My favorite carol has always been The Little Drummer Boy. To me it tells it all. I have no gift to bring, that's fit to give our King. We can only do our best for Jesus.
I have been talking with my family about their Christmas memories. Mostly interested in our parents childhood memories for now.
Did you believe in Santa. When did you learn who Santa really was
Is there a gift you treasured.
A special Christmas meal
Traditions then and now; Where did the tradition of "pidiendo Mis Christmas" come from
Was your Christmas Christ centered
Was your Christmas joyous
Funny stories:)
Do you remember a "bad" Christmas?
Needless to say every one of us has a lifetime of Christmas memories:)
Cyn shared what her mother Esther told her. They did believe in Santa and what the Posada signified. Which is the tale of Joseph and Mary seeking lodging so the Christ child could be born. Santa's gift were always store bought food. Either cookies not made at home, or oranges.
Auntie Alice lit up like a little kid when we talked. Christmas was made very special for everyone in my Grandpa's house. Grandma Deluvina decorated every window with some kind of garland and would also place a lit votive candle among the garland. She was careful to blow the candles out before bedtime. The best gift Auntie remembers is a "whole outfit." Hat, coat, dress, undies, socks and shoes. She got decked out and went to church. She believed in Santa until about 11 years of age. Aunt Ruth broke her bubble. They were shopping for boys and girls toys. When she asked Ruth(Rufina) why she was buying all these toys Ruth said, "Oh come on Alice. Do you really still believe in Santa?" Poor Auntie. She said, "I was so disappointed that I started to cry."
She remembers getting a huge tumbleweed and decorating it with pictures cut out from the Sears catalog. No special meal stands out in her memory because there was always an abundance of food. Probably just more on Christmas day. "Everybody would come to our house sometime on Christmas day. All the neighborhood kids would get together and play. I loved Christmas!"
The only bad Christmas days she remembers were 1949 & 1998. Both because of deaths.
The funniest Christmas is one we share. Auntie came to grandpa's house with her three kids, my cousins. LA wanted to go Pider Mis Christmas as soon as she hit the door. LA went on and on saying, "I don't want to go with anybody. You always make me wait for them. I'm old enought to go by myself!" Being the youngest member of the group at 4 or 5 years old, meant she had to wait for one of us to go. Knowing that LA was not giving up and we didn't want to go just yet, Auntie sent Louie to Uncle Abran and Auntie Lucy's house to tell them LA was coming. They lived about 50 yards behind Grandpa's house. LA must have been nagging all the way because when Auntie told her she could only go to Uncle Abran's the rest of us kids went on reluctant but red alert. We were very protective of each other. But, not to worry. LA got a paper bag and headed out the door. We all watched her through the kitchen window.
I don't remember what we said before yelling "Mis Christmas!" but LA was too small to remember any part of it. She stood outside and eventually started jumping up and down, waving the bag and yelling "Yahoo, woohoo, yahoo!" Oh my gosh. We all started laughing. Even Grandpa laughed out loud! He usually just chuckled. Auntie Lucy finally opened the door and said, "Que tienes miha?" LA innocently answered, "Vine a pider Mis Christmas." Too funny:) I'm sure they were inside laughing before opening the door.
Auntie sang what we would say before yelling "Mis Christmas!" At 86 years old she still has a great voice. But it became Christmas Trick or Treating as we grew older. I wonder if any community still practices this tradition.
My mother shared a story with my sister. Mom really wanted a certain doll but Grandma bought a coat. Mom overheard Grandpa ask Grandma what she had bought for Mom. Gram said she bought a coat. Grandpa gave her more money and told her to buy the doll, clothing was an obligation not a gift. I think that's also when she realized Santa was a parent.
Mom never let us decorate the tree. Every ornament and the tinsel had to be just right. She would wrap gifts with precise creases and ribbon done just right. I was not allowed to wrap. The only job for me was putting my finger on the ribbon where Mom was going to tie.
Too many stories to write about now. Will add more stories later.
Almost all of us have had someone in our life that like an engorged tick can suck the joy out of the season. Somehow we finally realize that the parasite must be severed from our life at all cost. Once we rid ourselves of that person we can find the joy in anything again.
That being said............
May your day be blessed with happiness, good friends, good food and creating memories and traditions.
Remember the REASON we celebrate the SEASON------Christ the Savior is born.
No comments:
Post a Comment