My fiancee and I have never really bothered with Chrismas gifts. When we lived in Taiwan we usually worked, so the day didn’t feel at all special. She is a Taiwnese Christian and I come from a Catholic upbringing. Her family do not exchange gifts or ‘celebrate’ in any kind of fashion. My family are quite traditional - turkey, mince pies, prezzies under the tree - you get the picture.
I’m quite happy with the arrangement, and I know she is. Over the years we have been together Christmas has become less and less important to me. I haven’t even bothered with a card this year; however I sent a few to family and friends. I will cook a nice meal for us though; the weather will be good and we can enjoy dinner on the balcony. For me spending the day with my loved one can replace all the gifts in the world. The only thing that could possibly surpass that would be to spend it with both our families together.
Call me cheap or lazy but this arrangement works for us. So, has your other half or Taiwan experience had a similar effect? Just curious.
We do Christmas. She knows it’s important to me, and has shared Christmas with my family back home. Some years we do more than others, but it’s always on the calendar. Actually, she says she’s ‘afraid’ of Christmas because she can see just how much I want to be with my family back home.
This year, as I’m drifting through the fever lands, there’s no special meal being prepared and the only decoration is a string of lights that she says makes our apartment look like a cheap ktv.
I never much cared for Christmas as an adult. In some alternate universe, perhaps, Christmas is a one-day holiday. But Halloween means all the shopping malls on Parallel Earth have to play heavy metal music for a month, and people get all sentimental about mass murder and so on. If only…
Once you have kids, the importance of the holiday grows tenfold…
We do the whole nine yards, and it remains my daughters favorite holiday. Fortunately, I’m surrounded by an extremely tight-knit set of expats who share the same feelings.
I go thru the motions solely for my kids.
Otherwise I wouldn’t do a thing.
It’s an exercise in futility.
Esp. Xmas in Taiwan.
Which is always surreal in the extreme.
I, too, can’t imagine a happier Christmas than just being together with my babe.
We do like to have it be a bit Christmasy – even though she didn’t grow up with Xmas traditions. Decorating, having some special food, and exchanging gifts is a lot of fun, and makes it a special time of year, even for the non-religious.
My wife and I still exchange cards and gifts but that is the extent of it. I sent two Christmas cards back to America (to my brother and my one surviving Aunt).
Given the non-event Christmas has become in Taiwan we exchanged the gifts on Thursday simply because we felt like doing it on Thursday.
I guess just like when we were kids I should tell what I got; I got:
A book on the Tiger and Crane form of Hung Gar
A book on the life of boxer Jack Johnson, (Unforgivable Blackness)
A book on Daoism and Chinese Culture by Livia Kohen
A Saint Michael medal (kind of hard to find in Taiwan, Liz found one at the St. Pauls bookstore, the medal saves good Irish boys, such as myself, from “the wickedness and snares of the devil”.)
And a nice card.
Then by way of a Christmas feast we had Kentucky Fried Chicken twirlers (the fake pseudo burritos with the chicken inside—they are good but not “of this world”)
So it was a grand holiday. And in the spirit of Constitution Day and X-Mas (both of which used to be on the 25th till the dingbats running this island “dissed and dismissed” both holidays) I canceled class on Monday.
Finished up some Christmas shopping yesterday. I was amazed to see how may people were out doing the same thing. A lot of Santas Elves hats around also.
Wife and I exchange a gift; mostly its for the boy. He, of course, likes Christmas a lot. She likes it but in a “family” way rather than in a crass commercial/Hallmark way.
No tree, but a few Christmassy decorations up. I send really cool Chinese cards to some folks back in the states - I get some from folks there also. Email greets are much more common now.
Personally I have never liked the Christmas season. For most of my adult life I have usually been out of the country working. It was usually either a dinner alone or with strangers going thru the same holiday separation as I was. Drinks at a hotel bar or some place in a foreign city was SOP. But now with a family its a little easier to bear.
Still, its not my favorite time of the year.
[quote=“MJB”]Once you have kids, the importance of the holiday grows tenfold…
We do the whole nine yards, and it remains my daughters favorite holiday. Fortunately, I’m surrounded by an extremely tight-knit set of expats who share the same feelings.
Off to do some last minute X-mas shopping…
Merry Christmas everyone [/quote]
Did the LMCShopping yesterday and the Really LMCShopping today, opened up the gifts, had a good meal. I never did xmas before we had the boy, but now, I can’t wait.
We don’t do Christmas. It wouldn’t mean anything to her, and I’m quite content to live without it. I gave it a try my first year here, but it wasn’t even five percent right, so I’ve never bothered with it since.
Well, currently I don’t do Xmas in Taiwan either. Why? Simple, I am doing it at home. However Xmas 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 was held in Taiwan, and mainly for the kids. I tried to get everything to gel. Little presents for the kids every morning from December 1, a fake Xmas tree, all the traditional food etc. It took me some time to get it properly together, however the kids loved it.
Now, we go back home for Xmas, I could not be arsed to get the tree out.
I don’t believe in giving kids “stuff” but rather experiences. We are going up to my sister’s cabin and so I got the boys skiing lessons.
Heavy Tule fog this morning and there are people across the street in the park. I guess I have to set up my water balloon launcher in the TV room and give them a present…I sure hope I have some red and green balloons…
[quote=“Durins Bane”]I don’t believe in giving kids “stuff” but rather experiences. We are going up to my sister’s cabin and so I got the boys skiing lessons.
Heavy Tule fog this morning and there are people across the street in the park. I guess I have to set up my water balloon launcher in the TV room and give them a present…I sure hope I have some red and green balloons… [/quote]
That’s brilliant. What a great way to go.
Always loved Christmas- even as a single traveller/ex-pat always managed to round up a party.
Luckily my friends and I in Taitung all had kids about the same ages, so we were able to generate a little excitement of our own- now they’re in junior/senior high it’s less important, but still put up the tree and the gifts from Nanny in England.
Just came back from Evening Mass at the Catholic Church aboriginal service; cool hearing the Christmas story from Luke read out in Amis- my wife’s family is Catholic, so they’ve always been into it in a low-key way.
And of course, always good to meet friends for a Holiday toast.
You guys have really surprised me! I thought I’d get ‘Bahh Humbug’ ‘You cheap bastard!’ response but it seems that we are not alone when it comes to Chirstmas. MJB I see your point about kids - I think it will be more special for us when we have a sprog or two, or three
The weather has turned crappy here - no rain for months and now summer is here it is pissing down and cold. At least it has dampened the bush fires. So dinner will have to be inside. Boo ho! Anyway, however you spend it, enjoy. I’m off to take the washing out of the machine.
I’ve never dated any Christians but they always do Christmas…so yeah, Christmas is usually celebrated:)
Christmas in Taiwan is lame…they do all the shows and preperations and go nuts and you work double as hard and need to stay after school to put on performances for people who think it’s Santas Birthday.
I’m at a school now that actually took the kids to a nativity play at a church…that made me feel better…at least educate people what it’s about.
I must say I am very excited to go to work today to go make more cards, put snow on the tree etc. Kids just make life better sometimes:)