In This IssueMaintaining Holiday

Traditions While Living Abroad

Did You Know?

Making the Most of Christmas Overseas

Amy’s Research Findings

Maintaining Holiday Traditions While Living Abroad by Beverly D. Roman, Author/Consultant, BR Anchor Publishing

When trying to adjust to a new country, preserving family holiday traditions and rituals takes on a whole new meaning. Family and cultural traditions and celebrations are part and parcel of who we are. Celebrating festivities as you usually do will ease loneliness and help children preserve continuity in their lives, as well as embellish family life and help everyone maintain strong personal bonds. Gayle Peterson, PhD, family therapist, says: “Satisfying family rituals are the glue that holds a family together.”

Rituals often align with religious beliefs, but they could also be preparing traditional meals, playing favorite games, making homemade decorations, taking part in neighborhood gatherings or even the way you exchange gifts. Holidays also provide the perfect opportunity to talk about family values.

When we lived overseas, we exchanged special traditions with adults and children alike. It was also very interesting to learn how people celebrate Christmas in England, Holland, Germany, France and Spain as we shared our celebrations from America. Sharing each other’s family and country holiday traditions is not only fun; it can also be educational for all.

Your host country may celebrate holidays other than yours and vice versa. For us, of course, it was Thanksgiving, which is only an American tradition. Celebrating different holidays along with local families provides more memories as you embrace local traditions, local foods and decorations. New experiences are enriching for adults and children alike, as well as a cultural experience on your own expat journey.

Extended Family MembersExpats often desire to travel “home” for the holidays, but work commitments, school schedules or financial considerations may prevent them from doing so. However, with today’s technology there are ways to share the holiday with grandparents and other family members. Schedule a Webcam meeting on Christmas day with at-home relatives, and you can even arrange to open gifts sent by them while on a session so everyone can enjoy the pleasure. There is also FaceTime on your computer or cell phone for quick visits.

Creating New TraditionsIndividuals who have not grown up with special traditions can create their own unique family customs. What is most important is that everyone has a responsibility in the preparation. Responsibilities can be different over the years, which serves to create more excitement and ensures critical roles are covered even if a family member is absent. The objective is for everyone to enjoy the experience of the tradition and that the ritual promotes a happy family time together, one that each family member will look forward to repeating again and again.

Giving to Others Another fine effort is for families to participate in charitable programs such as providing a meal for a needy family or transportation for those who cannot drive. Reaching out to people

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Vol 11, No 11 • November 2018 Amy Roman, Publisher

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who are less fortunate teaches children about sharing and values. It is also most fulfilling to bring cheer to others. At a recent family gathering, our son told us how his two daughters took money out of their small bank accounts to put toward a holiday dinner for needy individuals, which they helped to deliver. It was obvious as he related the story that his daughters had a real sense of pleasure from this endeavor.

Holidays should certainly be remembered and observed at the appropriate times in your lives no matter where you are living. Continuity of family values can be at risk with any relocation and continuance of family celebrations is a way to maintain a family’s closeness. The key is being open to ideas and feelings of each person in the family, and to be willing to create new ways of doing things. Creating new family customs can generate traditions that will define the uniqueness of your family. Consider what you remember most fondly from your childhood. That is what you will likely hope your children will remember— the love and activities you shared.

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Beverly D. Roman has written more than thirty domestic and international relocation books for adults, teenagers, preteens and young children. Beverly has appeared on CNN, ABC and Discovery Channel as an expert in the field of relocation. Her books include advice for military families, and are used by all branches of the armed services around the world. Contact her at beverlyroman10@gmail.com.

Did You Know?Probably the most celebrated holiday in the world, our modern Christmas is a product of hundreds of years of both secular and religious traditions from around the globe. Discover the origins of Christmas traditions from around the world, such as how Christmas is celebrated “Down Under.”More than 160 countries celebrate Christmas. A few countries refer to the holiday as Family Day, including Angola and Uruguay. Some countries—such as Jordan and Pakistan—designate December 25th as an official holiday only for Christians.Click here to read the article.

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Amy’s Research Findings by Amy L. RomanHere is a brief excerpt from a source we have followed for years; click on the live link below to read the entire article.“Moving to a new community may be one of the most stress-producing experiences a family faces. Frequent moves or even a single move can be especially hard on children and adolescents. Studies show children who move frequently are more likely to have problems at school. Moves are even more difficult if accompanied by other significant changes in the child’s life, such as a death, divorce, loss of family income, or a need to change schools…“The more frequently a family moves, the more important is the need for internal stability. With the proper attention from parents, and professional help if necessary, moving can be a positive growth experience for children, leading to increased self-confidence and interpersonal skills.”

Source: “Moving: Helping Children Cope,” American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry October 2015. Click here to read the entire article

Making the Most of Christmas Overseas by Beverly D. RomanIf you know you will be spending your holidays abroad, a little pre-planning can help you purchase holiday items during summer trips such as small decorations and foods that travel well during trips “home.” During the holidays, consider the following recommendations:■ Reach out to friends and acquaintances from your home country as well as other

countries to share holiday meals and traditions with. ■ Ask everyone to bring a dish because sharing different types of foods is really fun and

a way to be involved and make it more enjoyable for everyone—especially the host and hostess.

■ Make homemade holiday decorations, foods, gifts and/or personal greeting cards.■ Share songs, stories, festivities and events from life in the home country. ■ Last, but not least, have each person share his/her blessings with the rest of the family

before mealtime. It is very meaningful to have everyone take a turn and tell each other what they are thankful for. (You might suggest a limit of two or three items to be thankful for. Our youngest granddaughter took this very seriously and we had to tactfully curtail the list she was thankful for before the food got cold.)

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Have Questions or Suggestions?We hope you find this issue to be useful and informative! We always welcome reader feedback! Click here to email Amy Roman, call 904-642-1667 or contact us via our website.

Next Month’s Issue Companies are increasingly affected by trailing spouses’ dual career challenges and expat spouses’ refusal to assignments abroad is becoming more common. According to a Global Mobility Trend survey (BGRS), 69 percent of employers report that spouses’/partners’ careers will become more important for their company’s ability to send the right candidates on overseas assignments. Amel Derragui, CEO of Tandem Nomads, shares how these dual career challenges can be turned into great opportunities for the spouses and the companies in Turning Dual Career Challenges into Opportunities.