What do you do for Christmas?

Hi my family and friends go to Movenpick for christmas lunch. I have this years price and menu. If you pm me I can e-mail details to you

Biddy-lou

Eat lots of food and get pissed and open presents in that order LOL

I'm spending my first xmas abroad myself..I'm already missing the snow..or at least the IDEA of snow (actual reality of a Canadian winter is fun for about the first couple of hours, before you just start praying for summer. or death.)

I will be Home by then.... :)

Merry Xmans to all in Adv.

yep!!sure am.but will jst hav to work hard!

Home Alone for christmas eh?!?!

well if u hear of any christmas partys or what have you keep me informed ttabet82,as i will be new to doha!!getting to doha on the 01 December!!!

all my Family will be in england!this will defs be a different sort of Chrstmas!

Christmas is supposed to be celebrated with family, and got no family here, they are all gathering in leb, except me :-((

I got no plans yet, and i will definetly not spending it alone at home!!!

Mis-Cat, lol you guys leave BEER for Santa? Hmmm, we leave milk and cookies.

This will be our 10th Christmas in Doha. The first one was pretty depressing, had only been here a couple of months and didn't have any of my Christmas decorations here. They are all in storage in the States. Ornaments we'd collected over the years, the ones the kids had made in school, and the stockings I'd made when they were babies... All we could get here at that time was cheap cheesy Chinese junk down at Naaz.

But each year we've managed to create a Christmas much like the ones at home,..the tree, the decorations, the turkey, the classic Christmas CDs. Having kids in the house helps, because they are the reason for creating the special atmosphere, and now, hopefully they will carry on the same traditions.

But you never really do "feel it in the air" here.

We've gone home for 2 Christmases, also to Egypt once and last year we went to Kenya.

Like Mis-Cat, it's not so much a religious celebration for us since we are of 2 religions, but we do focus on giving, sharing, and the message of peace (but isn't that really what religion is about, anyway?).

Just wish it could be a little cooler on Christmas Day! :-)

Will get the pudding from Marks and spencers. Cook the Butterball Turkey and pull crackers.. While away the time watching Ben Hur, where Eagles Dare, Guns of Naverone and other classics on TCM..

CHRISTMAS ! Good Times..

iam moving to doha at the start of next month,i get the feeling christmas is going to be a lonley time????or jst a normal day??

is there many partys on over the christmas and new year?????

is doha a sociable place???

Christmas for my family is less about the religious holiday and more about a family holiday. It is the one time of year when our family really does put all differences aside to come together.

In Oz the whole feeling of Christmas starts early, the moment that the stores start putting up their trees and decorations you can feel the change in everyone around you it's the promise of what is too come, the feeling that you can be transported back to a time in your life when things were simpler, your childhood, when the only concerns you had, was had you been a good enough Girl/Boy for Santa to bring you that years latest must have toy. People have their houses decorated with lights, fake Santa's sticking out of their chimneys or fake chimney's if they don't have one, Office Christmas parties, friends Christmas parties, but I digress, not being a religious family our Christmas Eve mass consists of watching Carols by Candle Light live from the Myer Bowl in Melbourne, singing along to the carols that we know and even the ones we don't, then making sure we leave out Beer and Christmas cake for for Santa (usually the cake also has about a cup of whiskey in it for good measure) and carrots for the reindeer, then of to bed for the kids, the parents then usually stay up into sometimes the wee hours of the morning frantically wrapping pressies and putting bikes and the like together to leave under the tree, not forgetting to drink the beer, eat the cake (making sure to leave crumbs on the plate)and munching on the carrots.......

Christmas Day Morning Kids usually up at 5am which is always great considering you only went to bed at 3am after finally figuring out were that left over screw you had was supposed to go, watching with as the children delight in the unwrapping of their presents, with each and every new wow, fantastic or scream of joy and the amazement that comes from them, on how did Santa know, your tired but for those moments it doesn't matter.

Being a chef, means I do the cooking (which is good because it means once my jobs done everyone else has to clean up and i get to sit and enjoy a drink or two actually in most cases it's usually more), I've usually started days before preparing. In Oz our Christmas lunch consists of My Famous glazed Ham, Oysters, prawns, Our families special fried rice, Potato salad, Coleslaw, and green salad, Christmas Cake Christmas pudding and a fruit platter,plus all the condiments that go with it. We set the table making sure that we have enough Christmas crackers (and it is mandatory for you to wear the hat even if it is just for the beginning of the feast or till it breaks)when everything is ready and everyone is there Family that can be there and friends who have no one else to share the day with, we open the champagne and toast to the family, we then sit, eat, drink and be merry til everyone has had enough of the food, is tired or wants to go to the beach for a swim. The merriment lasts til the last person goes to sleep.

