Ideas for expats heading home this Christmas Colourful lights, shops full and children singing carols - Christmas is around the corner. Even though the trends are changing, it’s still a must for the vast majority of families to gather all together around the Christmas table, share some home-made food and receive –hopefully- some nice gifts. As an expat, you might be also heading home for a visit and wondering what you could give to your relatives. Here a tip: take advantage of your expat situation and bring some local specialties. If you need ideas, check our suggestions! 1. Unusual products What did it shock you when you arrived? When we are living abroad, we always tend to see things, we have never seen before. Think about those things as maybe you find an interesting gift for a family member. 2. Traditional sweets Cakes, chocolate, cookies... no matter where you live, there must be some local sweets to share with your family and friends back home. Avoid buying anything too heavy - you don't want to pay extra kilos for your luggage - and remember everybody likes sweets. 3. Typical clothes Clothes are always tricky to bring as a present (personal tastes, sizes…), but when you are an expat, clothes aren’t a bad choice. On one hand, you can give things your relatives cannot find in your home country. On the other hand, some traditional clothes can be "a souvenir" for your friends and family (the dirndl if you are living in southern Germany, clogs if you are based in the Netherlands…). And now that the gifts are sorted out, it's time to enjoy the moment. Merry Christmas!