Have you spent Christmas away from home? Or been to a different part of the world for the Christmas season?

Isn’t it magical? And if you haven’t, don’t you think that would be AMAZING??

My first Christmas away from home was in Caleta Olivia, Argentina.

I was there on a service mission for my church. IT WAS SO HOT! I had always, and I mean always, had a white Christmas. Utah is known for it’s snow and that’s what I expect. But in Argentina, it is hot. Like really hot. Me and my companion, Olivia, made cookies and took them to all the people we visited while wearing Santa hats.

Familia Bermudez had invited us for Christmas dinner and as is tradition, we had a big tasty Argentine asado! After we stuffed our faces and finished socializing, they took us home where the Christmassing continued at our landlords house with other missionaries.

There, we ate more asado with cow tongue, laughed, talked, drank sparkling cider, and enjoyed the decorations…. But then, THEN at midnight, the real Argentine Christmas Spirit came out.

FIREWORKS!

Argentina celebrates Christmas with a discombobulated firework show. It. Is. Awesome. Everyone all over the city has their own fireworks that they shoot off high in the air! Needless to say, it was a Christmas away from home to remember.

It is definitely something everyone should experience.

On Christmas day, we opened our meager piles of gifts, and were able to Skype our families in the USA and Peru. Olivia is from Huanuco, Peru.

That night we hung out with Tito and his family eating pizza and playing games. If you need a good Christmas away from home, I’d go that direction.

Or…. You could go to Peru?

I wasn’t in Peru for Christmas day but I was there until December 22nd. It was initially in my plans to spend Christmas away from home but my family begged me to come home so I did. Which was good because it allowed me to go to Hawaii for New Years Eve.

Peru is super festive for the Christmas season.

Especially in Aguas, Calientes, the town at the base of Machupicchu, and Lima.

My travel buddy and I did the entire Salkantay Trek from Dec. 13- Dec 16 2015. As soon as we walked into Aguas Calientes, it looked like a Peruvian Christmas Village… There were artificial Christmas tree’s everywhere, garlands, nativities…. We even saw a puppy sleeping in a baby Jesus cradle.

Lima has nativities EVERYWHERE!

While in Peru, we learned that the Peruvians don’t put baby Jesus in the cradle until Christmas Eve to represent His birth. It’s a beautiful tradition. I wish I could have spent Christmas away from home in Peru, but alas, It was not in the cards. Maybe another time!

What about Spain for Christmas?T

Although we didn’t spend Christmas in Spain, we were there in December and thanks to the Catholic influence, Christmas was a month long affair. After two weeks at our olive farm Work Away in Andalucía, we BlaBlaCar’d a ride to the Gold Coast. Our first stop in December, was Malaga. 

Malaga is a popular, beach destination in the Mediterranean and caters to the tourist christmas spirit. Every evening in the central plaza, visitors are treated to a Christmas light show unlike any other! The main shopping thoroughfare is strewn with lights for blocks and blocks. When you step back, you see the elaborate light patterns built into an archway that seems to stretch on endlessly in the warm Mediterranean night. 

At the stroke of 6 they cue the music and kick off a thirty minute show to remember.

Echoing through the streets in the bombast of Trans Siberian Orchestra, the lights strobbed and pulsed and raced to the beat and ferocity of those electric guitars. 

After the light show, we treated ourselves to a delicious cup of drinking chocolate and wandered through the elaborately decorated streets, admiring the modern nativity scenes and Christmas trees, relishing in our first Christmas away from home, together. 

Our next December destination in Spain was the festive town of Sevilla.

Sevilla is another place that doesn’t slack on it’s Christmas ornamentation. In the main plaza next to a church and historic palace, the European vacationers are dazzled by another set of overwhelming lights. Metal sculptures shaped as trees are lined with more lights and more colors than you’d think possible. 

In between more cups of drinking chocolate and tapas, we had the pleasure of attending a traditional Flamenco show. The elaborate costumes and festive setting made an otherwise unrelated activity meld right into the Christmas spirit. 

So you see? Christmas away from home isn’t so bad.

It is so awesome to experience another culture’s customs, decorations, and weather. And, it gives you a better appreciations for Christmas with your loved ones in a place you can call home.

Where is your favorite place you’ve been for the Holiday’s? What has been your favorite Christmas away from home? Share in comments! I would love to read your stories!