First Christmas away from home

As Christmas lights glow across Brandon streets and snow blankets neighbourhoods, the holiday season is taking on a deeper meaning for many newcomers experiencing their first Christmas in Canada.

For families and individuals who arrived in the city within the past year, the holidays are not only a time of celebration, but also a moment of reflection — on journeys made, challenges faced and new traditions slowly taking shape in a new home.

For Chioma Ochieze, who arrived in Brandon from Nigeria on July 13 with her family, this Christmas will be spent much like those she remembers from home: quietly, intentionally and centred on family.

“We’ll just be at home,” Ochieze told the Sun. “Even back home, we don’t usually go out on Christmas Day. It’s always family time.”

Christmas Day for the Ochieze family will include movies, board games and cooking together — an activity she says has become a bonding experience since arriving in Canada. This year’s menu will be shaped largely by her children, who have been learning new recipes at school and are eager to bring those ideas home.

“They actually make the menu,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll be there to help, but things like apple pie — that’s coming from them.”

While the family’s Christmas routine has stayed familiar, Ochieze said what has struck her most is how differently the season is observed in Canada. In Brandon, she noticed decorations going up weeks earlier than what she was used to in Nigeria.

“As early as the first or second week of November, people were already decorating their houses,” she said. “Back home, it’s usually closer to Christmas — maybe a week before — when people really start preparing.”

The winter weather has also been an eye-opening experience.

“Back home, we sing ‘I’m dreaming of a white Christmas,’ but now we’re actually seeing it,” she said. “It’s really cold. I’ve heard it can go down to minus 45, but people survive here — so we will survive too.”

For Ochieze, the holiday season also comes amid the broader challenge of settling into a new life. A medical doctor in Nigeria, she is now preparing to write the exams needed to practice in Canada while her family continues to adjust.

“It hasn’t been easy,” she said. “But the people of Brandon have been very kind, especially Westman Immigrant Services. One day at a time, we’re getting there.”

For newcomers from Afghanistan, Christmas in Brandon represents both a cultural experience and an opportunity to celebrate community in a new way.

Ramin Abirzadah arrived in Brandon in February 2025 after fleeing Afghanistan following the collapse of the government. A journalist back home, he said the chance to celebrate Christmas in Canada feels meaningful, even though the holiday is not widely celebrated in his country.

“Christmas is famous all over the world,” Abirzadah said. “It brings happiness, luck and joy among people and in society.”

This will be his first Christmas in Canada, and he plans to spend it visiting friends and families in the community, bringing sweets and candy for children and enjoying the festive atmosphere.

“It’s a first experience for us,” he said. “It’s very enjoyable. We feel happy celebrating among other people and cultures.”

What has stood out to Abirzadah most is the opportunity to share cultures openly.

“We see people wearing clothes from their own countries, celebrating together,” he said. “We are proud of all cultures.”

Waheead Ahmadi, also from Afghanistan, arrived in Brandon around the same time with Abirzadah and is currently in Grade 11 at Prairie Hope High School. He said holidays in Canada are very different from those he grew up with.

“In Afghanistan, we have holidays like Independence Day and religious holidays,” Ahmadi said. “Here, Christmas is a very big holiday.”

For his first holiday season in Canada, Ahmadi plans to visit friends, attend small gatherings and enjoy food from different cultures — something he said has been one of the highlights of settling into life in Brandon.

“I enjoy meeting people from different countries,” he said. “Different foods, different clothes — I like learning about other cultures.”

For newcomers from Uganda, Christmas also carries the weight of firsts and family connections.

Leah Angwa arrived in Brandon in June and is experiencing her first Canadian winter. She said adapting to the cold has been difficult, but she is learning how to manage and stay positive.

“This is the first winter,” she said. “I am trying to adapt and survive the conditions.”

For Christmas, Angwa plans to gather with relatives who live nearby and host a small celebration at home, preparing favourite dishes and focusing on togetherness. “It will be about enjoying family,” she said.

Trust Kakule, another newcomer from Uganda who also arrived in June, expects his holiday to be simple and low-key. He plans to attend invitations from friends, possibly visit the church and spend time connecting with people in his new community.

“Maybe I’ll visit some friends,” Kakule said.

For many newcomers, this holiday season is not just about celebrating Christmas, Kakule said, but “about building a sense of belonging in a new place — one shared meal, one invitation and one new tradition at a time.”

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

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