Home away from home

Christmas is a time for family and friends – and delicious turkey dinner.

But sometimes getting away from it all can be just as relaxing as sitting with family and enjoying all that comes with Christmas.

Don’t get me wrong, I live for the Christmas season, and nothing pleases me more than to sit in front of my decorated Christmas tree and just relax. But sometimes it’s fun to shake it up.

I’ve celebrated Christmas and New Year’s Eve in three countries. One Christmas morning was spent in a hot tub donning Santa hats.

Spending Christmas away from the homestead can be fun. You don’t have to buy an exorbitant amount of gifts, you don’t have to host family, friends and neighbours for a Christmas party, and you can slow down the pace.

How you spend the holiday is totally up to you.

Travelling at Christmas allows you to escape or head for the cold, depending on what you prefer.

Who can argue that exploring a Christmas market in Germany, enjoying mulled wine on Christmas Eve or walking along a beach in a warm Caribbean country on Christmas morning wouldn’t be a dream?

Christmas is not all about the lights, decorations and gifts; it’s about spending time with people you love in a place that you love.

– Olivia

VS.

Tradition of home

Every year at Christmas I hear about the long lines and crowds of travellers at airports and I always wonder, why?

Travelling during the holidays should be reserved for those who are trying to get to their families for Christmas or, on the flip side, those trying to escape the festivities all together.

Hey, not everyone is as into Christmas as I am. I get that; to each their own.

But I can’t imagine spending the holidays away from home, whether it’s my home or a family member’s home. Staying in a hotel just seems too impersonal for such a holiday.

My Christmas is steeped in tradition, from the inevitable last minute Christmas food shopping on Christmas Eve day to the order presents are opened on Christmas morning. My family has a tradition for everything.

And the best feeling of all? Waking up on Christmas morning to a world covered in a white blanket of freshly fallen snow. That’s Christmas.

Though Mother Nature has been slacking in the white Christmas department the last few years, hopefully we see a turnaround in just a few short days.

However you spend your holiday season, I hope you choose what’s right for you.

Merry Christmas!

– Jaime