I have been reading elsewhere about what people maybe doing for Christmas if they are staying in Bulgaria. It has set me thinking. Much as I love our village and have enjoyed a Christmas party with neighbours one year and given one myself the next, I have to say, even the children's Christmas party in the Community Hall cannot compensate for my family Christmases past and I wondered what other people here in Bulgaria think? It is the one celebration that means very little to me here. I planned, prepared, bought the presents, travelled long distances and generally adored the whole process of a family celebration at my parent's home. 32 years is far too long to ever forget. I have spent the last few years spending it happily with my partner but do not feel the need to go visiting or drinking anywhere but in my new home with him. I am not sad but just don't find it necessary to find compensations for Christmases past.

oldun I can understand what your saying here but I also wonder if its the change of times ? I know that when I was younger I did see Christmas as something very different to how I do now and I can always remember trying to recreate those same Christmases for my children but of course its not possible? I think so long as your happy it doesn't matter where you are well that's how it is for me but lets hear what the other members have to say [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I think last Christmas was one of our best ever!

We awoke to about a meter of freshly laid snow (dog went out for a good roll).

Jain lit the log burner whilst I prepared the roast chicken, vegetables, yorkshire puds, home-made stuffing, onion gravy, etc.

Exchange of presents, switched on the Christmas lights and flopped in the armchairs in front of the log burner after lunch watching rubbish films (seems I remember that as a kid too).

To be honest, I can't remember the last white Christmas I had in the UK (I do remember a lot of rain).

PS. Forgot to say, we also bought a bag of satsuma's from the veg market, always reminds me of Christmas as a lad!

ChrisQBG wrote:

PS. Forgot to say, we also bought a bag of satsuma's from the veg market, always reminds me of Christmas as a lad!

Me too [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I know what you are saying but I guess it is a deep emotional thing for me which will never change. Yes, of course the snow is beautiful and I have enjoyed Christmases here its just that it is the only time I really feel very British and close to family ties. All our family are extremely independent and we are all happy in our new and changing lives but I think I am maybe challenging the views of people who often seem to be over-compensating for the loss of things past by, as has already been said, that they have the best Christmases ever here in Bulgaria. Maybe, I have been more fortunate in my family Christmases so nothing else can compare.
I have integrated into our village life and attend all our various festivities but Christmas to me is always what I loved in Britain and is the one religious tradition that I will cling to. Don't forget that it is not the biggest festival in the Orthodox Church.

Hi I'm Darrell's wife.
We have had two Christmas's here. We put up a tree and decorations,had a lovely dinner my friends brought me out a Marks and Spencer's Christmas pudding and some mince pies. We socialized with the neighbours and had a nice time.
I must admit I Did miss the U.K. on Christmas Eve. Usually I would be in town getting last minute bits and pieces, that we probably didn't really need. Just walking through the town and listening to the Salvation Army playing all the familiar Carol's, and the shops playing all the old Christmas songs.
To rectify this matter I'm going to get a disc of Christmas Carol's when I'm next in the U.K. so I can play them every year.
When we came here we told family not to bother sending gifts as it gets expensive with the postage,as long as we talk on the phone that's all that matters.
With not worrying about what present to buy for everyone it's certainly made Christmas less stressful in that respect.
I had wonderful Christmases as a child,and will always have happy memories of them. Having children myself I loved watching them open their presents.Things change but having nice memories can't be taken away.

HI yes christmas is different, last year in the snow my 2 daughters made it here and we took the dogs to the local beach and paddled YES we paddles in the sea and had lovely warm feet for the whole day,
we returned to a lovely warm house and made mince pies and traditional dinner..Yes it was different but also a lovely way to remember christmas
the girls are still telling people how their mum is crazy wanting to go to the beach on christmas day, but how they enjoyed it.

so have a think and spend it differently here as we are different people living in such a wonderful country and lucky to be enjoying a new life.

Merry christmas to all
Regards Wilola

I appreciate the replies. My family are now all adults and I would not expect them to travel in the difficult winter conditions to be here in our little village. I am just saying that even though we have had a nice time at a village neighbour's house and reciprocated the following year, I am now content to spend it quietly with my partner eating all the traditional British goodies, except the bird which will be from our village. I have already made my Christmas cake. I just meant that sharing with village friends is nowhere near the same as spending it with family and neither would it be the same with any British friends here. These are all people who know nothing about me or my life, and why should they? even though I have been here 5 years. My family is everything to me but we all respect each other's independence and I know they appreciate the freedom of choice they have been given. We all phone over the holiday and raise our glasses to 'absent friends' but I do not feel the need to share with strangers on this one occasion.

I think I understand where your coming from, its that little something that you have with your family as we all do that will never go away and its something that is very special and in fact it shouldn't ever go away [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Thank you Ashley for understanding my comments. I wish everyone a very Happy and Special Christmas however you all spend it.

I think its always difficult to be away from your family at any time and Christmas some how brings it home to you

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We all love Christmas the decorations. turkey, card, shopping, wrapping the pressies, the family and friend visitng - Christmas is the same which ever country you are in, but how you celebrate it makes the world of difference.

We all have our triditions and its good to keep them alive too. Ours is to have a family 'high tea' the Sunday before Christmas - Then the children are not torn between which set of parents to visit and they can have their own Christmas in their own house with their children.
Our two sons and our daughter and their family totals 18 immediate family members come to us and we celebrate Christmas. We have a wonderful day. The children just love it and they in turn will follow this tridition for years to come.

Our family Christmas as a child was not about the presents, it was about the family, the school play, the carol singing and most of all the christmas dinner, which was the main attraction - We were a very big family and to have so much food in the house was magnificent. We never had deserts but Easter and Christmas day we had jelly and custard WOW!!!! it was fantastic. I miss those special times, but we move on and make our own special times with our families. In years to come, they too will think as we od today - 'We miss our special Christmas' [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Oddy

I would love to be in england for the run up to christmas so many people say its to comercialised but I loved every shop with decorations all the carols then christmas eve going to church at midnight singing our lungs out and taking communion then christmas day working ones self ragged getting everything just right it was a day we always overindulged never any room for tea but I will always have the memories of great christmas.s the past two christmas s I have spent here in bulgaria have been awful last year I lost my purse with all my cards in so stopped them then something unbelievable happened it got handed in to the police station money gone but not much all cards still in it driving licence etc amazing but I had stopped the cards so there we were no money no cash card we knew a couple John & Ann of the dog charity we will always be eternally grateful to them they lent us some money that saw us over our worse patch but now I am looking forward to this christmas 3rd time lucky my daughter & partner are comming to spend Christmas with us a little bit of snow would be nice , trees going up, I have a big fat turkey running round the garden so looking forward to a good time june nan [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] : :

I really sympathise with you when you had lost your purse. Unfortunately for me, my stolen purse was not ever returned and it had every card I possessed in it plus phone and all my money just taken out of the bank for Christmas. It was the most miserable time in my life but thankfully, my family helped me out. My village friends were all very sympathetic and explained how it had been stolen which was apparently a well-known practice especially at that time of the year in the market. For a long time they would warn me to take care if they saw me catching the bus to town. This was heartening but I will always remember that Christmas and not with happiness either. It has not dimmed my feelings for Bulgaria though because this kind of thing can happen the world over. Be careful folks when you go Christmas shopping because its so easy when carrying lots of bags to leave a handbag on view.