Our Christmas here is only different in the sense that the feeling doesn't come till about the week before, when you realise that its the 17th of Dec. It's also winter. We still do everything much the same though with a few detailed changes, the menu for one, twice cooked duck with blood orange sauce, Mustard Crusted Crown of Veal with a Cranberry Jus, Glazed carrots, Buttered Sprouts, Warm Baby Potato and green bean Salad, still have pudding and christmas cake though. No carols by candle light, But we still share it with the family we have here and those friends who need one, we can still go swimming( pools Heated) and we still carry on till the last person standing.

For us Christmas is not about were you are but how you spend it, a great meal with family and friends to share it with......

"Your born, You Live, You Die, given this premise, one can conclude since we have no control over when we are born and when we die, the only thing that matters to us should be how we live, simple really?" Mis-Cat to her philosophy Lecturer.

Eid and Christmas both are falling in December.... I think if you write something about Eid and Christmas together, would be a good idea !! (Expat point of view)

Just a suggestion :-)

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UkEngQatar - "this year planned to to Sri Lanka.."

Which part of Sri Lanka? I may be there as well.

Ban Spoon Feeding not Me

Last umpteen years (When in Saudi) I visited friends in Bahrain for Xmas. Last year I went to the Rugby club and will probably do the same agian this year.

Did you Google it first?

i wish this time Santa will send me lots of party invitations instead of spending it home alone :) most of my friends go home to the Philippines to spend their Christmas with their families...

my previous Christmas celebrations in Doha starts with setting up the Christmas tree in November, followed by Simbang gabi (Dawn Mass) 9 days before Christmas, and go to church on Christmas Eve with some friends who were left behind. After the church, we do get together over some foods and drinks to share and exchange gifts. Week before or after Christmas, i invited my Muslim close friend/colleague and her family for a dinner to share my Christmas with them.

Last year went to Dubai for Xmas this year planned to to Sri Lanka.. Hope there will be no Tsunami..New YEar back in Doha.

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HE WHO DARES WINS

Munich and met us on Christmas day. We took a train to a ski resort and spent the night at a very quaint hotel and ate, you guessed it! suckling pig! We spent the next 4 days in Garmish and then flew back to Doha, where I introduced my eldest son to many of the QLers. (the youngest one had contracted a severe case of the flu and was checking out the inside of his eyelids for 4 days!)It was wonderful to get to see them and we had decorated the house with a tree and everything else we could find here in Doha that was Christmas related.

That was a great Christmas. This one, we are flying back home to Texas and its my turn to cook Christmas dinner for all my extended family. I love doing that...its hectic but ohh so worth it when my sons tell me how much they love the dinner. Hubby does a smoked turkey in the BBQ grill...and everyone else is outside around a bonfire if its cold enough..if not then they are target shooting in the back field.

Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked,the good fortune to run into the ones I do,and the eyesight to tell the difference.

TCOM can u put me in ur luggage? lol! enjoy our Christmas celebration. there will be a whole lot of parties and yes, big bang!

I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.  ~Charles Schulz

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.wow, tcom, just send my regards to that lechon ( roasted p-G).....

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Yes it will be first time for me

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.hi tcom.

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is it your first time to spend new year in the Philippines????

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if it is, then be prepared for the big bang....

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I will be in Goa for Christmas and New Year in Philippines

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this will be my 2nd christmas away from home and family. i dnt knw yet how to celebrate it for it is my birthday as well...

daydreaming of home....

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"Ask the Lord to bless your plans and you will be successful in carrying them out." - Proverbs 16:3

I work the 25th, and the 1st of Jan... no celebrations for me...

"if you don't like the heat... get out of the kitchen... but stop trying to fan the flames before you leave... it will burn you on the a** as you go through the doorway...." ME

visit www.qaws.org

You can be in another wedding...

My daughter will be married on the 20th there...:)

You can't teach experience...

And of course, Christmas Eve services at church. Even here in Doha that Christmas tradition is always available.

Mandi

Attend a church service on Christmas eve or Christmas day, which reminds me to ask for a holiday off from work.

Prepare dinner and invite friends. Also set the house with decors which i will be doing by next week.

There will be several parties i will be attending. On Christmas day, i will call my love ones.

Last year i was back home celebrating this season. This is my second Christmas in Doha.

I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.  ~Charles Schulz

This will be my 5th year of Christmas season in Doha. We will invite some friends over (those who would otherwise be alone).

We will attend numerous parties. We will decorate a tree and place decorations all over the house. We will put lights on our villa. We will bake and decorate cookies. We will play christmas music until we are sick of it! On christmas morning the kids will wake us up at 4am!!!! and we will open presents. we will have a big breakfast and then take a nap. We will spend the day visiting with each other, playing with new toys, and calling family back home.

will be thinking of you and your daughter from singapore Tig ...

