I have obviously been slacking on keeping my blog up to date. I lament this fact for myself actually, because I really like to be able to look back and see all that has happened in the past year. It is amazing how much things change in a short time and how easy it is to forget things that were so significant in the moment.
Anyway, here is my official Christmas 2008 entry.
First of all, it has been a huge change to be in summer for Christmas. Seeing Santa Claus and snowmen figures while people walk around in shorts and sun is just odd. Everyone is happy that the beaches are now open and everyone is freezing in feet of now in the USA. I felt a little jealous, but I'm sure it would only be fun to be in the cold for a few days and then I'd be happy to be back.
As you can see from the photos, they do decorate here and it adds to the holiday atmosphere. The main plaza is filled with lights and music. The thing I do enjoy is the lack of intense commericalism. There is not an intensity to buy, buy, buy. There is shopping of course, but it doesn't seem excessive or the main issue. It's refreshing.
Richard had only the a half-day Christmas eve and Christmas day off. It's the year end close and there is a lot of pressure. So it's not the most calm time of the year for him, hence for us. They don't obviously celebrate Thanksgiving so turkey is the main course for Christmas. Everyone buys their turkey and here is the main deal.....it's summer. So who wants to cook in a hot kitchen for 5 hours when it is 85....solution.....they take their turkeys to the bakery to cook them in the large brick ovens. Genius I think.
Christmas Eve or Noche Buena is celebrated more like New Year's Eve. They wait until midnight and open gifts and celebrate with fireworks. His brother Alex came over with his daughter Alessandra in the evening for a formal dinner of turkey roll, new potatoes, fresh green beans and watermelon! Yes we had watermelon for dessert....it's summer remember.
We went to church at St. Jerome's on the plaza near our house. Alessandra had never gone before. We arrived just as it was starting, but we still found a seat for the two of us up front. She was excellent and really well behaved until the end when she was antsy. Children have such and innate sense of God. We hope to take her again. We bought a large children's Bible book and have been reading that when she comes over. Anyway, that concluded that and we went back to our house to open her last present....dance twister. She loves to dance and has fantastic rhythm so it was perfect.
About 11:30 her Dad took her up to her Mom's house before midnight and we celebrated at midnight together. We went up on the roof to watch fireworks going off all around us and then went to open presents. We opened one of the present from my parents first and it happened to be my original baby album that was reconditioned. It was a great gift. So we spent time looking through the photos and all the notes my mother had lovingly written throughout. Richard got to see an entirely new side of me. Anyway, we opened our gifts one by one and went to bed about 2am.
We slept in and had a leisurely day. We made our way to his grandparents house, as is the tradition, for the family gathering. Turkey of course and potato salad etc. Then the tradition is that the younger children sing to the nativity in the corner of the house. Most homes have large nativity sets full of animals etc in the house. They have specific songs they have learned over the years for Christmas. Then each of the families plays santa and one by one gives gifts to each of the children. The adults have an exchange and you have to guess who the person is. I got a yellow bear that works as a radio...it's in the spare bedroom, come visit!
So that was our day. We went home sometime later that night and so ended Christmas 08. He had to work the next day, but it was a nice holiday. We were both without our parents. Richard's parents had been in Lima with his brother's family for the past 5 months. So we both had our first Christmas without our entire family, but is was good. Thank goodness for skype. It allows me to stay in touch with my family and the video helps make it more personal.
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