With Christmas just around the corner, (after Halloween, Thanksgiving, the rest of English 305, and about a million other things) I thought we would talk about the holidays.
1. What is your favorite holiday memory?
--or--
2. What is your earliest holiday memory?
By the way, this week's reading and writing will help prepare you for our lovely face to face meeting on Saturday.
My family is not big on Holidays, but I find a great deal of comfort in traditions. I started spending Christmas with my best friends family. Every year they would travel somewhere different and invite me along. I am really lucky to have so many great memories of christmas in different locations. My favorite was two years ago in Paris. It was romantic. Not in the sense of love, but it was a fairytale christmas. They are swiss, so we celebrate Christmas a little differently. On Christmas eve, we go to a christmas tree market and buy a real tree. Then spend the rest of the day decorating the tree and wrapping all of our presents. The tree fills the house with a fresh pine smell. We decorate the tree with real candles instead of lights that clip on to the tree. It doesn't catch fire because of the fresh oil on the tree. However, that year, we had a paper angle on top of the tree and it caught on fire. The funny part is that my friend was on the phone with her grandmother and she didn't want to scare her grandma so she was silently signaling to everyone to do something! She was freaking out, but had a calm soothing tone while talking to grandma. Fortunately we didn't burn the house down and the tree was fine (not the angle). That thing went down in smoke. I think I enjoy christmas eve, more than I enjoy Christmas. The next day we opened presents and ate fresh pastries from a bakery and spent the rest of the day relaxing. We usually dress up fancy and have a sit-down christmas dinner, but this year we went out in the city and went to the circus. The atmosphere of France is ideal for a warm holiday buzz. The streets are busy and the city is lit up. Most importantly, it is cold, unlike California so you don’t have to fool yourself into thinking its winter.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience of Christmas in France. I would love to one day forget the madness of the holidays, and just use all my gift money to take a trip to Europe. I hear it its very expensive and that you better take some good walking shoes but the experience is one I would not pass up. Well hopefully you will be able to travel more and gain knowledge of different cultures.
DeleteWow, yes you are lucky and blessed to have a second family where you can enjoy special holidays with. I bet France was amazing.
Deletewow, Christmas in Europe, that sounds wonderful. Also, I have never heard of Christmas tree with actual fire. I'm glad you got to experience a holiday outside of the US.
DeleteThat sounds really stressful. I prefer to spend the holidays and other long breaks from school finishing projects and working.
DeleteI've never been to Paris but it would seem as if spending Christmas there would be quite interesting.
DeleteSince I remember my family has never been accustomed in celebrating holidays. My family only does small things for my younger siblings, like getting them presents and so on. I have a little brother and sister who love to open presents and expect them on holidays like Christmas and celebrating their birthdays. But most of the time my dad and stepmother leave out of town with her family. So I don’t really tend to do anything. I guess you can say I have no holiday spirit. Which was never really the case when my mother and father were together. I remember when I was younger we would travel around to visit family. There was no holiday we would stay home. And if we did stay at home we would invite family near us to come and eat dinner. I remember there was one Thanksgiving Day when I was about 13 years of age, My mother, my old sister, grandma, and me, were making a large feast for about 20 other people. We were making tamales and beausoleil. Which is two of the main dishes that Mexican families do. Well any ways I remember how much happier we were, laughing and enjoying ourselves without the whole chaos that would hit us three years later. I think I just miss the whole family being together and having dinner together. I would say that in that Thanksgiving Day I was one of the happiest person in the world, which I don’t think I will ever forget.
ReplyDeleteI love it tamales during the holidays, what kinds of tamales did you and your family make? I am glad that you get to have that memory of when you were younger to keep with you forever.
DeleteNataly,
DeleteI’m so sorry that you don’t get to celebrate holidays as you did in the past. It sounds you still have the holiday spirit, or you wouldn’t remember the good memories and happiness. You can still enjoy those big celebrations when you make your own family in the future. Your home can be the new place everyone will gather at.
I'm the same. I have no holiday spirit. My family used to get together and have a big dinner, at least that's what I have seen from pictures. Now we don't and I prefer it that way.
DeleteMy favorite holiday memory would have to be Christmas in 2011. The reason this Christmas was so special is because my closest family members were all together this year. In 2003 my dad had a divorce and Josie my mother at the time got custody of my step-brother and sister. They share holidays and it happened to be my dad's turn to have the kids this year. In 2010 my dad found another woman and has married her and she also happened to have a son and daughter. Then there was my best friend who was at the time sane. We were all in my dad's home in Bakersfield during Christmas opening presents, talking, and enjoying the big meal that my mom made for the family. My mom for Christmas-eve got the whole family some pajamas which we were all wearing. They were very comfortable and warm. I believe I had brought over my PS3 and so everyone was playing games on it and I think the one that the whole family was playing was Bomber-man. I don't know how many people remember this game but it's very fun if you're competing with your other family members. What made this Christmas so special is that this was the last time the whole family was together like that because the next year Josie started making up excuses why my sister couldn't come over and since then my dad has taken her to court. We found out that Josie has brain washed my sister in believing that my dad cares more for his other kids more than her. Now, in order for my dad to see my sister he has to do so with a court attendee present. Then there's my friend who was diagnose with schizophrenia and is paranoid in taking his medication so he's wacked out.
