Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
Last Christmas, when Rosie Farrell and her husband Niall couldn’t fly home from Germany, she was devastated. “We were so looking forward to going home to Sligo and Dublin but as I have MS and I’m on immune suppression medication and some of our family in Ireland are also medically vulnerable, we just couldn’t take the chance with COVID.”
Once the disappointment eased, the couple, who moved to Frankfurt in late 2019, decided to embrace their intimate Christmas. “Christmas is all about tradition but not often do you get the opportunity to do something different, so we had a lovely relaxed day – a nice walk with our dog in the park and lots of Zoom calls with our family. We all opened our presents together in the morning and that night we went back on Zoom and had a Christmas drink with them.”
For dinner though, Rosie was determined to have turkey and ham. “Turkey is harder to get here but then we heard that our local Irish pub was doing traditional Christmas dinners. Everything was made and vacuum packed so we collected it on Christmas Eve and all we had to do on the day was heat it up. It was so delicious and it was great to support a local business.”
Niall went a bit rogue though and went for the traditional German dinner: roast goose complete with red cabbage and potato dumplings. It was such a hit that this year, the couple are going all German for their dinner. “Niall is going to make the Christmas dinner from scratch. There is a fantastic indoor market nearby with butchers, fishmongers, chocolatiers etc – I guess you could say it’s like a bigger version of the English Market in Cork – so we are getting our goose there.”
When it comes to vegetables, Rosie says that since arriving in Germany they have tried to embrace what’s local and traditional, to really experience what their new country has to offer. “We recently signed up to something called Solidarity Agriculture to support local farmers in producing fruit, veg and eggs in the area. This group shares the harvest yields and cost of cultivation in solidarity with one another, as well as the risks with the farmer. It means some weeks you might get a huge yield and others not so much, but as someone who enjoys a lot of vegetarian cuisine, it has made me passionate about supporting local farmers to produce the food I mostly consume.
“We will see what veg arrives from the farm the week of Christmas but usually they will include the traditional red cabbage for Christmas. It’s also customary to serve potato dumplings with the goose. Potatoes aren’t usually on the menu because of the dumplings but I couldn’t be without my mash so we’ll be making them as well – although the potatoes here aren’t as floury as at home so I do miss my mum’s mash.”
Other things that Rosie and Niall miss are the all-important tins of sweets. “They don’t do tins here,” Rosie says, aghast. “And it would cost about €15 to ship the tin so my mum takes the sweets out and puts them in a little bag with our Christmas presents so it is a real treat.”
Niall also requests his favourite King crisps, which go down a hit with the German beer.
“The big positive of being in Germany at this time of year,” Rosie adds, “are all the Christmas markets – they really help us to get into the festive spirit despite missing our families and not being able to travel home.”
Ronan and Michelle Stokes
Jeju Island, South Korea
Ronan and Michelle Stokes are in South Korea for Christmas 2021.
From Johnstown to Jeju, it’s been a big year for Ronan and Michelle Stokes who made a big life move in September. Ronan says: “Michelle and I have been talking for ages about moving somewhere different, experiencing the world and broadening our children’s mind in a different culture.” After a bad spell of weather in the summer of 2020, they decided to put the wheels in motion and make this pipedream a reality.
“I work in the public sector while Michelle is a teacher. She can work anywhere so we figured she was our golden ticket and she started applying for jobs. In fairness, she was getting up at all hours and doing zoom interviews at 5am, which wasn’t easy. Life is busy with three kids – Ben is 11, Harry is four and Pippa is one so it was a mad few months.”
When Michelle landed a job with the North London Collegiate School on Jeju island, the decision was made. Both Michelle and Ronan would take career breaks, Ben would get a place in the school his mother was teaching – one of the top schools in the world – and, as a family, they would embrace the new experience.
“We arrived in September and so far it’s been going great. Life just outside Dublin was so busy but there is definitely a slower pace of life on this island, which is quite agricultural and rural. On a cloudy day, it’s like the west of Ireland with their green fields and stone walls (although the stone walls are made of black volcanic rock) while on a sunny day, you think you’re in Hawaii.”
However, the South Koreans aren’t big into Christmas. “There are a few lights but nothing like at home. We had to go into the forest to cut our own Christmas tree as there aren’t much for sale.”
