Christmasing in Kathmandu

I guess I never pictured Christmas away from home, and I certainly never pictured it in Kathmandu. But here we are, post-Christmas, and I am reflecting upon our first ever away-from-home celebration of this wonderful holiday...

Amos and I are both pretty nostalgic and sentimental, and we definitely felt the absence of familiar traditions, sights, and sounds--things that seem to give Christmas a feeling, a spirit, a comfort that we cherish. We also felt the absence of the sometimes overwhelming hustle and bustle, the blatant consumerism, the awful tunes that somehow pass for Christmas songs but that we always end up humming to.

So. We found ourselves with mixed feelings, as is often the case. It was lovely to just be together, to have no obligations, no 12 days of Christmas parties, no wintry mix, no throngs of shoppers. In some ways, it seemed that Christmas was stripped down, its layers peeled away. It took some creativity to recognize it this way. More than ever, we were forced to contemplate, to remember, to reflect upon the meaning of the season on our own, and we found that to be a beautiful experience.

Of course, on the other hand, our hearts very much ached for family and friends. We also really missed attending our church's Christmas Eve service, something we could not quite replace here.

A group of Christmas carolers (from the Nepali church we have been attending) came to our home and surprised us with the most festive, enthusiastic, rhythmic caroling we have ever experienced...tambourines and dancing included. Nepalis sure know how to sing and dance, and they won't just let you sit in your chair and watch!

We had fun doing some decorating around our apartment, stringing garlands of chili peppers (which are quite plentiful here) and popcorn, buying a poinsettia (also very plentiful) and setting our gifts beneath it. We baked cookies and sang some carols, read the ancient Christmas story with new perspectives, and we even got to open gifts with my family...over Skype! We took some time to enjoy the brilliant day, and on Christmas evening we wandered through the Garden of Dreams, which is exactly what it sounds like. It is a beautiful oasis of calm in the middle of busy Kathmandu. We lingered there, and ate dinner out...the first time we've ever eaten out on Christmas day.

It felt strange, but lovely. We will remember Christmasing in Kathmandu forever, no doubt.

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday!


The Christmas Carolers


Amos breaking it down


me trying to dance


Showing off our ginger & spice cookies