Viewing post #1858294 by hampartsum

Leon, on this side of the Equator, Christmas meant warmth, holidays and above everything getting the full extended family together:. Apart my own parents and brother: Uncles aunts cousins and their single or widowed relatives so Christmas meant large scale celebration. That in turn also meant large scale food spreads with dishes prepared by all the women. My family was built by mainly Armenian exiled remnants of the Armenian genocide so re-building the clans was a very important reason to gather, following great tables. Some families were not affluent however the food was always on the top and prepared in excess! Thus following Christmas traditional dishes meant hipercaloric food in the wrong time of the year... Some members were more Church goers, other not so, so Christmas spirit started around december 24 and lasted until January 6 ( Armenian Chtistmas). December 25 is St Stephen's protomartyr day and Jan 1 is Epiphany. So there was enough on going to keep us kids all very happy. Presents were distributed Jan 1 in a much more modest fashion, tree decoration was not part of our tradition so that wasn't part of it. All this is now gone with most of the previous generation all gone and what you describe just fond memories. Thanks to all of them I grew up as a believer of one God in its three Persons, peace seeking towards all persons of good will regardless their religion, ethnicity, race or gender. Because of this I know that in spite of deranged behaviour of some, goodness will prevail along with truth and beauty. It is in His hands...as goes in a very famous negro spiritual: because He has the whole world in His hands....
Merry Christmas to you and all your beloved from way down south of this side of the Equator. The same wishes to all readers wherever they may be.
my blessings
Arturo