Togetherness & Traditions at Christmas

SA PROMO spoke to a few South Africans abroad about what they do and eat on Christmas, whether they prefer the year end festivities in summer or winter as well as the heritage behind where they come from and the traditions which have filtered into their festive season celebrations.

Andy Spence
From: Edenvale
Living: Twickenham
Abroad: 8 years
Heritage: 1st generation SA. Parents are from Glasgow, Scotland
Hot or not: summer

Typical Xmas in SA? As my family is British, it’s a traditional roast, any kind of meat, with all the trimmings and then chilling by the pool, soaking up the rays.
Typical Xmas now? All the above, but without the pool and rays.
Special tradition? Church on Christmas morning or eve, then sing carols after lunch… and a cheeky Christmas shot (or few) of tequila or some type of nonsense like that.

Mo Laudi
From: Polokwane
Living: Paris
Abroad: 9 years
Heritage: 100% Pedi, Sotho

Typical Xmas in SA? Go to the grandparents.
Typical Xmas now? Chill out and watch a movie. 

Kelly Joseph
From: Durban
Living: London
Abroad: 4 ½ years
Heritage: SA / Zimbabwean
Hot or not: I love a cold, icy Christmas as it forces you indoors to be festive and make the most of it

Typical Xmas in SA? Xmas eve drinking wine and a huge meal and I always open one gift at midnight. Church service the next morning, followed by pressies and a massive lunch with the whole family and then lazy time – dvds, sleeping and doing nothing!
Typical Xmas now? A bunch of Xmas orphans getting together to reminisce about Xmas back home, eating a huge lunch and dancing and drinking! With some games thrown in!

Andy Keetch
From: Gauteng
Living: London
Abroad: 10 years
Hot or not: winter
Heritage: British descent

Typical Xmas in SA? Braaivleis and beer. But with presents and a tree. 
Typical Xmas now? Roast goose, glazed gammon, roast beef and all the trimmings.  And loads of booze. And presents and a tree.

Claire van den Heever
From: Cape Town
Living: Shanghai, China
Abroad: 5 ½ years
Heritage: British mother and half SA half Irish father
Hot or not: It feels much more traditional in winter

Typical Xmas in SA? I usually have lunch out with my family, either at someone’s house or a restaurant. The evening is spent with friends or family and more drinking and eating. 
Typical Xmas now? Last year about 15 friends got together in Shanghai at a big apartment and we ordered barbecued lamb from a Chinese restaurant. The spices didn’t exactly go with the gravy and Yorkshire puddings though! There was plenty of wine and the large group made for quite the game of charades!
Xmas meal? If I’m in England, a traditional roast; in South Africa, it could be seafood or lots of meats on the braai and I had Goan seafood curry when I was in India a few years ago. 

Karen Rietveld
From: Pretoria
Living: London, UK
Abroad: 8 years
Heritage: Mother SA but with German heritage and my dad is Dutch
Hot or not: Mixed reviews

Typical Xmas in SA? Family, sun, happiness, a lot of food and small, yet well thought out gifts between family.
Typical Xmas now? I have spent three Christmases with my dad and family in Holland which still carries a lot of tradition – the trees and decorations are breathtaking – and you usually find the odd bit of snow.  My worst Christmas was 2003 when we went to Zulus on Christmas eve, woke up hungover on Christmas day and couldn’t find a place for Christmas lunch. We ended up having Christmas dinner in a kebab shop. Had good friends around and in the end it was definitely one to remember.

Bruce Smith
From: East London
Living: Brisbane, Australia
Abroad: 5 years
Heritage: 100% Saffa
Hot or not: Summer by far… you can’t do a Weber roast in the snow

Xmas meal? Weber roast.
Special traditions? Weber roast and brandy pudding with the coins in it.

Shelley Whaits
From: Cape Town
Living: London, UK
Abroad: 4 ½ years
Heritage: The past two or three generations are SA, before that there is some French Canadian and Italian
Hot or not: summer most definitely

Typical Xmas in SA? Going to church in the morning, hours of present opening, having a big family meal (my parents are divorced, so sometimes I end up having three Xmas meals), then once my tummy is full there is some swimming and chilling.
Typical Xmas now? I always try to go home for Christmas. I spent last Christmas with my parents in Romania which was snowy and freezing! And I’ve spent one Xmas in London where all us orphans had a meal together and a party at someone’s house.
Xmas meal? About four different meats, loads of vegetables, trifle and gran’s Christmas cake.  
Special traditions? I have a small brother, so we used to eat carrots and cookies and drink beer – pretending to be the reindeer and father Christmas!

Kritters Maritz
From: van die plaas
Living: nie op die plaas nie (London, UK)
Abroad: 5 years
Hot or not: Summer

Typical Xmas in SA? Braai skaaptjops op die plaas.
Special traditions? Skaaptjops met brandewyn.

Matthew Grant
From: Cape Town
Living: Manchester, UK
Abroad: 8 years
Heritage: Father English, mother SA
Hot or not: summer yes yes yes

Typical Xmas in SA? Braai and family
Typical Xmas now? Lunch around the table with a few family

Natalie Whitfield
From: East London
Living: London
Abroad: 3 years
Heritage: Irish / SA
Hot or not: Winter

Typical Xmas in SA? Beach and lunch with friends and family. 
Typical Xmas now? Mulled wine, roast and Christmas eve dinner. 
Xmas meal? Roast chicken and mince pies.

Cameron King
From: Cape Town
Living: Kingston, UK
Abroad: 11 years
Heritage: Half SA, half British
Hot or not: Both have different advantages. UK’s build up is more atmospheric though

Typical Xmas in SA? British Xmas with roast dinner in 30 degree heat.
Typical Xmas now? Same but at minus 2 degrees.
Special traditions? Eat lots of nuts, drink lots of brandy and spend hours phoning relatives.