A Cuban woman living in Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha, shared a video on TikTok where she talked about the nostalgia she feels spending Christmas away from her family in Cuba.
"I am Cuban and live in Spain, in Albacete, Castilla La Mancha. I had never had the opportunity to celebrate Christmas like this, to see such beautiful lights, streets adorned, people celebrating, buying gifts, all the shops decorated...," the young woman shared in the video posted a few days earlier on her TikTok account @rosmerys027.
Although she appreciated being able to experience this, she acknowledged that she doesn't feel excited to celebrate it: "I'm not feeling motivated, I don't have the desire to celebrate (...) since my family is far away, I just can’t find a reason. It's just me and my husband here; I don’t feel any motivation, not even to decorate the house."
The Cuban explained that the holidays are particularly difficult for her: "During these days, I get melancholic; I feel down, I cry, to be honest. It's not that I don't like Christmas—I do like Christmas—but I would prefer to spend it with the whole family, like those here are doing now."
The video, recorded while walking through the illuminated streets of Albacete, sparked dozens of comments. Some users shared messages of support and empathy: “It’s normal to feel this way if your family is far away and you are also away from your homeland”; “We all go through this, it’s a difficult and very painful feeling when we are far from our family and friends.”
Others shared similar experiences, while some reminded him of the importance of valuing the opportunities available to him outside the island.
In response to the impact of her words, the Cuban woman published another video online where she clarified that it was not a complaint, but rather a shared feeling among emigrants. In her message titled "A Christmas Away from Home," she explained: "Yesterday afternoon, I posted a video about how I felt this Christmas being Cuban and having my family far away. Some people tell me that I should be grateful for where I am, and you have no idea how grateful I am for that."
Ross also detailed his routine and his husband's work schedule, which intensifies the feeling of loneliness: “Sometimes it's 4 in the morning when he gets home; he has been working there for two years. Thank God for that too, but still, I have been surprised by many people who feel the same way I do.”
The young woman pointed out that distance and family losses have affected her mood during this time: “I lost my dad, my grandfather while I was here, and my uncle two months ago. All these things hit you hard, even if many don’t understand it.”
His reflection concluded with a message of affection for those who can share time with family: “Those who have the opportunity to be with family, to be with your dad or your mom, take advantage of it, because there will come a time when they will not be there.”
The sentiment expressed by Ross aligns with that of other Cuban emigrants who have shared their experiences on social media. Another Cuban, Anita, known as @anita.cubanita06, recounted how she celebrated her first Christmas away from the island after moving to Costa Rica with her partner and son.
“My first Christmas outside of Cuba was more than I could have imagined (...) here I had the opportunity to be in a free country, where I can go out and buy the meat I want, the quantity I want, buy a cake. Today I feel free, I feel happy,” she said in a video that quickly went viral.
In that same message, Anita reflected on those who remain on the island: "I think of my people, of how many didn't even have a plate of food to eat, who spent their Christmas without electricity, without water, without motivation, and without hope... it’s sad." Her testimony also sparked empathy among Cubans living abroad and reignited the debate about conditions in Cuba during the holiday season.
Ross and Anita's messages present two distinct yet complementary perspectives on Cuban emigration: gratitude for a new life and melancholy for the distance. In both cases, Christmas becomes a reminder of uprooting, while simultaneously serving as an opportunity to cherish freedom and family.
Filed under:
