Holiday Help: Welcoming International Guests
Waiting for a guy in a red suit to deliver presents, displaying a pine tree in your living room and kissing beneath a plant hanging from the ceiling… out of context our holiday traditions can be down right weird.
Keep that in mind when dealing with international guests. They’re away from home, in a different culture and not enjoying the holiday rituals they are used to.
Since there really is no place like home for the holidays here are some tips to helping international guests feel more at home this holiday season.
Get the Greeting Right
Sure, your pronunciation might be wrong, but if you’ve ever traveled abroad you know it’s the thought that counts when trying to greet someone in their foreign tongue, not the execution.
Here are some holiday greetings from around the globe, with links to videos on how to pronounce them.
Merry Christmas
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
German: Frohe Weihnachten
U.K. British: Happy Christmas
Italian: Buon Natale
French: Joyeux Noel
Happy New Year
Spanish: Feliz año nuevo
German: Frohes neues Jahr
Italian: felice anno nuovo
French: bonne année
Chinese: kuai le xiin nian
Japanese: Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu.
Know When “The Holidays” Are
“The Holidays” can include a handful of special days that don’t always fall on the same date each year. Here are a few of this year’s key dates you may have missed:
December 24th through January 1st: Hanukkah (An 8 day Jewish celebration in remembrance of an ancient miracle)
December 26th: Boxing Day (observed in the U.K. and other commonwealth countries, is a non-religious holiday that involves shopping and gift giving)
December 26th through January 1st: Kwanzaa (a celebration of African heritage first started in 1966)
January 28th: Chinese New Year (Also known as Spring Festival, it’s a celebration of the beginning of the lunisolar Chinese calendar.)
Offer A Multicultural Menu
Nothing makes people feel at home more than familiar food. You’re never going to be able to replicate a guest’s favorite home cooked meal but you can at least offer them a taste of nostalgia with some of these traditional holiday items
Latke – These simple potato cakes are a Hanukkah staple.
Oysters – in France 70% of all Oysters are eaten during the week between Christmas and New Years.
Long Noodles – in Japan eating long noodles is a common tradition on New Year’s Eve. Specifically “Toshikoshki soba” or year-crossing noodle.” On a different note KFC has become a very popular Christmas dish in Japan since the 1970s, maybe leave that item off the menu though.
Gluhwein – is a German Christmas beverage made with red wine, sugar and spices served hot, otherwise known as a hot spiced mulled wine.
Bacalao – is a dried and salted codfish that is a major holiday staple in Mexico and other Latin countries. There are plenty of variations on the recipe, but most include peppers, onions and garlic.
If you have any more holiday tips from around the world, please let us know in our comments section below! Lastly, we want to wish you a happy and healthy holiday season from everyone here at McConnell Marketing!
Today’s article was brought to you by the Starbucks Christmas blend, which has become a seasonal tradition here at the office.
Until next week, stay well and Happy Holidays!
