Diplomacy, Duty, and the Holidays Far from Home
For many Americans, holidays mean familiar rituals—family gatherings, well-worn traditions, and the comfort of home. For those who serve across the Foreign Service, the holiday season has often looked very different. Christmas doesn’t pause for diplomacy, conflict, or crisis. Instead, it unfolds in embassies, war zones, and unfamiliar cultures—often revealing the deeply human side of American service abroad.
In some cases, Christmas became an unexpected diplomatic tool. David Harden, a USAID officer working for George Mitchell and then John Kerry in the Middle East, recalled hosting Christmas parties that brought together Israelis and Palestinians—guests who rarely shared the same room, let alone the same table. Under a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, with Israeli wine, Palestinian beer, and children’s carols playing in the background, conversations flowed more easily. The setting was neutral, welcoming, and deliberately human—proof that sometimes diplomacy begins not with a briefing paper, but with hospitality. (Read more at David Harden’s oral history here.)
Elsewhere, holiday celebrations carried political weight. In Havana, where Christmas had long been discouraged, the U.S. mission transformed its building into a brilliant holiday display visible across the city. Thousands of lights, a towering Santa, a menorah, and oversized decorations drew crowds who whispered to their children that this was what Christmas had once looked like. Hidden in plain sight was a powerful symbol highlighting imprisoned dissidents—one that infuriated the Cuban government but captured international attention. The decorations stayed up, and the message was clear. (Read more at James Cason’s oral history here.)
For others, Christmas was marked not by parties but by duty. In Afghanistan, Scott Kilner, a Foreign Service officer serving in Bagram, spent Christmas Day flying by helicopter from base to base with the commanding general, visiting troops stationed in remote and dangerous locations. From Christmas decorations taped inside command centers to barbecue grills set up along the border with Pakistan, the day was both moving and unforgettable—a reminder of the sacrifices made by those serving far from home. (Read more here.)
In post-war Sarajevo, Christmas was quieter and more somber. One officer attended midnight mass on Christmas Eve in a modest cathedral, listening as a bishop preached tolerance, reconciliation, and coexistence in a city still bearing the scars of conflict.. For Razvigor Bazala, who was serving there, the holiday underscored both the loneliness of being far from family and the gravity of the work at hand. (Read more, including a fun story about dressing up as Santa, here.)
The holidays also highlighted the cultural and religious diversity of the Foreign Service community itself. In Guatemala, Phyllis Hechtman, the spouse of a foreign service officer, explained Hanukkah to her child’s classmates so he wouldn’t feel isolated in a Christmas-centered environment—turning the moment into a lesson about religious freedom and shared history. (More here.) In Sarajevo, Judith Cefkin, the DCM, hosted both an annual Hanukkah celebration and a Santa Claus party for embassy children, with Muslim local staff enthusiastically embracing the traditions. (More here.) These moments—small but powerful—captured the spirit of mutual respect that defines so much of American diplomacy.
And sometimes, Christmas memories were simply human: wandering through a shuttered London on Christmas Day; discovering the joy of British Christmas pantomime; or finding comfort in shared laughter with colleagues and local friends when home felt impossibly far away.
Taken together, these stories remind us that Christmas at State is rarely conventional—but it is deeply meaningful. Whether marked by lights, latkes, battlefield visits, or improvised celebrations, the holidays have often brought out the best of what diplomacy represents: service, resilience, cultural understanding, and humanity—even in the hardest places.
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