As much as I like living in Qatar (and I do) I never want to spend another Christmas here. I found the one I spent here two years ago infinitely depressing. I never thought I cared about Christmas much until I spent one here. Never again!

This year I will fly to New York City on 18 December and collect my much loved daughter. We will then fly to Miami and from there to the Cayman Islands to join my parents, brothers and their families. We will spend Christmas morning on the beach with champagne and then eat turkey outside by the pool. We will leave on 2 January and do the same trip in reverse.

Just call me Tigasin. That's what I'm talking about

Ok so you can buy Turkey, that's a step in the right direction...but tell me, where can you get a fruit cake? :)

I just got a 10 kilo turkey at Carrefours - well , it's for Thanksgiving but it puts me in the right holiday mood!

Mandi

thanks a lot (for the 2nd time).. Ha-ha! lol..

i'd start ringing the hotel phones asap.

i'll just invite donald and the rest of the gang..

and for gate-crashing the party of the Filipinos?

hhmm.. no, no, no.. did i just say no?

cheers,

paul

You can't teach experience...

Fine. 10 pairs of knickers. That's more English. Hehe

The internet is our revenge machine

lol at 10 pieces of underwear ! Very funny JJ !

Gypsy, it'll be okay.. just be sure to wear 10 pieces of underwear.

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Vegas, 25th? Not sure yet, will have to confer with the siblings. Omg, you have to meet them. My brothers and sister! They're a crazy bunch!

The internet is our revenge machine

Gypsy ! I will be heart broken if my son trying to sell me 20 yrs from now.

No jj. I'll probably freeze to death.

no, i will get your tortoises if you ended getting some for them ...

hey hey dont go i will buy you a new one JUST STAY HERE.

Do you want my parents Novi? You can have them. In fact I'm selling them to the highest bidder.

Gypsy, you're not planning to come back to Qatar?

The internet is our revenge machine

no problem anytime ! drop me PM on here FB or wherever, you know where to find me lol.

Love KL, i love shopping in KL .... lol.

You can't teach experience...

Ok, I've hijacked this thread to within an inch of its life so I guess I owe it to QatarHappening to have a crack at answering her queries.

As I said before, this is the first year I'll have actually spent Christmas day in Doha, but it isn't the first I've spent abroad.

As we're having Christmas lunch at a hotel I'm guessing the day will feel pretty similar to any Friday when we go for brunch, but with a few presents thrown in if I'm lucky.

The one tradition that I, and I expect most expats will indulge in is Skyping all their friends and family back home. I'm sure I'll be sat in front of the laptop for a good few hours on Christmas afternoon!

Novi, yeap.. it's still in the itinerary. I plan to drop by KL and Bali too! Will keep in touch with you for tiny travel infos. :)

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gypsy ... your situation in Doha is not too bad ... you have your parents with you ! :)

I'm going to go home for Christmas for the first time in 4 years. I don't have a winter jacket. I may not come back.

I was there too last year Skanky! You will love S.A.! I want to visit that country again!!

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Janey Janey, so i will be back to Qatar then you leave eh?

Still thinking going to thailand?

Am not going to stay this year again in Qatar, Last year I stayed and theres no X-Mas atmosphere, as Qatar is a Muslim country and I understand their believe.

So am going to SA for a nice Summer Vacation.

The Venezuelan Sensation!!!

Come on Vegas you do enjoy the beach trips and bbq's!

The internet is our revenge machine

first Christmas here, i spent it with my fellow Filipinos.. the usual gathering, with program, play games (with prizes..:D ) gift giving/exchanging gifts, and of course sharing sumptuous christmas dinner with friends..

[img_assist|nid=12867|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.

Vegas, that's a little offputting...Doha can't be that bad....(says the newby)

Ohh yea, I remember. From the brief convo. we had ages ago! :)

Since my dad is too busy with work, he just got tickets for the whole family. I'm excited to see all my siblings again! :) 6 weeks hey!!

I Will fly back home sometime in February to enjoy the weather and the beaches.

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You can't teach experience...

janeyjaney , actually i will be in Singapore ! And how about you? Back home?

Tallg- what, we've forgotten the true meaning of christmas is rampent unrepentant consumerism, and cartoon children dancing and buying ugly christmas trees?

which actually sort of illustrates what I'm missing, having my first xmas abroad- all the lame little traditions. If I were home I'd be ranting about how annoying the canned music in the malls was, how there is no possible way we need christmas decorations up before halloween or that much forced togetherness with family, and wanting to stab Woody the giant christmas tree (have to be a Haligonian to get that one) in the eye with one of those ugly plastic icicle lights....

but here I just miss it all, right down to the Muppet's Family Christmas special...

are there Qatari equivalents?

who.am.i ... you are most welcome ! :D I cant remember exactly the price, but it wont be less than QR 250 me thinks. Depend on which hotel really ... You should do some survey, ringing around and post your survey on QL for others lol.

