Christmas!




It’s been five years since I celebrated Christmas in The Philippines with the entire family. And I miss it. Sorely. 

My childhood memories of this season included a tree with all the trimmings and the requisite gifts underneath, writing letters to Santa, hanging stockings on the shelf, giving out bundles of joy to the community, carolling in the neighborhood, going to all the family reunions, beach outings, and eating till my stomach was too full I couldn’t breathe. My lola (grandmother) was the best cook in the world and for noche buena, she made biko, a sweet sticky rice dessert that I crave to this day. You know how certain smells could evoke certain memories about specific people or periods in your life? The smell of anise, which my lola added to her biko recipe, never fails to remind me of her and cold December mornings. 

Christmas also meant that for nine mornings before Christmas day, my sister and I were waken up at 4:00 to attend the dawn masses. It didn’t matter if we were up to it or not, we put on our best dresses and marched to church. Prior to my leaving the Catholic church (and even a few years after), I practiced this religiously because I knew it made my lola happy. And I loved seeing her that way. When she died, Christmases were never the same. They were still fun and memorable but her absence was keenly felt.

As the years passed and childhood fancies have been replaced with jobs, bills, and kids, the season has become less about tinsel and carols and more about spending time together. Because no matter how busy our lives have become, we always had Christmas. But when I moved to New York, even that was no longer a constant. That realization filled me with such longing that last night I acted on a whim and bought round trip tickets to my hometown.

So, yes, after five years, I’ll be home again for Christmas!


Christmas tree, oh, Christmas tree!



Comments

  1. Is that a photo of the Rockefeller Center?

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    Replies
    1. Yes! This whole display looks better in person. 😉

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