But as Santa will inevitably find the Stokes children, even though they are far away this year, there will be a Christmas dinner to celebrate.
“Our first challenge is getting the oven working properly,” laughs Ronan. “It’s one of those hybrid microwave ovens and all the instructions are in Korean so three months later we are still trying to figure it out – now the pressure is on for the big day. Turkey is hard to come by so we had to do a bit of research and we found a place in Seoul (capital of South Korea) where we can order online and it will be flown down. Interestingly, it’s not hard to come by excellent vegetables here in Jeju as an Irish missionary priest called Fr McGlinchey came over here in the 1950s and was instrumental in introducing modern farming techniques and agricultural training over here. He passed away in 2018 but he really left a legacy and the produce is very good.”
The Christmas dinner will be spent with friends. “There is a really great expat community here and we have made lots of friends already. Even before we moved out here, Ben had made friends from Ireland, the UK and Korea through online introductions.”
However, Ronan admits that he will miss cold pints of creamy Guinness with the lads as well as the box of Celebrations.
“The home comforts of lying on the couch on a cold winter’s day with the tub of Celebrations – sure there is nothing like it. But we came here for a new adventure and we’re looking forward to a different but memorable Christmas.”
Darragh and Emily McNally
Darragh and Emily McNally will be spending Christmas 2021 in Washington DC with their two sons.
Washington DC, America
It was on a J1 in 2004 when Darragh McNally from Cork met Emily McAllen from Baltimore and for the past 12 years Darragh has called Washington DC home. “For the first six years, we flew home every Christmas. At the start I was in grad school so I could come home early but when I started working, we would only get in a few days before Christmas. I always think the two weeks leading up to Christmas are the best. After Stephen’s Day, everyone is broke and exhausted so we started coming home in the summer instead.”
For the past six years as their family grew, Darragh and Emily have spent Christmas Stateside. This year at the table there will be their three children Ciaran (six), Finn (four) and Maeve (nine months) as well as Emily’s parents, her brother and sister and their partners.
However, it is Thanksgiving that is the really big celebration for them. “Thanksgiving is huge here and there have been a few years where my parents have flown over which was great. That’s when there is a real focus on the turkey. A few years ago, Emily’s dad got a special kit to deep fry the turkey. Its like a giant steel drum with a camp stove underneath, you heat the oil to a very high temperature, then you turn off the heat and slowly lower the turkey in for half an hour. You let it rest for an hour and it’s delicious – it’s not greasy at all but nice and moist and you don’t have to worry about it being overcooked. So he handles the turkey and we do all the trimmings.”
As a result of the big Thanksgiving dinner, the momentum for Christmas dinner takes a hit. “Not everyone celebrates Christmas here so some people just get a takeaway. Others go big on Christmas Eve and might have a lasagne on Christmas Day.”
Darragh says his biggest disappointment occurred a few years ago when he arrived to Emily’s cousin’s house for Christmas dinner only to find that cold ham sandwiches were on the menu. “There was also a mix-up in communication and they thought we were bringing the mashed potatoes, which we weren’t aware of, although even if we did bring it, sandwiches and mashed potatoes aren’t really the best combination. I’ll be honest, I was disgusted not to have Christmas dinner.”
So after that major disappointment, Darragh took things into his own hands and they do Christmas dinner at home every year now. “I love the ham so we really go big on that and then probably a turkey crown as well. We’ll also have all the trimmings, such as potato gratin, peas and carrotts. Last year, I did a lovely brussels sprouts with bacon and maple syrup that I will probably do again.”
Darragh says the tastes he really misses from home are mince pies and trifle. “Emily is great at baking so she will do a few desserts for Christmas and because she knows I really miss trifle, she has absolutely perfected it and even makes the sponge and jelly from scratch. We’re still working on the perfect mince pies but we’re getting there. My dad was over for Thanksgiving so he brought my stash of Taytos although I’ve had to hide them on the boys or they’ll never make it to 25 December.”
It’s the people he misses the most though. “Christmas in DC in beautiful, the lights on the National Christmas Tree near the White House are stunning, as are all the parks around the city, but there is nothing like the build-up to Christmas at home – meeting people and going on nights out. On Christmas night at home, we always get the guitars out for a sing song. But now that we have kids and with COVID, we probably wouldn’t be going out much at home anyway. And Santa is coming which is very special and exciting.”
Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
Last Christmas, when Rosie Farrell and her husband Niall couldn’t fly home from Germany, she was devastated. “We were so looking forward to going home to Sligo and Dublin but as I have MS and I’m on immune suppression medication and some of our family in Ireland are also medically vulnerable, we just couldn’t take the chance with COVID.”
Once the disappointment eased, the couple, who moved to Frankfurt in late 2019, decided to embrace their intimate Christmas. “Christmas is all about tradition but not often do you get the opportunity to do something different, so we had a lovely relaxed day – a nice walk with our dog in the park and lots of Zoom calls with our family. We all opened our presents together in the morning and that night we went back on Zoom and had a Christmas drink with them.”
For dinner though, Rosie was determined to have turkey and ham. “Turkey is harder to get here but then we heard that our local Irish pub was doing traditional Christmas dinners. Everything was made and vacuum packed so we collected it on Christmas Eve and all we had to do on the day was heat it up. It was so delicious and it was great to support a local business.”
Niall went a bit rogue though and went for the traditional German dinner: roast goose complete with red cabbage and potato dumplings. It was such a hit that this year, the couple are going all German for their dinner. “Niall is going to make the Christmas dinner from scratch. There is a fantastic indoor market nearby with butchers, fishmongers, chocolatiers etc – I guess you could say it’s like a bigger version of the English Market in Cork – so we are getting our goose there.”
When it comes to vegetables, Rosie says that since arriving in Germany they have tried to embrace what’s local and traditional, to really experience what their new country has to offer. “We recently signed up to something called Solidarity Agriculture to support local farmers in producing fruit, veg and eggs in the area. This group shares the harvest yields and cost of cultivation in solidarity with one another, as well as the risks with the farmer. It means some weeks you might get a huge yield and others not so much, but as someone who enjoys a lot of vegetarian cuisine, it has made me passionate about supporting local farmers to produce the food I mostly consume.
“We will see what veg arrives from the farm the week of Christmas but usually they will include the traditional red cabbage for Christmas. It’s also customary to serve potato dumplings with the goose. Potatoes aren’t usually on the menu because of the dumplings but I couldn’t be without my mash so we’ll be making them as well – although the potatoes here aren’t as floury as at home so I do miss my mum’s mash.”
Other things that Rosie and Niall miss are the all-important tins of sweets. “They don’t do tins here,” Rosie says, aghast. “And it would cost about €15 to ship the tin so my mum takes the sweets out and puts them in a little bag with our Christmas presents so it is a real treat.”
Niall also requests his favourite King crisps, which go down a hit with the German beer.
“The big positive of being in Germany at this time of year,” Rosie adds, “are all the Christmas markets – they really help us to get into the festive spirit despite missing our families and not being able to travel home.”
Ronan and Michelle Stokes
Jeju Island, South Korea
Ronan and Michelle Stokes are in South Korea for Christmas 2021.
From Johnstown to Jeju, it’s been a big year for Ronan and Michelle Stokes who made a big life move in September. Ronan says: “Michelle and I have been talking for ages about moving somewhere different, experiencing the world and broadening our children’s mind in a different culture.” After a bad spell of weather in the summer of 2020, they decided to put the wheels in motion and make this pipedream a reality.
“I work in the public sector while Michelle is a teacher. She can work anywhere so we figured she was our golden ticket and she started applying for jobs. In fairness, she was getting up at all hours and doing zoom interviews at 5am, which wasn’t easy. Life is busy with three kids – Ben is 11, Harry is four and Pippa is one so it was a mad few months.”
When Michelle landed a job with the North London Collegiate School on Jeju island, the decision was made. Both Michelle and Ronan would take career breaks, Ben would get a place in the school his mother was teaching – one of the top schools in the world – and, as a family, they would embrace the new experience.
“We arrived in September and so far it’s been going great. Life just outside Dublin was so busy but there is definitely a slower pace of life on this island, which is quite agricultural and rural. On a cloudy day, it’s like the west of Ireland with their green fields and stone walls (although the stone walls are made of black volcanic rock) while on a sunny day, you think you’re in Hawaii.”
However, the South Koreans aren’t big into Christmas. “There are a few lights but nothing like at home. We had to go into the forest to cut our own Christmas tree as there aren’t much for sale.”
