My Family Christmas Tradition

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 ? 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

I love Christmas 🎄 always had and I know I always will.
There is something so unique about the season that even the weather points to its coming.

Although we do not get snow here so no white Christmas what we get is the "Fog" that shows up unfailing right before Christmas each year, waking up and seeing the entire streets covered by the fog just makes you realize that Christmas has come.

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𝘊𝘏𝘙𝘐𝘚𝘛𝘔𝘈𝘚 𝘈𝘚 𝘈 𝘊𝘏𝘐𝘓𝘋

Those were the best times ever 🤩🤩 First it's final exams at school after which it is the school end of year annual Christmas party (i didn't like going to those) but then you get gifts and food to take home lol, of course, all of those goodies come included in the party payments made by your parents but It's still nice but if I were, to be honest here then the best part for me would be the 1 month-long Christmas holiday 🥳💃🕺

𝗗𝗔𝗗
My father would always split some cash between myself and my elder siblings living at home during Christmas, mine is usually handed directly to my mom who would then take me to the market and get me new clothes and shoes both for Xmas and new year day 🤗 (getting new clothes on Christmas is one of the biggest highlights of every child I knew growing up and a bragging right when you meet up with other kids on Christmas day and can show off the new clothes and shoes your parents bought for you that year).

The living room is always decorated with sparkling lights that blink on and off and have a switch that hums out Christmas songs until your ears hurt and you're forced to turn the damn thing off lol

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𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗗

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Food! Food!! Food!!! 😋🍗 now this was my mother's office and she did that position such justice that year's after she is gone I and my siblings still struggle to catch up with her legacy.

My mom always cooked back then been a full-time housewife but the chicken stew she prepare every Christmas was DIFFERENT, it tested 1000 better than the stew we would eat all year round to the point that some of my cousins show up at my house every Christmas morning just to eat what we fondly referred to as my moms "Christmas stew"

When the food is ready my mom would serve food on different plates and have us deliver the foods to neighbors and friends who would most times have foods they have cooked as well delivered to our house 💝 so there is always A LOT to eat.

𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬 𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥

No matter how far you lived from home Christmas is always the right time to come back for a visit.

Back when my eldest sister got married and started having kids of her own she always made sure to bring the kids back to my parent's house on Christmas day and sometimes when she couldn't make it we will go pick the kids up ourselves, it was always so lively around Christmas.

Somehow that became more or less a tradition that even if you're no longer living at the parents you still show up on Christmas day 😊 as long as you are close enough to do so.

𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗞𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗣𝗦

After eating, putting on your brand new clothes 😉 it's time to go visit with the gang lol

I usually go visiting with my cousins and nephews who are around my age but sometimes a few of their friends could join as well and we would move from house to house wishing everyone HAPPY CHRISTMAS

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When kids show up like that you offer food or a cash gift lol mostly we were in it for the gifts, not the food 🤣🤣🤣 and at the end of the day, we will gather all the cash we were gifted that day then split it between everyone in the group 👥 thinking back to all of those antics now I laugh but back then having your SHARE of that Christmas money felt so rewarding.

𝘊𝘏𝘙𝘐𝘚𝘛𝘔𝘈𝘚 𝘛𝘖𝘋𝘈𝘠

Unfortunately, Both my parents are late now so obviously Christmas is a bit different but we do our bit still to carry on with the traditions they had.

I still get my Christmas money each year 😇 but now it's my eldest brother who does that although I don't need it I'm always thankful to receive it because I know he remembers and cares enough to do it 😉 call it an added peak of being the youngest child.

The biggest spot on my Christmas now would be my mom's Christmas stew.

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We have tried for year's to recreate that unique test and flavor but without success, there is just something missing 🤷‍♀️ it just never tests as hers did even though I was always in the kitchen when she cooks it.

Finally, I and my sister accepted that feat as one we most likely would not be able to break but each Christmas we still make the stew and rice with the cubed fried plantains like she did and share it with neighbors and friends just like she did in the past.

Finally in place of me going from door to door wishing people Merry Christmas lol (that would be kind of weird at this age) I always ensure there is enough change in hand for the kids who come visiting with the Merry Christmas wishes.

Thinking back on it besides foods being shared between neighbors and friends there was no passing of wrapped gifts although like I said kids get gifted cash mostly 🤔 maybe this year I should try something different and get some gifts for the family, I think that might be cool.

𝘏𝘖𝘞 𝘐 𝘞𝘐𝘚𝘏

Yes, sometimes I do wish I could experience one more Christmas like it was in my childhood with both my parents there and get to test my Mom's unique Christmas stew again.

This time I would record every single minute of my Christmas with them, I was a lot younger when they both passed so I think this time I would make sure I get a LOT of pictures and videos with them that I can always watch later 😊

𝘐𝘕 𝘊𝘖𝘕𝘊𝘓𝘜𝘚𝘐𝘖𝘕
So that's all about my family Christmas during childhood and how it is today, thanks to the Ladies Of Hive for another awesome contest and at this point, I would like to invite @Lesulzbacher to join this contest and share with us some of your Christmas traditions, you can join the contest 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 THANK YOU.