While the beginning of December is a joyous time when we look forward to a sea or forest holiday and Christmas lists drawn up by the little ones, this time of year also holds deep longing and nostalgia. At Christmas time, we always think of the children and grandchildren or the brothers and sisters celebrating Christmas on the other side of the world on their own. This week we asked Michelle Vosloo how they celebrate Christmas in Switzerland.

Are there any interesting Christmas customs and traditions in Switzerland?

The Swiss celebrate Christmas almost the same as South Africans. The biggest difference is that they are not as heavily commercialised; everything is done very discreetly (hee-hee). So, there is beauty, but just enough and nothing extravagant. One thing they do differently is to use real trees for Christmas trees. And on 11 January, they have a big Christmas tree-burning event where everyone burns their Christmas trees and savour bread, cheese and glühwein.

Switzerland is always a winter wonderland at Christmas time. There are lights and beautiful decorations in every town. Whether it illustrates Jesus’ crib or a snowman, everyone decorates and celebrates this time. Unfortunately, there is war in Europe now, and due to the drought and war, electricity is scarce. The Swiss plan very well for this time. Unfortunately, we won’t have many Christmas lights this year. The heating is kept at a maximum of 20 degrees inside, and all heating in train stations and other public areas is switched off to ensure everything keeps working and that they don’t have to cut power or apply load shedding.

Do you still enjoy a traditional South African feast, or do you try new dishes?

We make potjiekos! Potjiekos in the snow. So, we stick to the traditional, maybe just at a non-traditional time. Something traditional we enjoy here before Christmas is chestnuts. You cut a cross in the shell and boil them in water for 15-20 minutes before roasting them in the oven for about 12 minutes. Warm chestnuts are deliciously sweet and go well with venison, which the Swiss also eat around this time and even sell in supermarkets!

Do you stick to the old, traditional celebrations or do you celebrate Christmas in new ways?

We celebrate Christmas in the traditional way. But, of course, every new family has their own traditions. Here we celebrate Christmas with friends and our church family when we can’t go home in December to see and hug everyone we love.

We have a wonderful church here. They have a kiddy’s service, a children’s service, a Christmas service and carols by candlelight. The children love church because they learn about the love and fun of Jesus from childhood. But as in the rest of Europe, many still don’t believe the good news. I must add that everything in Switzerland is built on Christian values, and they celebrate all the Christian holidays, even Ascension Day.

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