The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree:
the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
I remember mum and dad and me, the oldest one, decorating the Christmas tree together, late on Christmas Eve. And to all the Christmas balls and other decorations, we added oranges and big chocolates and even fireworks, which we only lit when either mum or dad were around ( well, thats what we were supposed to do) And IT was magic! I was tired but I wanted to be part of the process nevertheless, even if by morning, in Christmas day, the tree wasn't a surprise for me but only for my younger siblings. There were always small presents for all of us, and the happiness in the house, I cannot forget. We were a happy family and even after dad died, mum always made Christmas special for us. I helped to that myself, saving small amounts and buy mum and each of my brothers something small, but the delight was big!
Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree.
In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.
Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won't find it under a tree.
Christmas is about God presence in our hearts. Its the time to remember what we should not forget all year round anyway. Its the time to give back some of what we have. Mum would get small packs of food and give it to homeless people who came begging at church. This good deed was always part of the Christmas day. I remember how good mum was, God bless her, she still is. This year I invited a girl who I only met once, over at our house for lunch in Christmas day, cause she s fallen out with her family and this is all I needed to know about her. She thanked me and she told me this was the best present she got. I did what I felt its right to do and for sure what I have seen my mum doing when I was young. I have witnessed goodness in my parents house and I want my son to see that too.
Mankind is a great, an immense family.
This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.
When we spent Christmas at my grandparents, the Christmas Eve day went by helping grandma with the food preparation (much by tasting the goodies) and waiting for the evening to come, so we could go singing Christmas carols to neighbors and eventually half the village. We were given walnuts, apples and home made pretzels, and if lucky, some small change. By the time we returned to grandma home, exhausted and freezing, wet from snowball fighting on the way, we each had more than one full bag of fruits and pretzels. The money we got, we counted and shared equally between us. It wasn't much, maybe for a movie at the local one screen cinema hall. But how happy we were! We were delighted for every penny and any small sweets we managed to buy with it.
pig sausages
stuffed peppers
stuffed cabbage leaves
the Boeuf salad (salata de Boeuf)
the beef tripe soup (ciorba de burta)
pretzels we got for singing (colaci)
Christmas cake (cozonaci)
gingerbread cookies (turta dulce)
Christmas is also celebrated through food. Mum cooked so many dishes and we could not wait to try all of them. Money were tight but Christmas meals were always a feast. We continue to celebrate Christmas this way today, children back home do go singing carols at Christmas Eve and we all gather around the table happily, after attending the Christmas mass in church on Christmas day. Its all about family and remembering that God's son was born this day to bring us to salvation through prayer and forgiveness.
Christ was born in the first century, yet he belongs to all centuries.
He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races.
He was born in Bethlehem, yet He belongs to all countries.
– George W. Truett
My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others.
Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?
― Bob Hope
I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
– Charles Dickens
me missing the Christmas home
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