Gail Monique Mallo

No matter where expats are, they are always striving to go home for Christmas. Afterall, nothing beats being with family and friends during the holidays. Airfares are the most expensive during the time and the holiday rush is enough to drive anyone crazy yet home is still the best place to spend Christmas.

One of the worst times of the year to buy tickets for a flight is around Christmas. Ticket prices usually hike up to three times as much as its regular rate. This is because there is usually a mad rush for travelers around the world to get home in time for the festive season. While some expats have no problem shelling out that much for tickets just to go home, some ride out the Christmas rush and wait until the peak passes instead. This means traveling on Christmas or New Year's day itself.

Music makes the season even merrier no matter where you are from the world. It has the ability to spread the festive cheer and make anyone's mood instantly lighter. We looked into various songs from different nations around the world to check out the famous Christmas songs.

Some countries in the world do not celebrate Christmas such as those in the Middle East. Such countries are Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates and the rest of the Gulf States. Other non-Arab countries that do not celebrate Christmas are: Mongolia, China and Brunei. However, these countries are also most frequented by expats from all over the world. While some countries are stricter than others, a number of these are also receptive of Christmas celebrations.

Christmas is a season where expats feel the blues the most. The nostalgia of spending the season surrounded by family and friends, reliving traditions passed on from one generation to another, gift giving and the sumptuous food on the table are all enough for one to go mad when away from home. Unfortunately, sometimes expats have to stay in their host countries over the holidays. But who says this means you cannot offer presents to your loved ones?

In this feature we interview a first time expat, Mary Christianne who recently made a big move from Manila, Philippines to Pennsylvania, United States. In our Expat.com interview with her, she talks about how it is spending the holidays alone for the first time in her twenty plus years in life, her plans for the holidays and how she will cope with being away from home this Christmas.

Food has always been one of the most important and most common means of exchange between people. It is a never-ending trend as it borders between necessity and pleasure. Food represents comfort and a moment of happiness, as some even say that “love comes through the stomach”. Our fond memories of tastes and smell enable us to travel through time and space and to feel what we felt in one moment of bliss.

Lyon is France's oldest and second largest city, a leading silk producer in Europe and was also known for its printing presses and mercantilism. To this day, this French city is still a financial and business hub as recognized by Arthur Loyd Law Firm when it ranked it top most attractive city in France for the third year in a row. For expats searching for a place to settle, Lyon is an excellent option to work and reside.

Moving to a new place can be stressful. Juggling between a new job, the feelings of homesickness, a -sometimes difficult- integration to a new environment. Here are a few tips on how to take care of your mental health.

Do you want to be an expat? Are you still on the fence about moving to a new country and away from family? Moving abroad can be intimidating because it would mean uprooting the life you have at home and heading off to somewhere completely unknown. It can make anyone anxious but here's the good news: The feeling goes away and once you have settled down the pros outweigh the cons. Here are some reasons why you should take the leap.

Seasoned expats can adapt to any kind of change when it comes to environment and people but those who are new to this lifestyle can have a hard time coping with its difficulties. One of the most hardest parts of being an expat is the adapting part—New people and new environment in the absence of old friends and family.

Countries on the African continent have come a long way from being a slow growing economy to a rapidly growing one capable of joining the rest of the world's giants in the global economic arena. Today, it is a continent to watch for as investors continue to be drawn to African countries. What makes Africa so appealing? And what countries should we watch out for?