Ever wondered what Irish people, who live abroad, do on Christmas Day when they can’t make it home?
Well, we’ve asked them.
Aoife McKeon/28/Dunboyne, Meath
Where you are and why you can’t make it home?
“I’m currently in Toronto, Canada, and will be spending Christmas here. I’m 7 months pregnant, so the long flight isn’t ideal.”
What will you do on Christmas day where you are?
“My parents are flying over for Christmas as I can’t make it home. My sister, boyfriend and I will cook dinner for them and invite all our “Irish orphan” friends (who also haven’t gone home for Christmas) over for dinner too… and they’ll all get drunk while I sip tea and eat myself into a coma to compensate for the lack of drinking haha!”
What will you miss most about Christmas at home?
“It’s not the first Christmas I haven’t been home for – and that doesn’t make it any easier. The bustling, multi-cultural city doesn’t slow down and most places stay open like it’s just another day.
I miss the cozy feeling of Ireland, the mad Irish Christmas spirit and craic, the last minute Christmas eve shopping on Grafton Street and that traditional pint of Guinness in town with the old man… Christmas eve mass, followed by a visit to the local where you see faces you haven’t seen in years and catch up on times gone by, and Ireland’s beauty and that feeling of home and belonging.”
Any message for those at home?
“Nollaig shona duit gach duine – hope the craic is 90! Le grá, Aoife.”
Angela Ní Fhlatharta/30/Galway
Where you are and why you can’t make it home?
“I moved to Oman at the end of August to teach. Unfortunately, my school doesn’t celebrate Christmas so I won’t be making it home this year. We don’t get our midterm break until the end of January. So I won’t make it home this year for the turkey.”
What will you do on Christmas day where you are?
“There are a couple of Irish teachers in my school who will be cooking up a storm on Christmas Day so I’m going to join them. It’ll be a nice dinner and a chat with good friends. We get an unofficial day off on Christmas Day, so it’ll be nice to make a few Skype calls home and relax with a few Christmas movies and make the most of it. I might even make the beach.”
What will you miss most about Christmas at home?
“It’s my first Christmas away from home so it’s going to be really different. Waking up to throw on a teeshirt and shorts instead of the Christmas fleecy PJs. We might even eat the turkey outside.
I’m going to miss a lot about home this year… the thing that I’ll miss most about home is the family time! We have a small gathering at our house every Christmas Eve and we stay up chatting. I’ll miss everyone opening up the presents in the morning and trying to figure out who got who for secret Santa.
I never thought that I’d say this… BUT… but I kind of miss the cold weather… just a little… I love walking into a warm house after bringing my dog for a walk and heating up beside the stove.”
Any message for those at home?
“I want to wish everyone back home a lovely Christmas and a wonderful New Year! My friend’s dad hosts a party every Christmas, so this year he’s going to have to postpone it by a few weeks for me…… so Orlie, you’ll have to tell Jimmy to wait for me! I’ll see you all in January. NOLLAIG SHONA from Oman.”
Hannah McCabe/23/Donegal
Where you are and why you can’t make it home?
“Since September 2015 I have been living in Dubai and loving every minute of it. However, with such a high volume of staff looking for annual leave at Christmas time it can be quite difficult to get home.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get leave this year but I was lucky enough to get days off from 24th-26th. Last year I was on a five day multi-sector to Sydney and Auckland, which was difficult as it was my first Christmas away from family.”
What will you do on Christmas day where you are?
“As I have the most important dates of Christmas off I get to spend them with my sister who also lives in Dubai. Even though it’s not Ireland, it’s nice knowing I’ll still be spending Christmas with the friends I’ve made and of course, my sister. We are having Christmas dinner, movies, mulled wine and presents. Everything you would expect from an Irish Christmas but with the added sunshine.”
What will you miss most about Christmas at home?
“Trying to think of one thing I will miss the most is reminding me of everything I’ll miss. I think it’s the little things that your family do together that make it special, it’s the traditions and the personal touches.
I’ll miss the Irish mammy feast, my dog by my side, dad making sure there is a sufficient amount of fuel on the fire at all times and having all our neighbours come over to play silly games and eat until we can’t breathe. I’ll definitely miss the colder weather. It’s harder to get in the Christmas spirit when it’s 30 degrees outside.”
Any message for those at home?
“That I miss them, not just at Christmas but all the time. I miss my friends and family very very much. With my job and my schedule, it is so difficult to keep in regular contact with everyone. But I think about them all the time. I wish everyone at home a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
Rachel Byrne/24/Bray, Co. Wicklow
Where you are and why you can’t make it home?
“Currently in New York, New York! My current Visa expires in January, and to either cut my stay in this wonderful city short, or to come home for Christmas, then back to New York, then back home again would be demented. So I’ve chosen to remain here for the big day.”
What will you do on Christmas day where you are?
“On Christmas day, I’m planning on Skyping my family, watching Christmas movies, praying for snow, and hopefully volunteering during the day.
There are loads of opportunities to help out and volunteer with the homeless in NYC and I’m hoping one of these organisations will let me join them.
In the evening, I will be going for dinner with my friends Mary and Johanna – Mary’s mum and sister are in town for Christmas, so they’re gonna adopt me and Johanna for the day. We’ll be like one big makeshift happy family.”
What will you miss most about Christmas at home?
“For fear of stating the obvious, my family. In general my family are kinda crap at Christmas, and aren’t very good at organising anything crazy different or exciting. But it’s probably one of about four times a year that we’re all under the same roof just hanging out. And it’s definitely the ONLY time a year board games a thing. I can’t play Trivial Pursuit with Daddy over here in the big apple.”
Any message for those at home?
“Please enjoy copious amounts of mince pies on my behalf #youdon’tknowwhatyou’vegottillit’sgone”
Emer Lalor/38 and 5/4/Finglas, Dublin
“I currently live in Long Beach, LA County, California.Unfortunately, I won’t be going home this Christmas due to cost and a few other minor irritants. I did go home in July with my two girls and it cost us an arm and a leg and a few other limbs. All completely worth it, mind you. Another reason is: the loot that Santa would have to haul on his trans-Atlantic journey is not aligned with the baggage allowance on most airlines.”
What will you do on Christmas day where you are?
“For Christmas when I can’t make it home, I always try to shower our house with jingle all the way to keep the Christmas spirit alive and ensure that I don’t let any pangs of homesickness creep in on me. On Christmas Eve we go to a little beach town just South of us where we’ll meet up with our Irish friends and their families and have a meal in a lovely Irish pub: O’ Malley’s in Seal Beach.
Christmas morning arrives and the kids get up and go bananas for about two hours and then we ring Nana and Aunties and Uncles in Dublin to scream hysterically for approximately 30 minutes down the phone. Later on, dinner is followed by a mass collapsing on the couch to watch a good ‘oul family favourite like Star Wars or Superman until we can’t keep our eyes open.
The next big event in the Chrimbo Celebrations in California is the ringing in of Irish new year in a pub in long beach called the Dubliner. Yes, we all go at 1pm so that we can ring in the new year at 4pm (12am Dublin time).”
What will you miss most about Christmas at home?
“Having been here so long, I have definitely found ways to infuse the spirit of Christmases past into our stateside celebration. And I feel like you have to make some new traditions. It is true what they say, though: there’s no place like HOME for the holidays. I always have pangs of wishing I was home in Dublin for Christmas. I’m not sure that will ever change.”
