Celebrating festivals as an expat family

When you decide to move to another country and become an expat, especially as a family, there are usually very compelling reasons to leave your home and close family behind. Over time, you begin to accept your reality, and settle down in your new life. But there are some occasions where you simply wish you were back where you came from.

Celebrating festivals as an expat can be a little uneventful. Your home doesn't overflow with friends and relatives you only see on special occasions. There isn't a mad, chaotic celebration that somehow sorts itself out, and leaves good memories behind. You see how your cousin's children have grown, or how much weight your Aunt has lost. You get to taste Grandma's special dish that only tastes that way when she makes it. This list could go on.

We moved to Dubai about four years ago, leaving behind our parents, siblings, and friends in India. I can truly say that it's a bit lonely being an expat at festival time, but we have learnt to make the most of it.

Festivals are just not the same without the extended family. We do miss our family a lot during those times, but I believe in looking at the bright side, especially when it comes to festive occasions. Big families make great get-togethers, even if things get a little dramatic!

We have learnt of many new traditions. For us, the biggest festival is Eid, and even though it is also celebrated in India, we have discovered different traditions here in Dubai. The food is different, and the greetings are different. In India, Muslims have adopted many different traditions from regional cultures. In Dubai, the Arab culture is prominent, and they believe in simple traditions.

We have discovered new festivals. India has hundreds of festivals the year round, but there are many that we never really got to see. Christmas isn't big back home, and neither is Halloween. Because Dubai is a multicultural city, we have actually been able to take part in festivities from around the world, and I think that is wonderful for us.

We get to bond as a family. Expat life is a busy life, because there are so many responsibilities to fulfill all on your own, without the support of loved ones. So, festivals become a time to bond as a family, and spend time with each other. Over time, we may develop our own family traditions and they will make our festivals special.

Are you an expat? What festival makes you miss home the most?


This post has been linked to: My Expat Family