Are you a person who sometimes worries about the details in their story when they are talking to someone else? If what you’re saying is completely true and you are not mixing it up? Well, I’m one of those people.
I constantly think about whether every single detail I say to someone is true and correct, so in case someone brings it up (and if a person who was part of the story is there), there is no confusion, miscommunication, etc.
But one thing I can remember for sure are my Christmas holidays with my family. Since my sister and I moved abroad to study, most of the time we get to see our family during winter holidays and the summer break. Usually, we are back for Christmas day or a couple of days before, though one time our extended family had to move the date for our Christmas dinner so we could attend – P.S. thank you. :)
But before the dinner, my parents, sister and I celebrate Christmas at home. During the holidays, we sometimes go to the square in the Old Town where there’s a Christmas market. You can listen to live performances, sip mulled wine, eat gingerbread cookies and local food while relishing in the holiday spirit and cheer! When the (extended) family dinner day comes, we play games, pool, have a lottery, and a Santa Claus (played by one of the family members) who gives gifts to the children of the family.
But besides the holiday spirit, you could say that since moving, I’ve started to appreciate more where I come from. So, whenever I go home for the holidays and have time, I like to go to a particular café where I read, write, or just enjoy watching the city street outside the window. Holidays, especially Christmas, might be about spending time with family, celebrating, but when you are an international student, it is also about being back in your special place – somewhere that is familiar to you, where you get to speak your language, wander the streets you took to go to school, go to the best places to get hot chocolate, have dinner, shop or meet friends. Of course, you can get that feeling if you go back home during a regular week(end), but with everything covered in snow (if you have winter), decorated with lights and ornaments, people rushing to buy presents or going to the market, it makes that feeling of proudness and appreciation about your culture, the place where you grew up more profound.
So, I invite you to remember your holiday memories, whether those are where you take the day for yourself (with a nice cup of hot chocolate and a movie) or celebrate them with your friends or family or go to your favourite place. Because those memories can mean more to people than you thought they did.
Happy holidays everyone or as we say in my country: “Priecīgus svētkus”!