Having lived in so many places and being so many things, I often feel like an outsider no matter where I am or who I am with. I am not from any one place. The place where I was born is not the place I call home. The country where I was born (USSR) no longer exists. I am a dual citizen but the two countries whose passports I hold are neither my birthplace nor my country of residence. For the most part, I know who I am and I know where I come from. But I definitely don’t have a simple answer to this seemingly simple question, “where are you from?” Because it’s complicated.
Our Chrismukkah Holiday Traditions Intro!
I get a lot of questions this time of year about our multi-cultural and inter-faith holiday traditions. Questions like “You have a Christmas tree? Aren’t you Jewish?” and “If you don’t celebrate Christmas, when do you open presents?” Since Hanukkah begins tomorrow (and so does my birthday!) I figured this is the perfect time to tell you guys all about our crazy Russian-Jewish-Canadian mish mash of Hanukkah-Christmas-New Year’s holiday season. So here is a our whirlwind Chrismukkah holiday traditions intro!
Expat Holiday Gift Shopping Guide
Shopping for gifts as an expat is a little different. You need have limited space and weight allowance in the suitcases. You need to buy gifts ahead of time. You need to figure out what people might want or need when you’re not involved in their daily lives because you’re living hundreds of miles away. These are my tips to expat holiday gift shopping and giving.
Missing Grandma and Grandpa
As this week wraps up, so does my parents’ too-short visit to sunny California. Being away from them has been one of the hardest parts of living here. Missing grandma and grandpa is a way of life for my expat kids. My parents are amazing people, amazing parents and amazing grandparents to my kids. I love seeing my girls interact with them and the happiness on my parents’ faces at the wonders that are their grandkids. I love having them around and whenever they visit they are incredibly helpful to me as well. I got to sleep in until 9am this morning and when I got up the kids were fed and the breakfast dishes were done. In fact, now that I think about it, I haven’t done the dishes this whole week!
Expat Canadian Thanksgiving
This weekend is our Booboo’s first birthday. It will also be expat Canadian thanksgiving this weekend and this expat has so much to be thankful for.
Happy New Year and Chag Sameach
This evening the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashana started. It is the Jewish New Year. It lasts for 3 days and is followed by Yom Kippur 10 days later, which is much more serious.
My family is not religious but I love holidays because I love special themed holiday food and family gatherings. Rosh Hashana is no exception. There are delicious foods full of symbolism. Here are my three favourite symbolic Rosh Hashana foods:
