Christmas is one of the most important occasions in the Philippines. Most of the people would go home to their extended families, have family/ class/ work reunions. As a child, this is one of the occasions I really look forward to- aside from my birthday.
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That whole concept changed when I started working abroad. I realized that not everyone celebrates this occasion. Or, their concept of celebration is different from the Filipinos. Here in Australia, decorations start appearing around mid November( that is the earliest) and Christmas Carols start playing around end of November/ early week December.Christmas parties are usually just simple lunch/ dinner/ drinks usually arranged in restaurants, bars, business establishments. People are not rendering intermission numbers, no parlor games.There is no Misa de Gallo- or early morning mass. Since there is a big Filo community where I live, there was one though in my locality- what I mean is that, its not as common as in the Philippines.
I feel that one of the things that I have to pay for living abroad is constant loneliness and homesickness. This is one the occasions when I feel most lonely. But, I take courage and strength that I had gone through this remarkable journey- that's just one of the "side effects."
I started developing my own Christmas tradition, cooking my own food, keeping in touch with people in my country. Its not as lonely as most people would think it would be. Ceremonies aside, its just like any ordinary day. People exchange presents, share a meal together. For me, that meant having a nice quiet day at home, keeping in touch with people at home; enjoying a good meal, reading a book, then going to bed.
Where I am, I have finally found a way to adapt. It might feel lonely to people who have never been abroad. But, at the end, I feel at peace, happy, contended. This is the path that I chose for me, these are just some of the things I needed to give up- expecting a celebration just like home.