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Community Corner

Stamford Au Pairs Prepare for the Holidays

For au pairs spending the holidays working in Stamford, the holidays are a chance to experience a glimpse the American holidays they may recognize from the movies.

Last week, gathered local au pairs to decorate a tree for the Junior League of Greenwich’s Enchanted Forest holiday fundraiser, but this is only the start of a holiday season that promises to hold adventure and wonder for these young adults spending the year working and learning in the US.

“One of my au pairs was so excited because she’s going to be cooking the turkey with her host mother,” Darlene Brienza, local coordinator for Greenwich, said. “It’s an exciting time and they’re genuinely so happy to be part of it.” 

For many, celebrating Halloween with their host families was the first indication of just how over-the-top the holiday season can be in the States.

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“We know the holidays mostly from the movies, you think it must be really exaggerated on TV, but it really is kind of like that,” Daniel Prozmann, an au pair from Germany, said.

“I didn’t expect that much at Halloween, but it was a big deal. There were so many decorations at my house — decorations inside, decorations outside, decorations everywhere,” Rikard Kreuger, an au pair from Sweden, said.

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Aside from the drama of holiday decorations, the biggest change for many au pairs will be opening presents on Christmas morning when Christmas Eve is typically the larger celebration back home. Thanksgiving of course is a new experience, but one full of familiar images of American holidays.

“We learned about it, we saw pictures of the turkey and the crowded table,” Janina Sicher, an au pair from Germany, said. “I’m looking forward to celebrating with the family.”

“We’re expecting the huge dinner, the turkey,” Prozmann said.

“Cranberry sauce,” Kreuger added.

Rachel Friedman and another host family decided to throw a combined early Thanksgiving to celebrate with their two au pairs, and a third au pair from another family, before they go off to visit relatives for Thanksgiving Day and their au pair goes to see the Macys Parade with friends.

“The three girls love to cook, but this time we were like, “We owe you a meal!”” Friedman said.

Veronica Aristizábal, the Friedmans' au pair from Colombia, has been with the family since June. The Friedmans celebrate Hanukkah, but will be doing what they can to give their au pair some familiar Christmas experiences this year.

“It’s always hard to be away from your family this time of year, we’re doing what we can to make it special, we consider Veronica part of our family,” Friedman said. “It's important for our kids to experience a different language, a different culture — but we get to share our culture too, it’s a different twist. It's just a smorgasbord of events and holidays this time of year.”

While everyone has their own Christmas films that jump out as symbolic of the season, some of the first American films that come to the au pairs’ minds are “Home Alone” and “Jingle All the Way.”

“I think of “Home Alone,” the big Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center,” Kreuger said.

And underneath all of the outrageous decorations, visions of sugarplums, and scenes of Schwarzenegger at the mall —  there’s that element of simplicity.

“I’m looking forward to spending time with the family, with an American family, and experiencing all of it,” Prozmann said.

“Hopefully it will snow,” Sicher added.

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