The Festive Season is upon us again, and a sure sign of the years catching up on us is the annual grumble that the holidays come around quicker than ever.
For everyone who celebrates or keeps the season in any way, it is a time for reflection and hopefully, relaxing with loved ones. We take the opportunity to look back on the year just completed while pondering what lies ahead just over the horizon. Oftentimes, we take a glance back at holidays past and perhaps, remember lost ones or the ones we are apart from, and a sense of melancholy passes over us. That being said, for the majority of time, it is a nice – if all too short – time of the year.
Life as an expatriate can have its challenges at this time of year, of course, as minds and memories can start to wander to places far away, but it can also be a time for forging new friendships.
Finding ‘Family’ in New Friendship
Those of us lucky to live and work in multicultural environments can find ourselves being welcomed with open arms and thus, discovering new ways of seeing the celebrations and also, developing new outlooks on them. A sense of looking out for people far from home is often apparent and Indonesians will go out of their way to try and accommodate those whom they feel may be lonely or missing their families at this time of year.
It is far from an uncommon occurrence for expatriates to be invited to friends’ and colleagues’ homes for the season and to spend time learning to cook new delicacies that they would never encounter in their home countries, especially at this time of year. For example, while the Brits amongst us may miss our Christmas dinners of turkey with all the trimmings, a well-made nasi tumpeng and accompanying spices can be a more than adequate and intriguing replacement.
The Power of Shared Traditions
Some expatriates will of course have friends from countries other than Indonesia or their home nation and hence, will have the opportunity to celebrate their shared traditions despite their varied cultural backgrounds. For example, groups of people from various backgrounds and countries may come together to create a holiday dinner, complete with elements from each person’s culture. Or, they may venture on yuletide trips out of town together and choose to celebrate their own and other’s cultures with a “Potluck of Traditions,” where everyone brings a dish from their home country, from Swedish saffron buns to Japanese osechi. The result would be an inspiring cultural exchange that reflects a shared spirit of warmth and togetherness, even miles from home.
Kindness Across Cultures
Although it perhaps should not be the case, the holiday period is, sometimes, when we think more of others less fortunate than ourselves. It would be preferable, of course, to possess such feelings of empathy, warmth, and care for fellow mankind all year round. Nevertheless, such emotions are often more highly toned at this time of year, and that should not be a bad thing.
Existing across certain sectors of Jakarta’s expat community are some expat-led initiatives where those more fortunate than others attempt to bring a little cheer to others struggling. These can take the format of highly organised drives from the likes of international schools or more personal initiatives from individual families or children who may simply bake cookies or prepare meals for local shelters or orphanages.
Passing on the Magic to Children
For families raising young children in Jakarta, the holidays can be a time for confusion. A sense that their children are missing out on the traditions and settings they went through and experienced can prevail, but that does not have to be the case. This can be an opportunity for their children to grow up with the best of both worlds and to experience the joys that each culture has to offer.
While bona fide cold weather and snow are unlikely to be on the agenda for children growing up in Indonesia at Christmas or any other time, they can still experience other traditional happenings and artefacts from their parents’ home countries. Santa Claus, for example, is pretty much a universal phenomenon, as are mince pies and wrapping paper!
Exposure to other more localised traditions and ways of celebrating and commemorating the season is a fascinating way for expatriate children to develop a maturity and understanding of the world around them. In such ways do they become even more well-rounded individuals than their more experienced parents.
The Hope for New Beginnings
Finally, as alluded to above, the holiday seasons are a time for reflection and for making plans for the future. What better time than the end of the year to sit down with loved ones over a good meal and a period of relaxation and take the time to count one’s blessings? It is a time for looking back at the achievements of the year and the friendships made. A recount of the year’s high points, bridges built, and new experiences shared can rekindle many an expatriate’s appreciation of the country they are lucky enough to call their home.
In summary, we in the Jakarta expat community have many things to be grateful for as we sit down at the end of the year to take stock. We are your guests and we never lose sight of that, but through making efforts to assimilate ourselves and take advantage of the wonderful hospitality on offer here, we never feel ‘far from home’.