We usually have about 2 weeks off at Christmas with the kids’ school breaks and using vacation at work to be together. Our house has been the family hub at times for hosting people and parties, as we had the space and time off. It used to be so magical. The presents piled up far beyond the tree’s perimeter, coordinated stockings hung in waiting, Christmas movies played nightly, and our rent-a-Santa delighted young and old alike. The kids could hardly wait and spent the night of Christmas eve with eyes glued to the SantaTracker. The house was always decorated, adding to our decor each year with whatever Costco find we found. And I baked up a storm of cookies throughout December. It was always exhausting, but it was great. And then something happened. Maybe burnout. Maybe saturation (we already got everything we wanted from a past Christmas). Maybe age.
Whatever it was, last year the magic faded away. The kids no longer wrote Christmas lists; it was too much work for them to come up with ideas (and more work for me to come up with ideas for them). The excitement around decorating had begun to fade. The chaos of hosting was no longer something I was looking forward to; these events left me overwhelmed and physically aching from endless hours in the kitchen. Wrapping presents that no one asked for, and were likely to get returned, seemed like a chore. We decided to do a low-key Christmas with just our immediate family (with an open door should someone want to stop by). The present pile was much smaller and supplemented with cash and gift cards. It was a relaxing day together, but the magic was gone. And we still had all these days off with nothing to do besides buy whatever junk was left in the stores from the Christmas madness with the cash and gift cards we gave each other.
So this year, when we were on our Summer trip, we pondered the idea of a Christmas trip. I found round-trip tickets to Zurich for $600 at the time (June), but wasn’t ready to commit. As fall was upon us, the thought resurfaced and I found a list of possible destinations with tickets in the 500-range. We asked the kids how they felt about taking a Christmas vacation this year instead of Christmas gifts. The younger girls had a few reservations like being gone on Christmas day itself, and not getting any gifts at all. Otherwise, everyone seemed on board. It seemed like we had found the magic again; we just needed to travel!
Where are you Christmas? (Answer: Spain)
Photo: Plaza Mayor in Madrid, our first night there
Originally, we were going to fly to Zurich and spend some of the time in Colmar and Strasbourg, France. Maybe see some relatives. If you are familiar with that area, you understand why it was top of mind! But, we had traveled this area already this year. And Gary pointed out that while the snowy Christmas markets we were all imagining might be magical for a while, we might spend the rest of the two weeks there trudging through cold and wet weather. We are usually out and about all day on our visits, which is great most times of the year. He proposed that we go someplace that is normally too hot to visit, like southern Spain, which had been on my list for while (slated as a backup for Spring 2024). We were imagining ourselves in shorts and t-shirts walking amongst orange trees, and not having heat strokes. So I booked tickets to Madrid. And I would spend the next couple of months planning every detail for a loop through Andalusia instead of planning Christmas.
To take advantage of the best airfare deals and please our youngest daughters who didn’t like the idea of being gone on Christmas day, we decided to leave early. We booked travel for December 10-25. Yes, we would be flying home Christmas day, but we would be flying back through time, and relive Christmas day when we arrived. It would be the longest Christmas day ever. And best of all, we found tickets for the same price from my sister’s city so that we could spend Christmas day with them. Their house is festive and well decorated. It seemed like we had the perfect plan. The kids were happy. We were happy. Christmas magic was back.
Christmas magic comes from within
As with every trip, things didn’t go exactly as planned. For one, southern Spain is cold at Christmas. Thankfully we knew this by the time we packed and were prepared to bundle up. While we were walking amongst orange trees, some of us were still shivering. We didn’t see anyone in shorts and t-shirts. And while there were Christmas markets and lights, we didn’t see any real Christmas trees (I had envisioned they would somehow be there, even if they weren’t native).
Additionally, Gary felt it would be too big of a disappointment to not have any gifts Christmas day for the kids. So he insisted that we buy some gifts for the kids, as he thought our youngest daughter was too young to not get presents. I was a little torn on the idea (the trip was supposed to be the gift), but did some minimal Christmas shopping and it was much less stressful and almost everything was wrapped and ready before we left on the trip (waiting at my sister’s house for our return).
Something I didn’t predict, was that it felt like we were skipping Christmas. Spain didn’t have the commercial, shove Christmas-down-your-throat kind of feeling I get here at home, or whenever I check my email. It was more intimate and being tourists, we could observe but not be a part of it. This means the days went by without really being reminded of the holiday, until the lights came on at night. Even then, it was something we were experiencing or witnessing, but not something we were doing.