ReplyDeleteI’m so sorry to hear about your best friend. The same thing happened to my cousin. No one saw it coming. Christmas is my favorite Holiday as well. It seems to be the Holiday that manages to pull everyone together.
DeleteI'm sorry you had to go through all those things but it's good that you remembered the good over the bad. Shows that you are a strong and admirable person. Also, bomber man is my favorite game! I have it for my Super Nintendo at home and I play it more times then I would like to admit.
DeleteYes, I can appreciate the good over the bad but I will sometimes think about how he was and feel sadden that he won't ever be like that again. I appreciate your sentiments and your cheer puts me in a good mood.
DeleteMy favorite holiday memory would have to be my first Thanksgiving. My first Thanksgiving was at the age of 12 when I came to the United States. Where I am from, we do not have this holiday, we only celebrate Christmas eve, Christmas, New year's eve and New year's day but not Thanksgiving. My first Thanksgiving was November 1996 and it was wonderful. I started noticing people talking about this holiday about 3 weeks before and I had no idea what they were talking about. Thanksgiving? What is this event that people talk about, I would ask myself. Then, as the date would approach, I had a better understanding of what this holiday contained. It is day to give thanks for what one has and to spend it with your loved ones. It is a day to carve a turkey and enjoy with different other dishes. I certainly loved the idea of eating turkey in November among other Hispanic dishes. This is an American holiday; however, my family and I are Hispanic and that meant that we would enjoy this American holiday and bring a little of our culture as well. This meant that my mom would cook Hispanic dishes among having the joy of eating them with turkey and pie (the pies are certainly American). Well, in our first Thanksgiving as a Hispanic family in a different country, we prayed and gave thanks for the food and for the fact that the Lord had kept us alive and healthy. From that day forward, I knew Thanksgiving would be my favorite holiday of the year.
ReplyDeleteI love Thanksgiving! I'm not too fond on the history of it, but I do like the idea of people coming together, families and friends, to fellowship with one another and just be thankful. Oh yeah, turkey for days!
DeleteThanksgiving Day is also one of my favorite holidays. I'm glad that your first Thanksgiving Day was one of your favorites.
DeleteI love thanksgiving too. If I can just sit around and eat all that great food, life would be well. I love the drama that it brings as well. The love and support of working together to prepare such a wonderful meal.
DeleteI have to admit that even though I have a more memorable event happen in Christmas, Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday just because of the good feelings going around and the awesome food.
DeleteTurkeys, pies, and Hispanic dishes are what I experience every year on Thanksgiving as well. Being Hispanic, Mexican food always has to be incorporated into even the most American of holidays haha.
DeleteLike most people, holidays are about being surrounded by loved ones. My greatest holiday memories are those that consist of holiday gatherings and everyone in a cheerful spirit. However, my favorite part about the holiday season is the weather. Being from central California, I never really get a true winter. Since it's 90 degrees outside in the middle of October, I would say that the memory of winter is what I reminisce on the most. I love having my windows open, fresh air circulating around the house, and wearing socks around the house to keep my toes from falling off. I love everything about winter. I am glad that I got to travel and experience a "white Christmas". When I am finally working, I would hope to relocate to a place with four seasons, and short summers (temperature wise). Oh, and red cups from Starbucks are always dope. Once those come out, then you know for sure the weather is about to be a lot cooler. Well, at least for me anyway.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love everything about winter as well Beau! I definitely agree about being surrounded by loved ones during the holidays. I do not know if you were living in Bakersfield awhile back when it actually did snow, but it was amazing though it has only happened once in my life time.
DeleteMy fellow winter lover! I love wearing socks and I have an extensive collection dedicated to winter time. I always wanted to move out of California for that reason but I don't know if I could live without my animal fries.
DeleteI agree with you about the four seasons thing. I want to move somewhere where the weather actually changes. I've always wanted to have a "white Christmas". Hopefully one year I'll get the chance to travel somewhere where it snows during Christmas.
DeleteHey Jacky, I remember when it snowed a long time ago! That was so fun. I remember my dad waking me up to go play outside. To be young and have it snow would be awesome.
DeleteFebizza, ah, I love socks too! Can't go wrong with a great sock collection.
Denise, you should plan a vacation one year to experience snow during Christmas. It's amazing. It is like the icing on the cake to a perfect holiday season. Let's just hope it doesn't become a blizzard.
I completely agree with you about being surrouned by family during the holidays.
DeleteHello Beau-Isaiah,
DeleteI loved your post. I have lived in Bakersfield my whole life and I can honestly say that I have never seen snow fall from the sky. Isn't that crazy? And I do love the Starbucks red cups. It makes it feel like Christmas is around the corner. I hope you have a great night!
I think it’s funny you know Christmas is right around the corner by noticing the red Starbucks cups. If you want a true “white” Christmas you should head North East. “White” Christmas is no joke in NY!
ReplyDeleteOctober comes along and pumpkins start to pop up, the leaves start to fall, and the weather becomes a little cooler. November rolls by and the leaves become crisp, boots and beanies are taken out, and comfort food is an essential. December welcomes the spirit of love, warmth, and happiness. Its the small things about the holidays that bring me the most joy. Its memories like pretending I was Cruela De Ville watching smoke come out of my mouth holding my fake smoke pipe when I was younger, which I later found out was condensation. The snowstorm of January 1999 which was a miracle in my six year old eyes.The frost that builds up on my grass, roof, and car which amaze me but annoy me at the same time. These beautiful memories and wearing cozy socks, drinking hot cocoa, and wrapping myself like a Chipotle burrito in my blankets are some of my most favorite parts about the holidays and life in general.
