It’s the most wonderful time of the year and the busiest season of all? I don’t get it. Like, what’s with the Holiday traffic and extended mall hours? We’re piled up at work with Christmas related projects but the moment I sign off, the “Christmas buzz” is gone. What I love the most about this season, on the other hand, is that we get to make time and reunite with some of our longtime friends. My excitement for Christmas would be over after Christmas parties (need I mention the drinking part?) with friends and colleagues and thought it was the same for everybody.
To my surprise, it wasn’t. What was I thinking? That it’s 2017. It comes with age and Christmas is for kids.
We all had that childhood Christmas memory and now that we’re 20 somethings, we’ve found different ways to celebrate on our own. Been celebrating with friends for years now and it started when I realized there was too much food for people in our house. Cooking’s not something I do on a daily basis but every Christmas, my sisters would always want me to. I don’t get this one either – preparing plenty of food we can’t finish.
This is why I’d call up some friends to join us.
When I was young, all of my mother’s siblings would be here in our house including those who migrated abroad. We all had to be on our newly bought clothes and play different parlor games. The backyard used to be big enough for me and my cousins to run around, and the master’s bedroom too for all of us to sleepover. Everyone received presents we’d be excited to unwrap on Christmas day. Presents then turned to currency as years went by… and then eventually to nothing at all. Even they couldn’t be present during the holidays anymore.
This year, my sisters and I wanted to spend it differently. Our house was empty on Christmas eve so I left to find noche buena elsewhere. Later that night, we were all surprised to find out that none from my group of friends prepared as well and we had to do last minute grocery shopping so we could have our own. Everyone helped in preparing the food and it wasn’t that easy, we wished we could’ve planned it better. This was something new to us because we see each other almost everyday but never did anything like it. Nonetheless, I’ve had a better understanding of Christmas from then on. It may be different from most, but it was lovely being there for each other.
How did you celebrate Christmas this year?
