Living in a new country is exciting and has many benefits, but over Christmas, our hearts long for family and familiarity. It is not always possible to spend the holidays back “Home”, but there are ways to stay in touch and to create some of what is familiar to us.
Staying in touch
My husband had a birthday recently, but due to the uncertainty of travel restrictions, we did not have the big party we planned. Instead, we organised an online party. My daughter who is in SA, sent “bederf” packages to all the participants. Inside the packages were some traditional home-baked goodies, biltong and droewors, Each person supplied their own drinks. We had to provide our own biltong and goodies here in Germany of course. We then played charades together and it was really a great evening. You can also make it a themed party and ask people to dress up.
On our website, we have two pages with ideas on staying in touch. Â
- Keeping in touch Virtually – suggestions for online activities
- Phoning home – best ways to call landlines
Sending gifts to people
It is possible to send a package from Germany to South Africa, but if you want a reliable service you are going to pay a hefty price. Also, keep in mind that it has to be cleared by SARS. You can find more information about sending a package on our website.
Alternatively, you can buy gifts from online shops in South Africa. We did a lot of research and created this list of online shops in South Africa. It is by no means a complete list, and you are welcome to make suggestions via our Contact us form. Some of these businesses are also listed on our Shops and Services space. Just search for “Gift service in SA”. You can also rate these shops or read what others had to say about their service.
Sending online Christmas cards
here is a list of websites where you can send online cards
Create cards online and have them delivered
Create a group card, all participants sign the card
Apps
- Greeting Cards and Wishes from 123 Greetings
- Greetings: Custom Photo Cards– iPhone
- Merry Christmas Photo Frames – Android
South African Christmas Recipes
Share your photos
Let’s spread some Christmas cheer and share our photos. You can share pictures of your Christmas decorations, your baking efforts or anything else associated with Christmas. Photos will be shared on our home page
German Christmas Traditions
If you want to experience a more German Christmas, have a look at the German Christmas Traditions. We also have a page with a list of traditional Christmas dishes
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