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait for the weather to get colder! I love the cold air and wearing my bulky jackets and cozy scarfs. I am from Lake Isabella, and although we haven't gotten any huge amounts of snow this year, my favorite part about winter in high school was that when it snowed, we would get to go home! Sometimes we wouldn't even have classes which made for a day of sow ball fights and hot chocolate (until it all melted of course). I also remember riding our bikes in the front yard while it was snowing. It doesn't sound like much, but when my sister and I were younger we thought it was the coolest thing!
DeleteI never did think about the temperature change, I just remember it being really cold, but seeing this post makes me excited. Your post makes me remember the hot chocolate, warm fires, big blankets for cuddling with loved ones, and the candy canes.
DeleteI love the cold weather something about it is just great. I love to wear hats and scarfs and jackets. even when its hot I still like to wear them. that sounds like a great memory to have.
DeleteHello Febizza,
DeleteI think that is so cute of you dressing up that a costume like that. She was pretty cool. I also love wrapping myself in a blanket and watching movies in the winter. Best feeling in the world. Have a great night!
My favorite holiday is of course Christmas. The holiday spirit that goes around during the last three months of the year is the best. My family celebrates Christmas on the 24th of December instead of on the 25th. My favorite Christmas holiday so far was last years Christmas. Last year's Christmas was one of the best because all of my family from Mexico came to spend Christmas here with us. They usually come every 2-3 years but they always come in the summer. This was one of the rare times that they actually came during the holiday season. My whole entire family threw a huge party for Christmas. We had so much food at the party that it would have been enough to feed the whole block. We had everything from turkey, tamales, chicken, cake, candy, cookies, and numerous side dishes. My family also rented a DJ so we could dance and play family games. I have a lot of cousins in their twenties so our family parties are always really fun. Every Christmas is really fun but this one was special because our whole entire family was there including all my family members from Mexico. Last years Christmas was also my favorite because it was my first time meeting my Dads side of the family and getting to spend the actual day of Christmas with them. So it was like having two Christmas's parties last year. One on the 24th with my mom's family and one on the 25th with my father's family which I had never met until then.
ReplyDeleteEvery year, I anxiously wait for Christmas to come back again. I always have a routine when it comes to the holidays. We put the Christmas tree and house lights up the weekend after thanksgiving and take them down the weekend after Christmas. We always have dinner at my house and I cannot imagine it happening anywhere else. I never want to travel during Christmas because I am the biggest homebody when it comes to the holidays. I believe it is because my family is what makes my winter breaks meaningful. Without them, it would be an excruciatingly boring and quiet Christmas. My favorite holiday memory was the last Christmas I celebrated with both my grandparents alive. My mom cooked dishes such as roast beef, turkey, and shrimp stuffed potatoes. She cooked so much, that we had left overs that lasted for a long time. One of my favorite parts was when we sat around the tree and passed around each other’s presents. The smiles I would see amongst my family members brought me so much joy, especially when they were not even expecting gifts at all. The other favorite would be after the food and the gifts when we all watched movies and ate dessert together. Having my grandparents around meant the world to me and there is not a day that I do not think of them. Even though they are not around for any more holiday dinners, the memory of our last Christmas together will always stay with me.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that you had a lot of fun with all your family members.
Deleteits great that you seem so close to your family. family is very important when it comes to the holidays.
DeleteI'm glad that you like to stay home for the holidays, it shows how much seriously you take the holidays in order to be with your family.
DeleteMy favorite holiday memory occurred just this past Christmas. My husband came home from his duty station five days before Christmas and I was so excited to finally have him back for a few weeks. My dad and I went down to LAX and picked Isaac up around 11:00 A.M. It was the most amazing feeling ever to see, hug and kiss my husband after 7 months. Once we made it back to Bakersfield, Isaac and I drove to McFarland to surprise his mom at work. (Might I add that no one in his family knew that he was coming home so it was heart-warming and very emotional to watch them all greet him!) She works in the grape fields so it was a little tricky find out where she actually was but once we found her it was like something out of a movie. Right when she saw Isaac she ran right to him and hugged him tight. I’m getting teary-eyed just reminiscing about this special moment! She was so happy to finally have her little boy back. After surprising his mom we went to his family’s house to see his little sisters. When we pulled up to their house the girls must have seen him in the car because they both ran out of the house crying tears of joy. A few hours later we went to his brother’s work place and gave him a visit as well. Although this memory was not exactly on Christmas, it is still a day that I will always remember and be grateful for. Having my husband home and being able to spend the holiday with our families together meant every thing to the both of us. This Christmas I will be flying to New York to see him and will be making even more holiday memories!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great memory that has a lot of feeling, very great post.
DeleteWhat a beautiful and amazingly touching post. I could really feel all of the emotions going around.
DeleteGreat moments. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
DeleteThis is so nice and touching to read. I began to get teary eyed as well. I know how it feels to see someone after so long and to just be overwhelmed by joy. Family is awesome.
