How Do Mormon Missionaries Celebrate Christmas Across the Globe?

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Jasmine Turner

Joined: Sep 2017

Spending Christmas far from family can be difficult, right? Well, Mormon missionaries actually end up spending one or two Christmases away from loved ones as they serve an 18-month or two-year mission. Sometimes these missionaries find themselves in a foreign country where Christmas isn’t really a major holiday because the majority of the people are not Christian. In other cases, they might be invited to celebrate with local members or investigators and experience the Christmas traditions unique to that area of the world.

Overall, there are definitely some common threads that characterize how these young men and women typically pass the holiday season. Here are a few ways you might celebrate Christmas if you were a Mormon missionary:

1. FOOD (from tamales to lebkuchen to liempo)

You might take over the cooking duties since Mom’s not around to do it (Massachusetts, USA)…

Courtesy Landon Luttmer

Or, if you’re lucky, the members could take you out to eat (West Virginia, USA)…

Courtesy Estes Family

Or you might have some awesome neighbors that bring you lots of food (Phillippines).

Courtesy Jackie Swensen

2. CHRISTMAS TREES…SORT OF

You might be lucky enough to have a beautiful tree in your apartment (Louisiana, USA)…

Courtesy Sevison Family

If you’re not as fortunate, you might have a tree made out of…

A lamp (Virginia, USA)

Or a white board (Mexico)…

Or paper (Peru)…

Or even 2-liter soda bottles??!! (Brazil)

3. SEEING THE LIGHTS

At a nearby temple like this (Phillippines)…

Courtesy Jackie Swensen
Courtesy Jackie Swensen

Or like this (Brazil)…

via Instagram

Or while proselyting in the city (Florida, USA).

lds missionaries florida
via Instagram

4. BEING A “LIGHT”

Participating in the #LIGHTTHEWORLD campaign (Utah, USA)…

light the world lds missionaries
via Instagram

By sharing musical talents (Mexico)…

LDS Missionaries playing violin in Mexico
via Instagram

Or serving the elderly (Germany)…

lds missionaries Germany
Courtesy Thompson Family

Or entertaining children (South Africa)…

LDS Missionaries Africa
Courtesy Crowell Family

Or helping someone put up their Christmas tree (Oklahoma, USA)…

lds missionaries oklahoma
Courtesy Palmer Family

Or donating food to the hungry (Mexico).

Missionaries Ilumina el mundo light the world Mexico
via Instagram

5. CELEBRATING WITH MEMBERS AND INVESTIGATORS

Learning about the Advent (Germany)…

Courtesy Thompson Family

Or being goofy (Dominican Republic)…

lds missionaries Christmas Dominican Republic
Courtesy Averett Family

Or opening presents (Mexico).

Missionaries Mexico LDS
Courtesy Priebe Family

6. PACKAGES FROM HOME

Speaking of presents, your family will probably send you a pretty cool Christmas care package (if it can survive the postal system from half a world away).

Loaded with treats and letters (Mexico)…

LDS Missionary Christmas
Courtesy Priebe Family

Cute Christmas jammies (Oklahoma)…

Courtesy Palmer Family

Or even fake snow??!!

Courtesy Jackie Swensen

7. YOU MIGHT EVEN SPEND CHRISTMAS ON CHRISTMAS ISLAND

Hanging out with the locals…

Courtesy Osborne Family

Or hugging a baby shark??!!

Courtesy Osborne Family

If seeing all these photos sent you on a trip down memory lane, be sure to comment with your favorite times celebrating Christmas as a missionary! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to send a quick email to your favorite current missionaries, letting them know how grateful you are for their sacrifice as they spend Christmas as servants of the Lord in a place far from home.