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Tag: Christmas

  • A Wonderful Traditional Christmas with Family and Friends!

    It’s the time of the year when we celebrate Christmas! A holiday that is filled with bright colors, feasts, a Christmas tree, lights, decorations, gifts and more. More importantly, a moment to cherish and spend time with family and friends. A holiday celebrated by many cultures and adapted to their traditional customs. Indeed, a special Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. 

    In previous years, we’ve been invited to my uncle and aunt’s house for Christmas Eve. There would be a huge gathering of families, most of whom are my uncle’s side of the family, including friends and colleagues. It was a great time that brought happiness and memorable moments. We danced, sang, prayed, dined, exchanged gifts and did all sorts of activities. 

    How Are We Celebrating Christmas? 

    We are celebrating Christmas at home this year. Recently, my mom’s baby Jesus arrived from Mexico from my grandmother’s home. In her early teens while in Mexico, she always dreamed of having one of her own because visiting nearby families all had a baby Jesus. Everyone in her community will walk out with their baby Jesus and head to a local church for it to be blessed, in which people will sing and pray together. Children, especially adults are welcomed to their nearby neighbors and families homes to visit their baby Jesus nativity scenes. At their visit, food is prepared for anyone to eat, especially candies are given to children who come by their doors. It’s indeed a marvelous day for both Mexico and religious traditions. 

    Throughout Christmas, we are going to spend it the same, and it will be our first experience. Well, our first experience at our home. We invited a few friends, and family members. My father, brothers and I own acoustic guitars and will be playing while we all are singing, praying, and my younger sister will be gentle rocking baby Jesus, and give him a loving kiss.

    Wishing you all a Precious Happy Holidays!

  • It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

    Although celebrating Thanksgiving with friends was fun, I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas with my family. Many families celebrate Christmas differently and again, because my family comes from Mexico, we tend to focus more on Christmas Eve. This is also due to religious reasons. My mom tends to decorate the house and makes it look like a Christmas workshop. It can be quite overwhelming but still very festive and beautiful. My favorite decoration is always the Christmas tree! She keeps it very traditional. It’s always green and has hints of red, gold, and white. She always makes sure to include any ornaments my brother and I have made.

    On Christmas Eve we tend to stay up past midnight. We start our night off by enacting the birth of Jesus. We carry a porcelain baby Jesus, pray, and lull it to “sleep” before finally placing it on a nativity scene. We then eat and pass around bags filled with holiday treats known to us as “aguinaldos navideños”,  to children and adults if there are any left over. The children usually light up party sparklers at the end of the night too. We usually stay up dancing and talking well into Christmas morning. The children usually make an attempt to stay up past midnight so that they have a chance to open their presents. My family and I have celebrated Christmas this way since I was a child, I wouldn’t change a thing about it but I would suggest adding a new tradition.

    New Traditions?

    I have always wanted my family and I to participate in a secret santa. I have always felt that there was pressure from each adult to get every single family member their own present. This can be costly and stressful during the holiday season. I think secret santa is a great way that everyone can end up with a present without the stress and over spending. After all, the holidays are about spending time with loved ones and creating valuable memories together.

  • Creating a Magical Christmas Experience

    The festive mood sets in with the approach of the Christmas season. This period is magical as it carries twinkling lights, festive decorations, and the feeling brought by shared moments that are altogether charming. It is not just the aesthetic aspect of Christmas that makes it beautiful, but also the feelings and customs of it.

    However, the ideal Christmas involves a mixture of old traditions and creativity, making each element exciting and beautiful (Storti, 2019). The main focus of this celebration is around the Christmas tree, which symbolizes the spirit of joy during the event. I will make the tree attractive by dressing it with silver and gold ornaments, bringing out the festive mood. These shimmering decorations would be balanced by hand-crafted pieces, giving personal charm and uniqueness. The tree would have elegant stars that shine at the top, with fairy lights wrapping around its branches, making it comfortable and inviting.

                                 However, the essence of Christmas is much broader than just the decorations. It is embedded in the joy of associating with people you love. (Kasser & Sheldon, 2002) It is a cozy gathering where all family members and close friends get together to tell jokes, laugh, and enjoy each other’s body heat. The winter air would have been fragrant with the aroma of gingerbread houses that were being built, the caroling sound, and the rustle of paper as perfectly picked gifts were being swapped around the warm crackling fireplace.

    A trip to a Local Christmas Market or Event is a fitting addition to this ideal celebration. These venues surely feel like Christmas, full of bustle stalls, glimmering lights, and the smell of mulled wine in the air. The sound of carols, laughter, and hand-crafted goods gives an impression of holiday cheer and community spirit, which is the essence of Christmas.

    Thus, Christmas is when one can appreciate it as a feast in all possible senses – the beauty of adornment and decorations or lighting, tradition and creativity or artistry, and above all, the beauty of being together with family members. It is a time of wonder; in every instant and tradition, each recalls the delight and glory of this holiday.