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ReplyDeleteMy favorite holiday memory would have to be Christmas time. It is probably a very normal memory for many people, but the act of decorating the Christmas tree and baking all the goodies for neighbors and Santa, was one of the best memories and one of the most exciting events I always looked forward to with my parents. When I was 16 I had gotten job, which interfered with many holiday events. I always worked the holidays, even Christmas, and I was always given the worst times to work. For example, Halloween was the holiday I worked at night, Thanksgiving I worked around the hours of 2-7pm so I always missed my family lunch/dinner, at least they saved me a plate for when I got home, and Christmas I always worked in the morning around 6am or 9am. Right now, with a job that has very rollercoaster hours, I have a hard time just relaxing and enjoying the holidays.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 9 I remember it snowed in Bakersfield. That was one of the most exciting days on my life. I always saw the frost on the grass or roofs, but not piles of snow. I remember my older brother and sister came over and we had a snowball fight and tried to sled, but it wasn’t very successful. I would like to have a family soon so that I can make memories with my little ones, just like I had with my loved ones. It seems like it will still be quite a ways away before this dream comes true. Though the years have been flying by faster and faster, so it might not be that far off. It’s a lot like the holidays now, they just creep up on you.
I enjoyed reading your post it seems like you and family do have a lot of fun together. I also do remember the year it snowed, but I was only 5 years old.
DeleteIt’s the season to be jolly, the season to be a child. Where the feelings of innocence is present, and all imaginations’ run wild. There is a thin line between magic and truth, and keeping the faith. This is for all the ages from ninety-nine down to the remembrance of eight. I remember growing up way too young, but still understanding the meaning of being a child. As hard as it was for my family to overcome poverty, it never took away from the magical moments of the holidays. Imagination was present, and creativity was embraced, the ideas that came to a child’s mind was impressive; however, the lack of funds and food left the mind wanting, and the stomach yearning for the dream of something wonderful to eat. Although this introduction may seem tragic or sad, believe you me, it was a magical child hood for me. I remember everything that was given to me as a gift; I remember the joy and embrace of the love behind each gift. I was left – not wanting. Christmas is my favorite holiday because it takes me back to being a kid, and the feeling of innocence. Now having experienced adulthood, I cherish my childhood even more. As a child growing up, I had everything a child needed to be a child. The faith of Santa Claus, the imagination to believe that magical moments can happen, the naïve notion of wishing for something grandiose and receiving something even better. I wasn’t a privileged child, but I had all the wealth my mother bestowed upon me and I owe all that to her. Christmas is not the gifts we receive and give, it’s the ability to be a kid as long as possible and see the world for what it really is – anything you dream it can be. I love Christmas! Stay young as long as you can, and you will live longer than you think you could.
ReplyDeleteI read your blog twice and every word you said is true. Great blog entry..
DeleteI have a lot of good memories to share with you all, but my favorite memory would have to be Christmas-eve. Christmas is my favorite holiday because all my family members gets together to celebrate Christmas. Although this past Christmas I was in Mexico working as a teacher assistant, and it seems that this Christmas I will be doing the same, the good thing is that all my family is going to Mexico with me. Every Christmas my mom makes a lot of food since we are a big family. During this day I get to invite my friends to come over and spend the night with us. I am fortunate to have friends from different cultural backgrounds. They like coming to my house during Christmas because they know there will be a lot of food and things to do. This coming Christmas mostly all my friends are going to Mexico too. Michel and Justin are two of my friends who will be going with me since this is going to be their first time going to Mexico. Christmas for me is where I get to see all my family and friends together and it makes me feel proud of every single one of them because during the year we work hard and we do not see each other as much due to our jobs and other responsibilities. I am fortunate to have this family and friends and I am thankful because they always support me and they are there whenever I need them. When opening presents, every person has to thank someone. We celebrate Christmas like you have no idea we do it big, and just so you know we always go to sleep like at 6:00am on this day.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve has always been fun for me. I realized that when you're married it's one family one day and the other side the next. So, my dad's family all used to celebrate on Christmas Eve, and my mom's side got together for Christmas. That's good that you get to spend time in Mexico with your family this year. Nothing sucks more than spending a holiday alone, I remember when I was alone for a few holidays. It sucked. ha
DeleteThe best Christmas I had probably would be when I was nine years old. All my family members from all over the United States were all together and for the first time it felt like home. Christmas now isn't the same as before, a lot of family problems and fights have happened since then. That year all my wishes came true and it was the best Christmas I have ever had. It all started that morning when I woke up at my father's house to a brand new TV which I have been wanting for months. But the better part was with the brand new TV, I also got the brand new XBOX when it first came out. I was the happiest kid in the world receiving the two things I really wanted. After opening gifts with my father and stepmother, we all went to my grandmothers house where all the family met. It was similar to a family reunion since there were so many family members there. We barbequed and smoked ham for lunch and played tons of basketball and rode 4-wheelers. After, I finally spent time with my mother and had gifts exchange with all my family there. I also received a lot of gifts that I wanted there and received a lot of money. I was the happiest kid in the world that year and made the best of it.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that your family has been separated by unresolved issues. No one can deny, family can be difficult at times, but for the most part, we hope when needed or when it’s important, they will be there to help us out.
