PCV Tips: Celebrating the Holidays in Country of Service

As a Peace Corps volunteer, the Holidays can be a little challenging because we are away from our families and homesickness can come into full swing for some.  So after almost completing a full Peace Corps Service, I wanted to take a moment to talk about celebrating the holidays away from home.

The first thing that I love to do once the holiday season actually begins is start playing lots of holiday music and start watching Christmas and other holiday related movies.  Especially being in Ethiopia where it is hot and dusty this time of year, it’s nice to be able to do something that makes it feel like it’s the holiday season.  And if you’re a baker, maybe its time to do some holiday baking (aka lots and lots of cookies)!

If you are spending much of your time around the holidays in your site and in your home, at the very least make your home feel welcoming and comfortable.  If you want to go the extra mile, try to decorate for the holidays and get festive!  Seriously, decorate your house (especially if you like to get creative -> it’s the perfect time to tap into that creativity)!!!  If you celebrate Christmas, you can even find a little Christmas tree and decorate it. 

Also, I would not discourage asking people to send lots of mail and packages!  If you have a small tree set up and get lots of packages, you can have them sit by your tree and open up them up on Christmas… so essentially, try to carry over some traditions from home.  It’s nice to be able to carry those traditions over from the states.  It can be nice and in some ways comforting to have that familiarity.   But keep in mind the potential these things setting in home sickness.

If you are concerned about being home sick, consider spending the holiday season with friends as much as possible.  I was able to do that myself last Christmas and it made a world of difference.  I do realize that, that is not realistic for everyone.  Even if you have another volunteer in your site and/or have close local friends, consider spending some of the holidays with them as well.  I know that many of us are accustomed to spending the holiday season with our families back in America and it can be hard being a Peace Corps volunteer and being away from family this time of year.

But I truly think that especially in moments like this throughout the Peace Corps experience is what tests and challenges the most, and by making it through these moments makes us that much stronger.

So for the holidays:  Try to stay as festive as you can.  If you have family traditions that you cannot live without, make sure to keep those traditions going.  You can even share those traditions with other PCVs and even the locals within your community.  And last but not least, don’t spend DON’T DO IT!  Be with your community, be with your friends.  And be happy!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

*And as always, feel free to send me any comments, ideas, thoughts, questions, concerns, etc. that you may have.