Christmas and New Year in Oman

Winter Wonderland in one of the biggest malls in Muscat

It was for the second time we spent Christmas in Oman. Of course, the locals do not celebrate Christmas and no free days are given during Christmas but yet, the big supermarkets have Christmas trees up and there are whole departments that sell Christmas stuff.

Another Winter Wonderland in another mall in Muscat

We also bought a small artificial Christmas tree and put it up rather early (in Estonia we bring the Christmas tree only at Christmas Eve or a day before). I had a good reason for it - it had to remind me that Christmas were coming. For me Christmas always associate with winter, cold and snow (although we also do not have snow every Christmas in Estonia and sometimes we also have plus degrees). Here, having around 27C on daytime, with sunshine and blue sky it was difficult to get a right Christmas mood.

Homemade gingerbread cookies

My cousin who was visiting us over Christmas brought us blood sausages and it was probably the most traditional Christmas food on our Christmas dinner. Otherwise, we spent rather different Christmas Eve than we had had it in Estonia: in the morning we found lots of small envelopes under the Christmas tree with our names on them (and in the envelopes there were hints about where the presents were hidden by the dwarfs), after some schoolwork with Märt we spent time in the pool, then had early dinner and the evening was spent by visiting a museum and a souq.

Us at Christmas Eve in our garden

 New Year is not celebrated by the locals either (because Islamic New Year in 2014 started in October). Thought, the international hotels and communities organize New Year's Eve dinners and parties (it is same about Christmas). Andres had been ill and so we decided to have a quiet evening at home by watching TV, eating and drinking.

Our pet did not want to miss the fun either and looked at us from the ceiling during whole dinner.

During New Year's Eve, we also visited an amusement park in a mall nearby.

Kids enjoying some amusement park fun

Before midnight we went outdoors, hoping to see or hear some fireworks but there was none. As I could read later there was not any fireworks nowhere in Muscat.

Lemon mint was also in our menu at New Year's Eve