DeleteEven though Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, I really enjoyed the Christmas of 2013. Our family usually has a consistent formula for handling holidays: everyone brings a homemade dish, we enjoy each other’s company, open gifts, play games, the whole nine yards; but last December we decided to try something a bit different. We all still brought various foods, and as always we have waaayy too much food, but we thought it’d be fun to have a tamale making party. After putting three fold out tables together end to end, we finally had enough space to fit everyone and give them some work space. Once we were seated, we grabbed our tools, or ingredients, and went to work. It was a blast! I had never made my own tamales before, and though I was not a professional by any means, I think they turned out to be the tastiest I had ever tried! Again, my family went overboard, and we ended up putting together over a hundred tamales…which is quite a bit of food, but in this case it was an awesome mistake! Last Christmas was also the first of the holidays where I got to really celebrate with the adults in my family, as I had just turned 21 not two months before the holiday, so that made the occasion extra enjoyable! Not that I wouldn't have enjoyed it if I had to sip on sparkling cider all night, but that extra factor certainly made for an enjoyable evening!
ReplyDeleteThat's interesting not a lot of people do like Thanksgiving. The food is always good during the holidays.
DeleteThe best part about holidays are the memories captured among family members and close friends. Whether it's an annoying cousin, who cannot stop talking about herself, or an aunt you adore listening to, family memories hold a special place in the minds of many. As for me, my favorite holiday memory may be a little rated "R" for some to read, but I figure we are all adults here.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I had the pleasure of spending thanksgiving with my mother and her five sisters. It had been a long time since they had all been able to get together, so I took many picture and had to record them a few times. As I was recording my sister began to nag my mother about why she had not picked up her cell phone. My mother was is the middle of devouring a piece of pumpkin pie when she said, "Oh I'm sorry mija, I had my phone on vibrator." It must have taken me a few seconds to process her words but then I began to laugh a say out loud, "She had her phone of virbrator." My youngest aunt, who loves to tease and can make anything sound dirty, also added many comments. As I sat on the table recording the six sisters, I was able to go around and capture them all laughing and adding their comments. My mother continued to tell them, "You guys are all nasty, I didn’t mean that." A year later we lost one of my aunts to cancer but her daughters absolutely loved watching the clip and seeing their mother in good spirits. Memories, good or bad, make holidays worthwhile.
Thanks for the laugh, that was an epic one. I'm sorry about your lost but thanks to camera inventors you can see your aunt anytime you want for the rest of your life, something many don't have.
DeleteThanks for sharing your holiday memory. very funny and good to realize that people need to cherish their family members.
DeleteI also enjoy looking back at memories and seeing all the memories of all my family. I enjoyed reading your post. It makes me laugh.
DeleteMy ultimate favorite holiday, has to be Christmas of course. Christmas has become a beautiful family tradition for my parents, my four elder sisters, their kids, my favorite and I. Christmas has always been a tradition for our entire family to get together and enjoy the birth of our Lord Jesus. As a little kid, the idea of Christmas only fascinated me for the fact that for an entire day, I would be able to play with all my cousins and that after a certain hour I would get to open all the gifts Santa (my parents) left for me under the beautiful Christmas tree. Now those days have changed; the roles of life have shifted. Although I don’t have children of my own, I do have nine wonderful nieces and nephews, along with a handsome Godson that I like to see as my own. Every year around the same time, I get the pleasure to accompany all four of my lovely sisters to the store to pick out the best chubby and tall looking tree we can find at All America. After finding the perfect one, we begin to search for the decorations based on that year’s color we decided. For instance last year, we were blessed with the arrival of my first Godson Jayden, who was born four months prior to Christmas. As the third boy in the family, we decide to all wear traditional Christmas colors, red, green, and gold; as well did our Christmas tree. As our lives are changing, this year my sisters and I have decided to try something new and different at the same time. We have decided to all wear a blue outfits, and for the children to do the same. My favorite holiday memory comes once every year and around the same time, that is when I get to be only with those who I really love and matter, my family. My favorite memories aren’t so much from when I was younger, the ones that matter are those that I’m creating now, because now they’re my choice.
ReplyDeleteHello I noticed that you do own tradition. Also, Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I love putting up the Christmas tree.
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ReplyDeleteLast year’s Christmas has to be my favorite holiday memory. Since having the ability to remember, I don’t remember my entire family gathering to celebrate Christmas Eve or Christmas day. Last year it took place at my parents’ house. Everyone showed up on both days. My family sees Christmas as a time to enjoy each other’s company. We cherish each other’s company because we don’t see each other often. All my family is scattered around the United States or Mexico. So we planned that everyone would make time for the family for at least for both days. During both days we had many activities planned. On Christmas Eve all the cooking was done. My family made the typical Mexican holiday food which was tamales. Making tamales can be time consuming and when you need to make enough tamales to feed 45 family members it can take a long time so we had everyone help. We also made buñuelos and champurado for desert. Furthermore, during the day on Christmas Eve we gathered by the fireplace and we reminisced about family events from the past. We also played the traditional Mexican board game called La Loteria. Now on Christmas day we opened our gifts. I actually disliked this part of Christmas because it took about 4 hours for everyone to open all their gifts. We gather in a big circle so everyone could see each other open their gifts. It took a long time to open gifts because everyone took their turn to open all their gifts. Overall, last year’s Christmas is still my favorite holiday memory.
