Did you know that at Booking Experts we work with colleagues from all over the world? From France, the UK and Austria to South Africa and India, our team brings together a mix of cultures, traditions and celebrations.

And of course, everyone celebrates this month differently! We asked some of our colleagues to share how they spend the holiday season. From sunny barbecues in South Africa to festive meals in France and snowy walks in the UK:  these stories show how our diverse and inclusive culture makes Booking Experts a truly global family.🌍

South Africa – Sun, Braais and Malva Pudding

In South Africa, Christmas is very different from the snowy scenes we often imagine. For our Performance Marketer Vaughn, it’s summer, so Christmas Day often starts by the pool.☀️ Christmas Eve is spent at Carols by Candlelight and a church service, but the excitement really kicks in on Christmas morning when presents are opened.

The afternoon is all about food and family. A leg of lamb is prepared, the braai (BBQ) is fired up, and everyone enjoys braaibroodjies (toasted sandwiches), cold beers and lots of conversations. Lunch includes traditional Christmas dishes and South African favourites like boerewors, and no Christmas is complete without malva pudding with cream or custard: a perfect mix of Vaughn’s Afrikaans and English family traditions.

United Kingdom – Beach Walks, Games and Boxing Day Dips

Our Project Manager Elizabeth, from Booking Experts powered by ParcVu, lives in Newcastle. She shares that Christmas is all about family, children and quality time. She finds the season magical, with twinkling lights, Christmas markets and sometimes a little snow. Christmas Day starts with a walk along the beach, followed by a big lunch with friends and family and lots of fun games.

Even spending Christmas in sunny Australia (where her daughter lives) hasn’t changed what matters most: being with loved ones. In the lead-up to Christmas, Elizabeth enjoys a “Ladies’ Lunch” with friends and trips to the seaside for mulled wine. 🌊🥂

France – Long Meals, Réveillon and Bûche de Noël

In France, Christmas is celebrated over two days, December 24th and 25th. Our Business Development colleagues, Céline and Lisa, usually spend Christmas in their home country.

Céline enjoys hours at the table with multiple courses: from starters and the main meal to cheese and the traditional Bûche de Noël (yule log). She wouldn’t want to spend Christmas anywhere else.

Lisa, who is half-Irish and half-French, celebrates on the 25th like in Ireland. Gifts come from Santa Claus under the chimney and from friends and family under the tree. Many French families start on the 24th with a Réveillon, a long and festive dinner, followed by another meal on Christmas Day. Typical courses include seafood or foie gras starters, a main, cheese, sometimes a Trou Normand (sorbet with Calvados) and dessert.

New Year’s Eve is usually spent at parties or gatherings with friends, always with a glass of Champagne in hand.🍾

Austria - Celebrating Christmas in the Family Home

Although our Online Marketer Helena lives in The Netherlands, she travels to Austria every year to celebrate Christmas with her family and friends.

For her, the main day of the Austrian Christmas celebration is the evening of December 24th, also called Heiligabend (Holy Evening). Her family usually goes to church at 5 PM, then returns home for dinner together and gift exchange. 

Typical food? One thing you’ll see everywhere in Austria during Christmastime is homemade Christmas cookies. No matter which house you visit, there’s always a plate piled high with cookies, basically, a Christmas must-have.🍪

Unique traditions

December in Austria is part of the Adventzeit, a four-week period leading up to Christmas. One popular tradition is the Advent wreath (Adventkranz), a circular wreath with four candles. Each Sunday of Advent, a candle is lit, and by Christmas Eve, all four candles burn together.🕯️

Austria also celebrates St. Nicholas (Heiliger Nikolaus), but with a twist: watch out for the Krampus, St. Nicholas’ dark companion who is meant to scare children! Many towns host Krampuslauf parades, where people dress up as Krampus and march through the streets. As a child, Helena remembers Nikolaus and Krampus visiting homes with young children. Kids would recite a Christmas poem and confirm their good behavior in exchange for a bag of treats, usually peanuts, mandarins and chocolate.

Magical Moments

On December 25th, she and her closest friends meet at a friend’s house. After joining the larger gathering and dinner, they go upstairs to celebrate Christmas in a smaller circle. Some of her fondest childhood memories are of believing in the Christkind (infant Jesus), who brings gifts and decorates the Christmas tree. 🎄 

Helena recalls the magical moment when her parents would ring a small bell, signaling the Christkind had arrived, and she could enter the room. With the lights dimmed and only the tree candles burning, the atmosphere felt really magical to her. Even today, Christmas remains special for Helena, where she really enjoys time with her loved ones.

At Booking Experts, our diverse team gives us the chance to learn from each other and share different experiences. As you can see, everyone celebrates December in their own way, with their own special traditions.

We wish everyone a great December, full of good food, fun moments, and time with the people you care about!💚