Throwback Thursday: Christmas Rituals

The first thing I did today was play Christmas songs (around midnight. Of course, I started it with "Christmas in Our Hearts". Miggy woke me up though because there was no electricity. There was a breeze outside, so it wasn't warm. It's probably due to supertyphoon Hinnamnor. I pray it doesn't bring any damage. 

Well, today is the start of the Christmas season. I have friends who have busted out their Christmas decors. I have to hold off decorating since we still have some work to do in our house. While listening to the Christmas songs I couldn't help but remember the rituals our family used to do when all our elders were still around. 

Here's what we normally do during Christmas:

1. Decorate the house - Mom usually started decorating after All Saints Day. She'd bring out all the decors from the boxes. Some were from estate sales in the US and others were projects we made through the years. As far as I remember we always had a huge Christmas tree and it would fill up with gifts towards Christmas.

2. Simbang Gabi - my parents always attended Simbang Gabi. They always had to drag me out of bed to attend when I was a child. Eventually though I learned to love it because of choir service. Of course, eating puto bumbong after mass is imminent.

3. Midnight Christmas Mass - we always attended the midnight mass as a family. It's been years since we've done this. 

4. Noche Buena - we usually ate dinner on the 24th, but always had a huge appetite after hearing mass. We'd eat Noche Buena after hearing mass and then go to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. 

5. Christmas Family Reunion - the 25th was always the day set for our family reunions. Aside from seeing my cousins and Titos and Titas, I looked forward to all the yummy food they would bring. Each family had a specialty and I regret not learning how they cooked it. It's also on Christmas day when my Mom would reveal her specially made homemade ham. This was prepared with much care and science (I always wondered what those huge injections were for). 

6. Gift giving - on Christmas day our tree would be overflowing with gifts. After eating lunch, Tito Tony would distribute the gifts by calling your name and throwing the gift at you. This meant you have to be good at playing catch and you have to be quick at letting him know if the gift is fragile, haha.

7. Leftovers - long before Sharon's song became popular for taking home leftovers, we always had leftovers. Mom and the Titas would always busy themselves to wrap the leftovers to distribute across the families. 

Well, as my cousins grew up and started to marry, the reunions got harder to organize. We also started to lose our elders, so our huge reunions have been downsized to eating out. We haven't done any since early 2020, so we'll play it by ear this year. Eventually though we had our own family reunions when the kids (the "apos") were growing up. It got harder to do when they went off to college and now some of them have gotten married too. Maybe eventually they'll be the ones organizing the reunions. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

All I Want for Christmas

I was looking forward to being with family this year for Christmas. It breaks my heart that we won't be able to go home this year. It's going to be too risky for me and our time will be eaten up being quarantined in a hotel going home and coming back. The hotel stay plus the medical tests will also be expensive. My Mom also told me she doesn't any one of us to travel for now. 

My prayer for this Christmas is for all families to be in their own homes, safe and complete. I hope by then everyone who went through pain in the last few months would be settled and happy again. I've been watching the news and the outpouring of help back home. I hope the bayanihan happening at home will soon bring everyone back to their homes. 

All I want for Christmas is that and good health for me and my family. I'm doing some tests next week. I hope the tests will prove to my doctors that I can get off one of my maintenance medications. My physiotherapist warned me if it's removed I need to be aware how it may affect my body. So we'll be taking it slow for the next few weeks. 

A lot of my friends told me that they're not in the mood for Christmas. I felt like that last year. I didn't even decorate for Christmas last year even though I was on break. I thought I'd make up for it this year. I brought out my decors last October and started my Christmas project early. I hope my friends would like what I made for them since it's made with love. 

As usual I'm delayed with my project and the box going home is going to be picked up by Monday already. Accccck! I'm torn between sending it now or sending a smaller box next week. I'll decide tomorrow. Many years ago I was so good planning for Christmas. I have everything prepared really early. I've become sluggish the last few years since I've been getting sick in-between. Oh well, will do my best for now. 

Anyhoo, it's 34 days before Christmas. Do you have anything planned? 

#CB//227 #StuckAtHomeDay/257 #StayHome #BeKind 

Thinking About My Christmas Project

I just woke up from a nap. We've been busy tidying up since after lunch and I also took care of scanning some stuff. It took longer than I expected and I tired myself out from puttering around the house. I haven't started planning for my Christmas project which is what I set to do this afternoon.

I try to plan for Christmas early. When I have enough time I try to send out homemade Christmas cards and quilted gifts. I haven't been consistent in my plans since making things by hand takes time (not just time, but forever!). For this year we probably won't be able to come home for Christmas. I'm still hoping we can have Miggy and Mom over for Christmas. I can't imagine celebrating Christmas without Miggy and my Mom.

For the Christmas cards I'll probably head over to Art Friend to get some supplies so I can start the project soon. What takes time when I prepare the cards is writing out the addresses! I had an address stamp made early last year, but we moved! Haha. I should order a new one soon. I'm still thinking what kind of cards I'll be sending out.

Two years ago I made pouch bags for friends. It was all handmade and I embroidered their name on the pouch. I made about 30 sets which took three months. I also made some pillowcases for some friends, but I didn't finish it in time for that Christmas. I was supposed to give it last year, but I took a break and it was lost in storage. I found it today and decided to use it after we installed the elastic sofa cover hehehe.

Hmmm, it's going to be challenging this year because I need to finish whatever I make by October so I can ship it back to Manila early. I already have an idea what I'll make. I just need to determine how long it will take for me to make it. What do you think? Do you have any suggestions on what I should make for Christmas?


CB//151 #StuckAtHomeDay/181  #StayHome #BeKind