ReplyDeleteHello Raul,
DeleteYou have a big family. It sounds like the traditional Mexican Christmas. It wouldn’t be Christmas without the tamales. My wife’s family always makes tamales during the Christmas season. It’s hard not to put on a few extra pounds during the holidays right?
Enough tamales for 45 people. Oh my!!! That had to be great experience, bonding, cooking, and reminiscing. That is so nice that you had every home for Christmas Eve and Christmas.
DeleteHi Christmas time it seems like you had a lot of fun. That's nice how you gather around the fireplaces.
DeleteOne of my most memorable holiday memories occurred a few years ago. As a child, I was prohibited from celebrating most holidays because of religion. I would always wonder how it would feel to have everyone celebrate your day of birth, and how cool it would be to get presents. I would secretly envy my cousins that would get presents from any worldly celebrations, as my parents would call them. As an adult I have changed my religious values and beliefs, so now I get to experience holidays through my children. I could only imagine what it would feel like to see the tree full of presents from Santa Christmas morning, and truly believe in Santa.
ReplyDeleteSo now, with the help of my children I can get close to what I would have felt as a child during the holidays. I decorated the house last Halloween while my five year old son was in school. There were tombstones in the garden. There were pumpkins under the bushes, and near the doorway. The windows were adorned with bright orange lights that included some Charlie Brown characters. Inside there were cobwebs, spiders, and skeletons. There was also strung up bats that would flicker their eyes. I had a twenty-inch di-cast Ghostbuster car over the fireplace. The place was screaming Halloween. The most memorable of this experience was when my son and I pulled into the driveway. He immediately spotted the pumpkins, then the tombstones. Then he walked in the house. He went to every decoration with his eyes wide open. I felt his excitement as if it were mine. This is one of my favorite holiday memories, and I’m sure there are more to come.
Aww.. I think its cool that you wanted your child to experience holidays. How awesome that must have been to see his eyes light up in amazement when seeing those decorations.
DeleteI absolutely love the holidays. Christmas of 2012 was probably the best Christmas ever for me. It is the only Christmas I can remember that all of my siblings, nieces, and nephews were all in one city for this holiday. My brothers moved to Baltimore, MD a few years prior and told us that they would not make it home for Christmas. I have two brothers and one sister. My family refers to my two brothers as "the boy;" so imagine the sadness I felt when I called them up to say "It will not be a real Christmas without our boys home." Christmas Eve rolled around and they were back in California. Surprisingly, they had packed up their wives and kids and hopped on a plane because they knew it was the right thing to do. I got to see all of their kids and my brothers were home.
ReplyDeleteI cared nothing about the gifts I received. I cannot even remember any of the gifts that received. None of them mattered. The most important gift to me was having all of my siblings home for Chistmas. Their effort is what made 2012 the most memorable Christmas for me.
I really find the holidays to be very annoying. The earliest holiday memory that I have is from Christmas last year. I can’t remember much of anything from my past, and I am okay with that since I don’t care for any of this nostalgia stuff. But I do remember some of what happened from Christmas last year. Last year for Christmas, my family went to my aunt’s house for a get together. I saw aunts, uncles and cousins that I have not seen or talked to for almost that entire year. I am not a social person, and fortunately I had my handheld console to pass the time and not have to talk to anyone. What I remember from that Christmas was how one of my uncles thought that it would be a good idea to collect everyone’s cell phone in order to get everyone to talk to each other and get along how we used to before cell phones were still something not everyone had. He got this idea from a television commercial that was aired during the holiday season that year. Nobody noticed that I was off to the far side of the room playing my video games. And by the time they noticed me and my parents were about to leave to go to my brother’s fiancé’s house to spend some time with them. Once we got there we had our gift exchange. This is the part that I hate because if I get a gift, I feel like I have to get them something and I don’t understand the idea behind giving someone a gift because you want to give them one rather than having to give them one. Once I am on my own I will be able to spend the holidays just like I want to, and that would be alone.
ReplyDeleteI think your comments about holidays are very warranted. For the most part I never have too many holidays that leave me with memories that I want to keep. I think that part of the reason for this is all the buildup before the holiday is even here. Christmas is the worst one because it seems that we all are preparing for that day months in advance. Then the day comes and sometimes we are not too impressed about the whole situation. I've had a few good ones but others that were alright.
DeleteIt's not the buildup before Christmas and then it's not fun once it's Christmas day that bothers me. It's mainly the fact that the rest of my family wants to create this fake holiday bonding stuff that bothers me, and I don't like being part of that. I rather spend the holidays at home and do nothing.
DeleteOne of mine favorite holidays is Christmas I think it most lovely time of the year. I love seeing all the light and the decorations in the people’s yards. They make me get into the Christmas spirit. Also, I love seeing the Hallmark channel with all the Christmas stories. Another family tradition of mine is we always make cookies and other treats that we make. I remember being a young girl standing on a chair helping my grandma make sugar cookies. I can still remember the smell of the orange infused smell of the sugar cookies. They had a sweet smell of the fresh orange zest filled the house. After the cookies we all baked, we have an array of decorations that we put on them. For example, we had red, green, white, black and any other colors that we thought we needed. Besides the icing, we decorated with sprinkles and other Christmas cookies decorations. Besides cookies, decorations, and Christmas movies, my fondest memory was Christmas morning in 2000. This Christmas morning, I woke up extra early ran into the living room, and saw a huge three feet Barbie doll house. I screamed and cried hysterical because I got what I wanted. I played with this for hours. I still have this doll house and my little nieces play with it when they come. The Christmas season evokes several memories of all my past loved ones. I also love having a huge feast with my family members and laughing and sharing memories of the year. Christmas is my favorite and most memorable holiday.
