Christmas In “The Land of Christmas”
We take our Christmas traditions seriously. I usually start practicing carols on the piano in September, we get the tree Thanksgiving weekend, Mom and Dad come to visit a few days prior to Christmas, the Eve is a full Turkish feast and party at Chrissy and Senol’s, and Christmas Day is always at our house.
So for our first Christmas away from home and family, we found ourselves halfway around the world in a country that is Muslim in religion and culture, so Christmas isn’t really a thing. The pros: no stress about decorating the house, kids unaware enough they aren’t constantly updating their Christmas lists, no lines to meet Santa, no struggles to park at the mall, no last-minute trips to find stocking stuffers, no need for fancy outfits for parties, no cooking, cleaning or hosting, and best of all, tons of money saved. The cons: missing a decorated house and getting a tree, no kids trying to get on Santa’s nice list, no excitement to shop and wrap gifts, no parties to attend, no listening to carols day in and day out on the radio and the piano, and no family or friends with whom to celebrate.
My verdict early on was that this was a huge win for the adults. The kids’ verdict early on and depicted in a variety of tantrums, sad cries and questions about whether or not Santa comes to Turkey, was that this is a huge loss and yet another reason to severely blame and punish us for the audacity to pick up our lives and leave the US. When Russ had the nerve to fashion a Christmas tree from a small pine and palm fronds and decorate it with cookie cutters, Rosie was beyond angry and sad and she cried for hours.
With our kids’ tendency towards over-excitement and worry, we always balance telling them things so they have enough time to prepare yet not too long to worry or overthink. This was our plan with Christmas in Vienna. After Rosie’s massive disappointment with the “Christmas Tree” we surprised them with some new winter clothes (not needed in the south of Turkey) and let them know our plans to spend the holiday in “The Land of Christmas”.
Vienna was amazing and everything we hoped for. We ate wiener schnitzel in centuries old restaurants, had sacher-torte in cafes and dressed up for fancy dinners Christmas eve and day. We shopped in Christmas markets, ice skated, drank hot chocolate and mulled wine, rode in a horse-drawn carriage (and saw Santa in one), marveled at the lights and decorations, and even set up our own little tree in the hotel room. Highlights included stumbling upon a Christmas Eve pageant at the famous Votivkirche cathedral, and then on Christmas Day, the ferris wheel and a small amusement park with no lines but an open Christmas market. Santa Claus practically lives in Vienna so the only crisis there was a 5am panic on December 24th about whether or not he’s real.
We missed our house, traditions and people but the holiday was a huge success. After the major logistical feat of fitting a Barbie airplane into a suitcase to get on a plane to Turkey, I have officially reached my limit for travel. No more planes, suitcases or packing cubes. We look forward to 2023 where our next and final move will be onto the boat!