But as Santa will inevitably find the Stokes children, even though they are far away this year, there will be a Christmas dinner to celebrate.
“Our first challenge is getting the oven working properly,” laughs Ronan. “It’s one of those hybrid microwave ovens and all the instructions are in Korean so three months later we are still trying to figure it out – now the pressure is on for the big day. Turkey is hard to come by so we had to do a bit of research and we found a place in Seoul (capital of South Korea) where we can order online and it will be flown down. Interestingly, it’s not hard to come by excellent vegetables here in Jeju as an Irish missionary priest called Fr McGlinchey came over here in the 1950s and was instrumental in introducing modern farming techniques and agricultural training over here. He passed away in 2018 but he really left a legacy and the produce is very good.”
The Christmas dinner will be spent with friends. “There is a really great expat community here and we have made lots of friends already. Even before we moved out here, Ben had made friends from Ireland, the UK and Korea through online introductions.”
However, Ronan admits that he will miss cold pints of creamy Guinness with the lads as well as the box of Celebrations.
“The home comforts of lying on the couch on a cold winter’s day with the tub of Celebrations – sure there is nothing like it. But we came here for a new adventure and we’re looking forward to a different but memorable Christmas.”
Darragh and Emily McNally
Darragh and Emily McNally will be spending Christmas 2021 in Washington DC with their two sons.
Washington DC, America
It was on a J1 in 2004 when Darragh McNally from Cork met Emily McAllen from Baltimore and for the past 12 years Darragh has called Washington DC home. “For the first six years, we flew home every Christmas. At the start I was in grad school so I could come home early but when I started working, we would only get in a few days before Christmas. I always think the two weeks leading up to Christmas are the best. After Stephen’s Day, everyone is broke and exhausted so we started coming home in the summer instead.”
For the past six years as their family grew, Darragh and Emily have spent Christmas Stateside. This year at the table there will be their three children Ciaran (six), Finn (four) and Maeve (nine months) as well as Emily’s parents, her brother and sister and their partners.
However, it is Thanksgiving that is the really big celebration for them. “Thanksgiving is huge here and there have been a few years where my parents have flown over which was great. That’s when there is a real focus on the turkey. A few years ago, Emily’s dad got a special kit to deep fry the turkey. Its like a giant steel drum with a camp stove underneath, you heat the oil to a very high temperature, then you turn off the heat and slowly lower the turkey in for half an hour. You let it rest for an hour and it’s delicious – it’s not greasy at all but nice and moist and you don’t have to worry about it being overcooked. So he handles the turkey and we do all the trimmings.”
As a result of the big Thanksgiving dinner, the momentum for Christmas dinner takes a hit. “Not everyone celebrates Christmas here so some people just get a takeaway. Others go big on Christmas Eve and might have a lasagne on Christmas Day.”
Darragh says his biggest disappointment occurred a few years ago when he arrived to Emily’s cousin’s house for Christmas dinner only to find that cold ham sandwiches were on the menu. “There was also a mix-up in communication and they thought we were bringing the mashed potatoes, which we weren’t aware of, although even if we did bring it, sandwiches and mashed potatoes aren’t really the best combination. I’ll be honest, I was disgusted not to have Christmas dinner.”
So after that major disappointment, Darragh took things into his own hands and they do Christmas dinner at home every year now. “I love the ham so we really go big on that and then probably a turkey crown as well. We’ll also have all the trimmings, such as potato gratin, peas and carrotts. Last year, I did a lovely brussels sprouts with bacon and maple syrup that I will probably do again.”
Darragh says the tastes he really misses from home are mince pies and trifle. “Emily is great at baking so she will do a few desserts for Christmas and because she knows I really miss trifle, she has absolutely perfected it and even makes the sponge and jelly from scratch. We’re still working on the perfect mince pies but we’re getting there. My dad was over for Thanksgiving so he brought my stash of Taytos although I’ve had to hide them on the boys or they’ll never make it to 25 December.”
It’s the people he misses the most though. “Christmas in DC in beautiful, the lights on the National Christmas Tree near the White House are stunning, as are all the parks around the city, but there is nothing like the build-up to Christmas at home – meeting people and going on nights out. On Christmas night at home, we always get the guitars out for a sing song. But now that we have kids and with COVID, we probably wouldn’t be going out much at home anyway. And Santa is coming which is very special and exciting.”
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