ReplyDeleteChristy, I agree with you that Christmas is one of the top holidays. The sounds and light that are all around during this time really make the holiday. One of my favorite things about Christmas is all the different kinds of food. Its sounds to me that you can agree with me on this one. Its always nice to get everyone together and share a big meal. All these things are what the holidays are all about.
DeleteSome of the best memories can always be traced back to the holidays. Christmas, being a favorite of many, is full of love of family and friends. Joy surrounds this holiday with delicious food and gifts and the warm feeling in the cold air. Some Christmases may not be as great as others, but for the times that Christmas was the highlight of year, it wasn’t easily forgotten. There was one year when everyone and everything seemed to have come together for that one day out of many. It was 2008, and my grandparent’s house is where my family and I gathered to celebrate the wondrous occasion. Part of my family doesn’t live in California, but they were able to make it on this special day where everyone was there and everyone was happy. We all squeezed in the little house we all grew up to know and love. We spent hours talking and laughing, reminiscing about the times we had growing up with each other, while my aunts worked hard preparing dinner for our family. Tamales and buñuelos were the dishes made every year, and it’s something we all looked forward to when Christmas came around. A bon fire in the backyard is a sure thing on this day where we gather round and have small but significant conversations with one another regarding our past present and future. The front yard is full of children running around playing games, so there is always something going on in and out of the house. That Christmas couldn’t have gone better.
ReplyDeleteHello Hector, In my family there were only one or two Christmases that we wanted to remember. Maybe I'm exaggerating just a little but there are always a few holidays that are more memorable than others. We too had tamales that my mother made and other traditional Mexican holiday foods. It sounds like you have a nice family and your memory of that day is something I can relate with.
DeleteMy family was never too big on the holidays when I was growing up. There always seemed to be some way in which my dad would partially ruin the day with some sort of complaint or another. A few years back there was an exception to this custom during the Christmas week. I come from a large family that consists of three boys and two girls and we are all older now and live in different places. One of my brothers lived in Boston at the time and I lived in Northern California. Both of us were in school and worked at the same time so getting all my brothers and sisters together in one place during Christmas was difficult. This year we all made the extra effort to make it back down to Southern Californian to where our parents lived for a few days round Christmas. Now that we are all grown up Christmas meant something totally different then when we were little kids. We all didn't care about what we got for Christmas but we only cared that we were all together after many years of being apart. We all made sure that we were well supplied with booze and many different things to eat just incase our dad through a temper tantrum again. We all got to sit around the fire and watch all the Christmas classics that we all grew up with. For the most part we were laughing and enjoying each others company. On Christmas eve we had a huge dinner with all the trimmings. Christmas day came and we all just laid around and watched my sister's little girls open presents. That year our Christmas was the best one that we could all remember and I will never forget that year.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about a family member souring a holiday, it seems to happen for my family at one or two holidays a year. Also know how it goes with people living so far apart. You want to get together and do familial things, but life and other circumstances just makes it too hard at times. I'm glad you had a great experience. Hope the booze didn't go to waste! Or the food.
DeleteNo, I assure you that neither the food or the booze was wasted that year. I was just happy to see every one all in one place
DeleteMy favorite holiday has always been Christmas! I think of more than receiving gifts and presents when I think of Christmas. Although this special holiday is in a season full of giving people and kind hearts, it is also a holiday where people become family orientated. During Christmas day, my family gets together and we have a great dinner. The food is always the best and it is quickly eaten up by all of my family as we all mingle and convers with one another. I love Christmas dinner because everyone in my family seems to be in a good mood. Well, everyone except for my Dad, but he isn’t much of a holiday person. Everything about Christmas gives me a warm feeling. I even love getting ready for Christmas and gathering up all of the Christmas lights to put on the house. My brother and I used to decorate our house so neatly with lights that a few other people in the neighborhood paid us to decorate their front yards with Christmas lights. I have so many different memories about Christmas and they are all pleasant. The reason I favored Christmas over all of the other holidays is because Christmas is a holiday that is celebrated in more than one positive ways. There is a religious point of view, which people of the Christian religion celebrate the twenty fifth of December as the day of Jesus’s Birth. Also, people celebrate Christmas with good old folk tales of Santa Claus and Jack Frost. This holiday is awesome and Christmas is clearly the best holiday.
ReplyDeleteThat is really cool about you and your brother stringing up lights together, not only at your own house, but at other people's houses too. I bet this time of the year really brought you two closer together. It's nice to have something like that you can share with a sibling, because everyone knows how difficult it can be to get along with and partake in similar activities as a sibling sometimes.
DeleteIt is hard for me to pick a specific memory from a holiday, because every holiday I move from place to place, celebrating it with different factions of my family. Last Christmas was a pretty memorable one though. On Christmas eve, I celebrate with my dad's side of the family at my grandma's house. I use to celebrate with my mom on Christmas eve but she had just moved in with her new boyfriend and he celebrates Christmas on Christmas day. At my grandma's house, my dad's mom, the food is really good, and almost everyone brings some kind of dessert. I usually fill up on desserts before dinner even starts. When opening presents it is basically an ode to my baby cousin, since he is the only little kid in the family. I bought him a book last year and he went around the whole house reading, but not really reading because he was two years old at the time, it to everyone. It was really cute. The memorable part of this particular Christmas was my aunt's boyfriend proposed to her as we were taking our family photos. It was a surprise to everyone and my grandma could not stop crying.