And speaking of cooking ... dont think the food is the important bit, as far as you got to spend christmas with someone and not on your own that would be the most important thing.

I know Ritz Carlton always have turkey to go, so maybe you can just get the turkey from them.

Another idea ... if filipino group have christmas gathering i am sure they dont mind you gate crash their party. As far as you bear the cost of course :D

Roast pork is indeed the epitome of food awesomeness. We had a spit-roast pig at our wedding.

But you'll be in Bali! Boo! :)

To suckle or not... damn, roast pork is just awesome. LOL

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wow! thanks novita.. I'll consider that..

actually, my first option

is to invite a couple of friends in my pad..

but i'm no great cook! :)) Ha-ha!

BTW, got any idea what hotel offers

Christmas dinner? and how

much do you think it will cost me?

cheers,

paul

I suckle a roasting pig. :)

janeyjaney ... mail me that suckling pig pls !

knowing who you are ... i take your last comment with a pinch of salt !

I roast a suckling pig. :)

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Christmas sucks wherever it is. I feel it's become far too religious in recent years and the true meaning has been forgotten.

tallg, christmas in Doha is not that bad at all !

Actually, I'm not 'Gypsy'. I'm the omnipotent personification of a magazine- there's a slight difference. And there's actually more than one person pulling on my internet-puppet strings. But in a happy, fun way- not a borg resistance-is-futile way :)

Gypsy isn't the one controlling me, so let's just leave it at that. If she was, I'm pretty sure some schizophrenic head explosions from the previous conversation would ensue, and that would be just messy.

And thanks for the invite MallRat, but as a magazine I really don't get out much..what we're really looking for is descriptions of what you do for christmas- so how you celebrate with your Filexpat group etc.

Visit www.qatarhappening.com for all of your latest event news and information.

who.am.i, qwertyness ...

We spent out first 6 christmas in Doha. We did our own christmas dinner with our close friends once at our home, we went to the hotel for christmas dinner once with our close friend, and we got invited to people's houses.

If you knows anyone who spending christmas in Doha, if they are family and have something on probably they will offer you to join them. Or you can tell them that you are on your own and would like to join their christmas. And offer them to bring somethings. One of our christmas, we did the turkey and our guests brought the trimming and others (potluck christmas dinner).

Maybe if you can gather few friends who are here on their own, you can arrange christmas dinner in one of the hotel.

Do book christmas dinner long time in advance, they are booked out very quickly. Some people already booked their christmas dinner NOW.

For the first time in 3 years of living here I'm going to stay in Qatar for Christmas. I plan to get up early and take my dog for a long walk in the crisp white snow, then pop down to me local for a swift half of ale before heading home for Christmas dinner. I'll then fall asleep in front of my roaring log fire while watching some p!ss-poor comedy show Christmas special.

its gonna be my first Christmas overseas and my first Christmas w/o my family! its gonna be a very cold Christmas, minus the gifts :)

cheers,

paul

A) this is not me

B) this is not me

C) other people use the word awesomeness

D) In order to use logos you have to be given logos.

.I'm celebrating it with my Filexpat group, you are invited to come, QatarHappening...

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QatarHappening - Gypsy (hello there! lol),

I saw you put the ramadan photo competition winner from previous edition. I suggest next time if you put something from QL you should put QL logo on it :D

*this comment spontaneously combusted*

You guys go off topic quickly...I'm new here but yeesh........I'd actually like to know what some people do for christmas over here, since this is my first christmas without snow and my mom....

way to hijack a thread there Gypsy, without even trying. I feel I should hate you on principal now.

For the love of God guys answer the poor girls question!

This section will actually be it's own page- editorial copy where we print opinions and reviews from the Qatar community. We thought Qatar Living was a great place to get those, and Qatari agreed.

From time to time we'll be putting up forum topics and questions, with that in mind.

Visit www.qatarhappening.com for all of your latest event news and information.

i miss beathing the hell out of her. where is she in some rehab

Ah ok then QatarHappening ... i wonder what happen with Gypsy ...

Me think on the next edition of your hard copy you should put qatarliving.com link in your magazine. I am sure this website sending the hell alot of traffic to your online QH.

Yes, we have an arrangement with Qatari to promote events and stimulate discussion on Qatar Living with the understanding that portions may be published in our magazine.

Visit www.qatarhappening.com for all of your latest event news and information.

I do honestly think the poster should ask the QL owner permission. They have their own website why they use QL?

Its kinda survey, they are not promoting their magazine.

Did you ask Qatari to use this site to promote your magazine?