Christmas can be overwhelming, even if it's been a lifelong tradition. For newcomers it can be confusing, at times isolating and even a bit ridiculous.
"Decorating a tree together? If you're from a country that's never done that ... we don't put things on trees! And you definitely don't chop it down and drag it into your house," laughs Izad Etemadi, who moved to Canada when he was five.
That's why Green Light Arts is collecting stories of first Christmases from people who did not experience Christmas until later in life and what it was like to be away from home during the holiday season in Canada.
"It was tough and we don't really talk about how it can be at Christmas as a newcomer," Etemadi told host Craig Norris, on The Morning Edition Tuesday morning.
"I was one of maybe three or four immigrant families at the time at my school, so it was very obvious that we were not like the kids that grew up there."
Leila returns
Among those sharing their stories will be Leila — a bearded Persian woman from Tehran, Iran who recently came to Canada — a character created by Etemadi.
He has written multiple plays with Leila as the sole character and for this holiday season, she's coming back to Kitchener.
The audience can join in on Leila's first Christmas in Canada, who recently got a job as a customer service representative at a call centre during holiday season, as she throws a Christmas party to impress her new boss.
"A Very Leila Christmas" will be at the Registry Theatre from Tuesday evening to Saturday at 8 p.m.
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