ReplyDeleteThats neat that you switch places each holiday, but I'm sure it can get exasperating. I have to agree on filling up on sweets before dinner. Relatives always make brittle at our events so I'm usually doomed. Your baby cousin sounds adorable!!
DeleteIt does get tiring only because I have to work on time constraints everywhere I go because sometimes they overlap with each other. But I kind of like having four Christmases every year.; way more food, way more presents, and way more family time.
DeleteIn all honesty my favorite holiday memory is in the summer around the Fourth of July. I have great memories of Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter of course, but my best memories are always in the summer. I used to go road tripping with my sister, aunt, and uncle every summer so each Fourth of July we’d be on the road or in Odd, Minnesota. My uncle had lit some fireworks to shoot off over the lake and we happened to be near some docked fishing boats. The owner of one of the boats decided we were too close to his baby and came out on the dock to yell at my uncle. Wasn’t a good idea considering my sister and I, being 10 and 15, were trapped at the end of the dock thinking these two men were going to break out into a fight. Doesn’t seem like a good memory I know, but its one of them that I can laugh about now. Each time I think of summer or July fourth I always end up reminiscing about the time spent in my aunt and uncle’s backyard. Laying out on a recliner next to the pool soaking up the sun, a huge glass of iced tea sitting next to me, the Kona smell of Hawaiian Tropics suntan lotion, a number of books that I was always reading, and the sound of my family in the pool or tanning with me. There are times that these memories make me want to cry because as I get older I can see everyone aging and I know in the back of my mind there will be a point where half the people I used to spend time with will be gone and I’ll be sun tanning alone or with new people.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of bitter sweet, but it is great to have memories like that look back on. I think the best memories are the ones that make us laugh. Your uncle sounds great, and your description of sun tanning in the backyard makes me jealous I am not outside relaxing right now. Try not worry about what will happen in the future, but focus on making more memories with them while you can.
Delete4th of July is such a great time of the year! I love fireworks so much they are just so beautiful! It is also such a great time to spend with family!
DeleteMy favorite holiday would have to be thanksgiving. It's like the prelude to the big Christmas get together and dinner. Every year I countdown till thanksgiving, just thinking of that one day of completely pigging out without regret. The amount of food I consume on that one day is probably more than I do in two days themselves. I eat as much as I can, its rather distasteful how much I eat on that day but I do not care at all. I almost like to test the limit. It's challenge at that point. Food is lovely and relaxing with my family while eating is my euphoria. The turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, the pie, and biscuits are heaven in my mouth. Along with that, my first memory was Christmas. I remember waking up and not believing my eyes. The amount of Barbies, Barbie accessories, and pink toys were unbelievable. That morning I received every spice girl in Barbie form. It was a dream come true. I was mesmerized. I still believed in Santa at the time so I know it must of been fun for my parents to watch.
ReplyDeleteI really love Thanksgiving too! It is just a great time to spend with family!
DeleteMy favorite memory of Christmas is the year my brother, cousin and I all flew out to Utah. We all woke up early on Christmas morning and opened up our gifts. We all then went to my grandma’s house to eat breakfast and right after we were on a trip to LAX. I have never seen an airport so empty as it was on Christmas day. We got through security and o our gate really quickly and soon enough the three of us were on a plane on our way to Salt Lake City. When we got there was a huge snow storm and it was negative five degrees outside! This is the worst time to lock yourself out of your truck but my uncle happened to do it right at this time. My brother, cousin, aunt, uncle, and I all had to wait under a heater for security to come and get our keys out. We finally got back to the house and it was so beautiful seeing the snow come down and watching it cover everything in a white blanket. I got to see all my cousins and my grandparents, and that was truly my favorite part, just being able to spend time with all of my family. I do not get to go to Utah often so when I do get to go I take advantage of it and cherish all the time I get to spend with all of my family.
ReplyDeleteHoliday that I enjoy the most has to be Christmas. Whenever I think of Christmas, I think of new beginnings, family time, and just time to hang out. One of the memories that I love the most about Christmas time has to be when my family exchanges gifts. Every Christmas since I could remember, my mother and my father gave us pajamas. What was so cool about it was that when it was the night before Christmas we would all go in to my mother and my father room and we would get our different kinds of pajamas. I always enjoy that moment because I never knew what kind of pajamas were going to get. Another memory that I love the most about Christmas time has to be on Christmas morning when we all spend time together in front of the fire. When my whole family sits in front of the fire, my mother will get out the Bible. When she gets out the Bible we all look at her easily and waiting for what she's going to read. What she normally reads every Christmas is the nativity story of how Jesus Christ was born. That is one of my favorite stories in the whole Bible because it talks about my Lord and Savior's birth. Christmas time is it time to really connect with your family and love one another. I do love that normally Christmas time is really cold in winter three. I love sitting by the fire and snuggling up in blankets and just drinking hot chocolate. It is so rewarding.
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