Expat Jasper misses his family at Christmas
Editorial credit: Slavenka Arandjelovic / Shutterstock.com
In a few days it will be Christmas. For many of us, our thoughts wander towards our family in the Netherlands. This also applies to Jasper. This is the story, a Dutchman who lost his heart to the unspoiled beauty of Thailand, but whose soul still longs for the cozy conviviality of Christmas in the Netherlands.
Jasper moved to Thailand three years ago. Attracted by the lush nature, the friendly smiles of the locals and a lifestyle that is both relaxing and adventurous. He quickly found his niche in the land of smiles, embraced Thai cuisine, learned the language and made new friends. But despite his new life, he feels a pang of melancholy every year around December.
In Thailand, Jasper misses Christmas as he knew it in the Netherlands. He thinks back to the dark, cold days illuminated by the warm glow of Christmas lights. Living rooms filled with the sound of laughing family members and the smell of freshly baked Christmas wreaths. For Jasper, Christmas in the Netherlands was synonymous with being together, with the conviviality that the Dutch so uniquely call 'gezellig'. It's a feeling that's hard to replicate in Thailand's tropical climate, where Christmas seems more like a tourist attraction than a family celebration.
Every year Jasper tries to bring a bit of that Dutch Christmas atmosphere to Thailand. He decorates his house with small lights, buys an artificial Christmas tree and even attempts to bake oliebollen in his kitchen here. He organizes a small Christmas party for his friends in Thailand, where he introduces them to Dutch Christmas traditions. But despite his best efforts, it doesn't feel the same. The smiling faces of his friends cannot fill the void left by his family.
Jasper misses the little things the most. Decorating the Christmas tree together, his uncle's jokes at the Christmas dinner, cooking and baking together, and the warm hugs from his mother. Video calls with his family in the Netherlands bring temporary comfort, but they also remind him of what he is missing.
But despite the melancholy, Jasper does not regret his choice to live in Thailand. He appreciates the beauty and opportunities the country has offered him. He has learned that homesickness and happiness can go hand in hand. The loss of his family and the Dutch Christmas makes him more aware of the value of these moments and the love he feels for his family.
Like many expats, Jasper lives between two worlds: he embraces the beauty of his new home while cherishing the memories of his old home. Every year, when the Christmas lights come on in Thailand, he feels a mixture of joy and melancholy. It's a reminder that no matter where you are in the world, the love of family and the memories of home will always remain a part of you.
Yes, I know that feeling too. Or better yet: I KNEW that feeling from the first years I lived here.
But that longing has not become melancholy, especially because December 25 and 26 were usually normal working days at the university and they flew by before you knew it.
I live here, there is only Christmas in the shopping malls, I am not bothered by the Christmas songs that sound there and I always have my Christmas tree at home with a nativity scene.
This year, on Monday, a small party with the 9 Thai children I am trying to teach English. And that doesn't mean pheasant or deer but chicken nuggets, pizza, ice cream and Coca-Cola. It's fun, Thai style.
Yesterday evening I saw an expat lady with 2 full shopping bags in the elevator of our condo and she was carrying a small gold Christmas tree.
In our condo many Ukrainian ladies and some young men. One of the lady's sons started singing a Christmas song in perfect English, so cute.
There is Christmas music all day in every shopping mall, so I avoid this.
Continuous Christmas music in a fancy beach restaurant, instead of modern music, seemed a bit strange to me, there are a lot of tourists there now, perhaps this target group likes it now.
If I have to be completely honest, I was always happy when the holidays were over in my home country.
All those family obligations, eating and drinking parties, obligatory exchange of gifts that no one wanted, no, I was not in favor of that.
Here in Thailand, the two of us drink a glass of sparkling wine, have a chat and are grateful that we have each other. I don't suffer from homesickness at all.
But all respect for the people who do suffer from it. But at the end I always say that you chose to move here.
Missing the atmosphere during the holidays is the same problem as missing the local shops with the typical local products specific to your country. The people who say “think before you start” certainly have a point here. I have closed a chapter for myself and started a new life in a beautiful country. There is little point in looking back.
Once upon a time, I didn't like Christmas with a stressed-out mother who toiled in the kitchen for 3 days and when only one dish failed.
Close-knit family, but it's mandatory to spend 2 days together having fun, never appealed to me.
In Thailand you can happily avoid Christmas.
Many entrepreneurs don't do it.
I especially avoid the large shopping malls now.
I don't celebrate it in Belgium yet, but I would do it in Thailand.
Actually doesn't tell me anything at all. Also terrible is the Christmas music everywhere you go.
And then all those peace-loving messages and the next day people beat each other's heads in again.
I don't need Christmas to think about the people I love.
Which does not mean that I do not wish people happy holidays and that our house, especially the outside, would not be decorated with all kinds of lights around that period. That's my wife's fault who thinks it should be that way. I just let her do it and have long since given up saying that it certainly isn't necessary for me.
It's up to me to tear it down or it would still be there by next Christmas 😉
What do you want Ronny, Christmas is just one big commercial circus in which we feel obliged to participate.
And there are a large number of other festivities where a lot of money is spent unnecessarily. I no longer participate in that on principle.
Besides, a Thai is just the same. Just look at the capital that is thrown around every time a special Buddha holiday is on the agenda.
PS: My father-in-law also hung some LED lights in some of his palm trees last Christmas. It's now just a year later and they are still there, unfortunately... they no longer work 🙂
There are quite a few things from the Netherlands that I sometimes miss, but Christmas is certainly not one of them.
Never had anything to do with Christmas, but with New Year's Eve, so we celebrate that nicely in Thailand, and the day after that too.
It was all Christmas today at the little one's school (four years old). Almost all Thai children, but that doesn't matter. Big Christmas party all day long and every child is 'required' to wear Christmas clothes, dad will pay again because that's what dads are there for.
Christmas is becoming increasingly international, I also saw it in Islamic Malaysia. Not a bad development, let's all celebrate at least one festival together in the world. Christmas is suitable for this.
Good idea Eric,
Then let them introduce the Thai New Year in Belgium in April. Enjoy having it both ways. Then we instantly have four extra days of vacation.
Maybe I'm looking a bit far, but I still prefer to limit the influence of a foreign religion. We are already losing enough of our own identity and would rather not see this increase.
Always worked at Christmas.
Extra pay and my employer also added extra holiday hours.
Don't miss it here either.