While it looks like digital nomads are always on holiday, hopping from country to country while working, the regular holiday season is usually different for digital nomads. Being away from family and loved ones may mean they experience holidays differently. Many nomads find themselves celebrating Christmas or New Year in unfamiliar cities, warm climates, or countries with entirely different traditions.
However, spending the holidays abroad offers opportunities for some of the most memorable moments in the nomadic lifestyle. There is more time to explore and experience the beauty their location offers. Let’s explore how digital nomads celebrate the holidays abroad.
Digital nomads celebrating the holidays abroad fuse their holiday traditions with new ones, adding more spice to the experience. They often schedule video calls and join online gatherings with families and loved ones for gift exchanges and dinners. Cooking traditional holiday meals and sharing them with neighbours and new friends, while also enjoying the country’s traditional cuisine, is another way to blend traditions.
Community is a key part of the holiday celebrations. Nothing beats bonding with old friends and family members. But since digital nomads don’t have access to this, celebrating the holidays abroad allows them to meet new people and improve existing connections in their new country. From co-working spaces hosting end-of-the-year hangouts to work community social events, picnics, and potlucks, you can ditch the loneliness of being away from loved ones.
Also read: How to network better as a world-class remote freelancer
Helping others is one of the highlights of this season. Many digital nomads choose to spend their holidays giving back to the local community, which helps them feel grounded and connected. This could involve volunteering to help the homeless, planning community activities, assisting at food banks and hospitals, and mentoring younger community members.
Various countries have unique holiday experiences beyond the lights and funfair. A Christmas abroad might mean attending a midnight mass in a European city, enjoying a beachside barbecue in Southeast Asia, or experiencing the Detty December parties in West Africa. Christmas markets are a great place to experience the holiday spirit, with festive stalls selling handmade crafts, gifts, food, and drinks. There are exciting attractions, music, and a cheerful crowd under the twinkling lights.
Also read: 13 essential tools and resources for digital nomads around the world
Despite the freedom of being a digital nomad, holidays abroad can also bring moments of loneliness. Seeing festive images from home or missing long-standing traditions can make digital nomads homesick, especially for newer nomads. Managing this period requires deliberate planning, staying socially connected, and acknowledging the season's emotional complexity. Over time, most experienced nomads learn that feeling both grateful and nostalgic at once is normal. Instead of fighting these emotions, it is better to integrate them into the holiday experience.
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Distance is not a sufficient excuse for not sending gifts to loved ones during the holidays. Many digital nomads can still order gifts online for themselves and loved ones. And with a digital payment platform like Grey that offers virtual USD cards, it is very easy for digital nomads to make online payments wherever they are. With Grey’s multi-currency accounts, they can also send money home at competitive conversion rates and low costs.
Also read: Best digital subscriptions to gift this holiday season
The beauty of being a digital nomad is the freedom from the traditional work experience. This freedom may come with spending holidays abroad, away from family and familiar people and traditions. On the other hand, it allows digital nomads to create lifetime memories, celebrating in different ways, whether at a work community hangout or on a personal day spent exploring the city and speaking with loved ones over a video call. They can shop at Christmas markets or online and pay seamlessly with a Grey virtual USD card. Digital nomads can access USD, GBP, and EUR accounts on a platform and send money home without worrying about unfair rates, payment declines, or high fees.
Get started on Grey’s website or download the app to simplify your international payments during the holidays.
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