At a time when most of us are used to being surrounded by family and friends, celebrating Christmas many miles away from the familiar traditions, can be one of the hardest times of the year.

If you usually celebrate December with turkey and all the trimmings, finding yourself in a country that has its festivities on Christmas Eve (Sweden and Denmark) or in 100’ degree heat (Australia) might all be a little strange. You may even be somewhere where December 25th is not recognised as a national holiday.

The key to surviving the holiday season is embracing the new whilst keeping one eye on the past. Here we’ve put together a survival guide for those facing their first Christmas in a new country. Our eight point plan should keep you busy.

* Keep up with the folks back home: Time differences aside, there’s no reason why you can’t wish your nearest and dearest a Happy Christmas. Book in a FaceTime or Skype slot and make sure you’ve got those Christmas jumpers on.

* Decide which traditions are important to you. The weather may be different but there will be no harm in keeping to those themes that you’ve followed every year. The kids will appreciate a familiar set-up, as will you.

* Say ‘yes’ to a festive invite. You may not have your family around so if someone invites you over for drinks or even lunch, agree. This will give you a chance to meet new friends * and also see how those who live in the country celebrate.

* Cook the meal that’s important to you. If there really is no option but having turkey followed by Christmas pudding, just go with it. Sitting down as a family and eating familiar food will make you feel closer to home than ever.

* Invite your family over to stay with you. What better time to have guests over than Christmas. If you’ve moved to colder climates, the chance to see snow, or maybe go skiing may be a great draw. Everyone dreams of a white Christmas after all.

* Encourage friends and family to send pictures and letters from home, detailing their year. You may have seen this all on Facebook before but new pictures and gossip from back home can certainly put a smile on your face.

* Over the festive period, keep busy. Plan to go to the cinema, out for dinner, to the beach or invite the neighbours around. There will be nothing worse than a quiet time, when you’re missing those you left behind.

* Embrace the new. You’ve made a big move so enjoy it. There’s something exciting about the unknown so go with the flow. You may enjoy it more than you thought.

If you are considering a move abroad PSS International removals can help. We are a family run company and our desire is to ensure your family receives a friendly, professional and stress free overseas move. We have specialised in international removals for over 34 years, so whether you are planning on sending a full or part household removal, excess baggage or a vehicle we recognise the importance of ensuring our customers receive the same level of care and attention that we would expect ourselves.