The feeling we were skipping Christmas probably already started at home. By Thanksgiving, the neighbors were putting up Christmas lights and trees. Invites for parties and events were abound, but we had to decline them all. I started to worry our house was looking a bit grinchy by the time we left, as it was the only one not decorated, yikes! I was glad to leave just so the neighbors could make sense of it. We missed our kids’ Christmas concerts and showcases. I found myself picking up the usual Christmastime purchases I make on autopilot at Costco, and having to put them right back on the shelf, as I reminded myself I didn’t need them this year (lots of chocolates, cookies, cakes, gift sets, decorations, wrapping supplies, etc.).
We could have decorated anyways, but we were at the Oregon Coast for Thanksgiving this year, and when we brought up the idea of setting up our tree when we returned none of the kids had interest in helping bring everything up from the garage. So we even skipped our Christmas tree.
Lastly, winter weather created flight cancelations. As a result, our vacation was cut one day short (no Christmas eve ice-skating in Amsterdam), but we were excited to return Christmas eve instead. The new flight went through New York City (JFK) and there seemed to be a shortage of employees working in immigration and customs on Christmas eve. So we, along with many others in line, missed our connecting flight. As a result, we slept in JFK airport Christmas eve and spent Christmas morning in the Dunkin line for overpriced coffee and donuts. By the time we got to my sister’s house on Christmas day, we had been traveling for 35 hours and were dirty and exhausted. Many of the people working at the airport or airline were unhappy to be working Christmas eve and day, which I would be too. That being said, there were airport moments that made me smile. Like seeing kids come to the airport in coordinated Christmas jammies and coworkers wishing each other heartfelt cheer. If I learned anything, Christmas magic is not a place or present, but rather it is something we bring to the day ourselves. You don’t find Christmas magic; you make it. I have a whole year to think about what this means to our family and how to make it the most magical next year.
There were some major pluses I should mention too, that we didn’t expect. The sites were not packed at all. We got many photos without anyone else being in the way; something that just normally wouldn’t happen. And while the weather could be cold, it was dry and sunny. In the afternoon sun, we took off our coats and the sun felt great on our faces. It was truly beautiful and perfect for sight-seeing. I imagine we got off-season prices on accommodations too. While the area didn’t seem packed with tourists, it was packed with locals shopping, viewing nativity scenes (belens) and excitedly waiting for Christmas in Spain. Spain was itself magical and we came home with lasting memories.
Photo: Sophia sleeping on the floor at JFK
Until we discovered the Minute Suites in Terminal 4 near Gate 38. Still not the most comfy, but an upgrade from the common area floor.
Will we do it again?
The million dollar question is, “Will we do it again?” Right now, I don’t know. I am still exhausted. We walked about 115 miles during the trip. The return journey was brutal. We are jet-lagged, and waking up at 3am and ready to sleep for the night by 6pm. Our stomachs are a bit upset, as they adjust to new food again. Us parents returned to work today, because we started our vacation early. Otherwise, we would have been off until after the new year. If you follow my blog, I guess we will know the certain answer next year.
However, while it is all still fresh in our minds, we are leaning towards doing this again next year but with the following changes:
- We will not go early. Instead, we would leave on Christmas day (evening flight) or the day after and stay longer. We missed our traditional Christmas. Maybe not the heaps of presents or commercialism, but everything else that goes with it. And lucky for us, the Christmas season in Europe lasts longer in some countries, ending on January 6th in Spain with Three Kings’ Day (when the Spanish exchange “Christmas” gifts), for example.
- We will not fly on Christmas day if we can avoid it. And we will preplan for possible weather cancelations, so we are not at the mercies of the airline.
- We will do small but thoughtful gifts for everyone in the family. I felt bad giving presents to some and not others (even if they were smaller presents this year). I thought adults would understand that the present was the trip, but when it came down to unwrapping, it was nice for those who had something to open. I guess you are never too old to enjoy a gift.
- We will reveal the destination on Christmas, or Christmas eve(so there is time to pack accordingly).
- Simple is great. While I want to have the full Christmas experience next year, I loved the simplicity this year. So I will be looking to trim things down, so that it is less chaotic and stressful. I think this year taught me a lot about what I really enjoy (the things I missed), and what I can skip (everything I didn’t miss). For example, I missed the get-togethers and small gift exchanges, but didn’t miss the big Christmas meal or endless shopping and gift wrapping. And while I am now glad we didn’t put up a tree this year (because there is nothing to clean up now), I do think it is worth the effort next year. We should probably decorate a bit too, as our house is still the only one on the street without any sign of Christmas.
Photo: Christmas tree in Puerta del Sol, Madrid
Photo: Poinsettias in a courtyard at Real Alcazar of Seville
Photo: Someone’s best friend on the sidewalk of Seville. He had earmuffs on when I first saw him, and he played fetch with the oranges from the tree overhead.
