Pros and cons of spending Christmas in Vietnam as a foreigner

They will be weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of spending this festive season here in Vietnam.

Pros

Undoubtedly one of the most exciting things about spending Christmas abroad, is experiencing something completely new and fresh compared to what you’re used to. You are able to swap eggnog beside the fireplace for a cocktail on the beach or replace the hot chocolate after a frosty walk with a refreshingly cold drink whilst sunbathing next to the swimming pool. It is certainly not the archetypal Christmas, but aren't serendipitous moments that break from tradition perhaps the most memorable?

One of the biggest peeves many individuals have with Christmas in the west is being constantly surrounded by it and how the endless Christmas songs in stores, unoriginal advertisements and tacky Christmas lights all seem to appear earlier and earlier each year. This goes hand in hand with the mass commercialization of the holiday that is common across many western holidays, but none more so than Jesus’ big day. Fortunately, if you are celebrating his birthday in Vietnam this year you do not have to put up with as much as you would do compared to the west. Here, how much you celebrate and fill your life with Christmas paraphernalia is more of a personal preference. Seeing how different cultures celebrate the occasion is always fascinating though, and embracing it should certainly be encouraged.

A foreign couple listen to music at a Christmas market in Hanoi, December 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen

In the lead-up to Christmas at home, foreigners will likely have to attend work parties where they have to become experts in small talk as they wait for a socially acceptable time to go home. They will spend the majority of the evening thinking of the ones they actually wish to spend their free time with, whilst they are forced to sit with a colleague from a part of the office that you’ve never encountered to build "team spirit." Fortunately in Vietnam, expatriates have the luxury of celebrating the holiday with friends who are in a similar situation in their own lives and have more in common with. It is an opportunity to appreciate the time off by renting a villa with individuals of your own choosing, as opposed to some of the family members who you may perhaps dread spending awkward hours with around the dinner table at home.

Cons

Although an expatriate social circle may be full of friends and wonderful colleagues whilst living in Vietnam, for the majority of people Christmas means one thing, family. This makes it a particularly difficult season for those who stay in Asia, rather than returning home. The wonderful tradition of sitting around an open fire, exchanging gifts and sharing and making new memories with your close family is something many expatriates will crave this Christmas in Vietnam.

The picturesque image of a family sat around an open fire is not complete without the thick, white snow slowly falling from the sky as one looks out the window. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of climate change, a thick blanket of snow settling on Xuan Dieu street in Hanoi and Nguyen Hue street in HCMC is still an image of AI fiction, rather than reality. For many foreigners living in Vietnam, this will dampen the Christmas spirit. Although, a cocktail on a sun-lounger to celebrate the big day is exciting and refreshing, it’s not quite what someone usually envisions for December and further exacerbates the feeling of homesickness at Christmas.

In addition to having loved ones nearby and the colder weather, Christmas is a time when foreigners enjoy feasting on many wonderful seasonal delicacies such as turkey, mince pies, shortbread biscuits, Brussels sprouts and a whole range of other delights that will test the flexibility of one’s waistband. Although these wonderful treats are becoming easier to attain in Vietnam compared to previous years, they certainly require more searching for and have a greater impact on the bank balance compared to the west. Sacrifices may have to be made on the cheese board or Christmas pudding if foreigners want to enjoy a break during their longer holiday at Tet.

*Darren Barnard is a teacher working in Hanoi.