Singapore Diaries: Christmas comes but once a year – how we spent the holidays in the tropics

We did not go home for Christmas this year, for obvious reasons. The decision was not made lightly, but at one point it just felt like the right thing to do. And there was no other option anyway, really.

So here I am: for the first time ever celebrating Christmas without my family, and far far away from my home in Berlin. It’s not that I would generally be opposed to celebrating Christmas in a warm environment, yet after this awful year, I missed the familiarity and comfort of my parent’s home more than ever.

Instead, I got to spend Christmas in the tropics, where succulents and palms have to work as Christmas Trees, and where the frightful weather is dominated by tropical showers. It certainly felt weird at one point to listen to classic Christmas songs cheering the first snow, celebrating the “coming home for the holidays”-spirit and cozy family get-togethers but on the other hand, this was not the case in any place of the world, probably. And if I ever wanted to try out how Christmas away from home would feel like, this was the chance.

Eventually, I am very thankful to be able to spend this Christmas with people around me, particularly since I know there are so many much worse off, on their own, or stuck somewhere. I am lucky enough to have made quite a few friends during a year when socializing was not socially accepted, which I am very grateful for. And although we might be stuck in Singapore, we have always felt very safe, which I appreciate a lot, especially during these crazy times.

Here are a few impressions of our Christmas in Singapore.