Only those who have lived abroad can fully understand the emotional and logistical obstacle course of getting home for Christmas. Every Christmas Eve, the supermarkets would discount their Christmas food a couple of hours before closing, leading to the most intense family supermarket sweep ever. And now the Christmas tree was crooked. Once we had been through our piles from Santa on Christmas morning, we would all give each other our presents. My mother hasn’t been back to my house on Christmas Day since.

Source: The Irish Times December 21, 2025 18:01 UTC