and decorate. Each kit includes…
  • Made by Experts: Baker Ross has been designing and providing art and craft supplies, and toys to…
4 Sets DIY Christmas Wooden Wind Chimes Kits for Kids…
  • Package content: the package includes 4 pieces of Christmas wooden wind chimes with different…
  • Sweet DIY time: the DIY wooden wind chime kit is unfinished, with clear lines, easy for you to paint…
  • Exquisite craftsmanship: the slice of this wind chimes Christmas ornament is made of quality wood,…
  • Christmas atmosphere: these paint wind chimes adopt classic Christmas elements as theme, such as…
  • Versatile usage: these Santa wind chimes are nice for Christmas, home, school or party adornments,…
Sale
80 Christmas Paper Chains Traditional Festive Colours Self…
  • Pack of 80 Christmas Paper Chains
  • Simply peel off the self adhesive covering and make a loop with the coloured strip. Then continue to…
  • The chains are a classic foil and consist of the traditional festive colours – Red, Green, Gold &…
  • Great for little ones, get them into the festive spirit by creating the chains and placing them…
  • Each pack contains 20 of each colour.

4. Pack one small present from Father Christmas

A few years ago, my kids came home from a playdate and asked why Santa had brought their friend eight LEGO kits, but they only got one. We explained to our kids right there and then that Father Christmas only brings one present per child and it’s never too expensive, but has lots of thought behind it.

So when it came to Christmas Day in our Bongo in Spain, the boys had one present to open that was delivered from Father Christmas overnight, plus a couple of small necessities (we were off skiing in La Molina soon after this, hence the ski goggles). The other presents from family and us parents had been opened before the travels.

Christmas in our Bongo at a San Sebastian campsite

5. Plan something special to do on Christmas Day

Admittedly most things will be closed if you’re in a Christian country for Christmas Day. But even in San Sebastian in 2021 we had a fantastic day eating tapas (restaurants were open), wandering the old town, hiking up to a view point, riding a Ferris wheel, and playing on the beach.

If you’re visiting a non-Christian country, it’s likely that it’s business as usual, so plan to do something different that you would never do at home; climb a mountain, go surfing, visit temples, go paragliding.

Embrace the fact that this is a very different Christmas and will be one to remember! You will be talking about this Christmas for many years to come.


You may also like to read:
Our top family travel destinations for intrepid families
The BEST family getaways for New Year’s Eve around the world
How we afford to travel with kids