Multinational Christmas

I celebrate three Christmases.

Christmas is dedicated every other year to the US, where I was born. It is almost as if entering a winter wonderland at Christmas time, as neighborhoods are illuminated with clusters of twinkling lights and Walmart Santas are seated on every other rooftop (any excuse for commercialism in America). However, my Christmas is not spent in a magnificently embellished house such as these. My grandmother refuses to take down the elephant paintings and Zulu warrior shields hung proudly on her walls representing her South African heritage, and the extent of her decorating is a Christmas tumbleweed (seriously) rather than a tree. So instead of spending Christmas with snowmen, I spend it on safari.

During alternate years, Christmas holidays are then spent visiting Spain, where the other half of my family are situated. This is a completely different experience: no Santas, no extravagant lights, and not even a Christmas tree (or tumbleweed!). Instead, the strong Catholic religion is embedded into the celebration, replacing jolly Santas with baby Jesus, twinkling lights with flickering candles, and Christmas trees with Nativity scenes. The two weeks following “Noche Buena” on the 24th of December consist of many enduring Spanish customs. For example, “Dia de los Santos Inocentes” on the 28th of December, a day that originally commemorated the young victims of the biblical-age King Herod, which is now treated similarly to April Fools’ Day; “Noche Vieja” on the 31st of December, where 12 grapes are eaten in the countdown to midnight alongside the chimes of Madrid’s clock tower; and “Dia de Reyes” on the 6th of January, where you receive gifts from the Three Wise Men and eat the traditional “roscon de reyes” holiday cake.

My third Christmas is the most intimate, in my modest home in a small town in rural England. This celebration is the most unique to me, compiling all the quirky traditions of my multinational heritage into one. The rich values of my mother’s Spanish ancestors are not lost; nativity scenes adorn the house and an angel takes its place on top of the Christmas tree. My father also carries his family’s culture to England. Like my Grandmother, he keeps the South African plains held proudly on our wall, but combines it alongside his American upbringing, creating space for wreaths, tinsel, and bright twinkling holiday lights. My upbringing in the UK allowed me to introduce my own spin to our "traditional" American/Spanish/South African Christmas. We now eat English mince pies and drink tea.

Just as there is not one right way to celebrate Christmas, there is certainly not one right way of life. Given my early exposure to multiple cultures and beliefs, it has never been difficult for me to accept other concepts and viewpoints. On the contrary, they actually contribute greatly to my personal ideologies. I always consider new views as a pivotal evolvement of my own; whether they complement or clash, they give me the opportunity to address issues from a new angle and develop my own understanding. With diversity being an attribute that I have always valued in myself and in others, it pains me to see people shy away from their identity in fear of being judged or alienated. This deters from the opportunity to develop tolerance and compassion in a world that so deeply needs it—especially at a time of such political polarization and sweeping intolerance.

Personally, I will always strive to accentuate my richly diverse culture and use it as an opportunity to demonstrate unity. I will continue to be proud when placing an angel on the Christmas tree, a wreath on the door, or a mince pie in the oven, regardless of the company I am with or the country I am in. This is what defines who I am and who I will continue to be—diverse.