A Well Spent Christmas in Cambodia

12/22/2022

Christmas is a special event, as it's one of the only universally celebrated holidays; every culture and family has their own unique way of celebrating Jesus' birth. For me, Christmas is never complete without my entire family, a real Christmas tree, and most importantly, snow. But even though I can't build snowmen or make snow angels here in Cambodia, there are a handful of holiday activities for anyone, anywhere that never fail to kindle a festive spirit just the same.

Christmas movies

Christmas movie marathons with family and friends are a great way to get into the holiday spirit. Whether rewatching movies from your childhood or enjoying new films, this is a fun and easy way to spend time with family, and enjoy the Christmas break. If you're unsure of what movies to watch, some classics are Elf, White Christmas, and Home Alone.

Gingerbread house/Christmas treats

Christmas treats, decorating gingerbread men, and having gingerbread house competitions is the perfect representation of an ideal Christmas; they're festive and chaotic, bring family together, and mean a lot of good food. Gingerbread house kits with icing and candy for decorating can be easily purchased at any store, making it such a simple and fun activity. Some popular Christmas treats you can make at home include sugar cookies, snowball cookies, hot chocolate, and peppermint bark.

Music

An essential to set the Christmas mood. Some say that you can only start listening to holiday music in December, but I think there's no time limit. From modern pop hits to golden age gems, blasting and singing along with your favourite Christmas song will always lift your spirits and put you in a festive mood, no matter what time of year it is. There's nothing like listening to Christmas playlists for hours on end with loved ones, and singing your heart out to songs off-key.

Decorations

Decorating your house with wreaths, Christmas lights, candles, and all things red and green is never a bad idea. This with "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" on speakers or a holiday film playing in the background, and the mouth-watering smell of hot chocolate and peppermint cupcakes in the oven is a captivating scene and sight to behold.

- Poema T.