TRADITIONS

Christmas is here. Can you believe it? I feel quite happy that my family is together again this Christmas and we are spending it in this wonderful country. I actually feel quite content. I have always been a simple girl with simple wants and God granting my wish to spend Christmas with my loved ones is already a blessing. I can't ask for anything more I suppose except for my family to be safe always and for good health and of course, to be together permanently.

Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. For me, it holds a lot of significance, a lot of religious importance, a lot of family memories. Back in the Philippines, families will always try to be together on Christmas. I suppose it's like Thanksgiving in the US? Reunions are always a big to-do back home. I remember my paternal grandmother would always prepare lechon and a yummy buffet for everyone while we kids would be so excited over our presents and would run around the 8-ft. plastic Christmas tree. When we moved to our own home (I was around 10 years old then I think), we made our own traditions, and now that I have a family of my own, we have started our own traditions (old and new) as well. I think it is wonderful that we remember our relatives through the traditions we experienced through the years. My grandmother would insist we always have a family pictorial every Christmas. I used to hate those because my mom would dress me up in lace dresses and I would itch like mad. But as I grew older and I would visit my grandparents' home and see our family portraits on the wall (we used to call it the wall of shame) I realized how wonderful it was to see all the families there and to see me, my siblings and my cousins grow every year. And we "borrowed" that tradition (my grandmother passed away a few years ago) and every year at Christmas, whenever we stand before a camera for a family photo, I always remember my Mamang.

Here in Japan, Christmas feels different. Yes, the decors are there but of course, not being a Catholic country, it's still a whole lot different from our usual celebration and revelry back home. But we have started a new tradition without even realizing it. We started collecting Christmas trees. No, not the usual way. We noticed that establishments have really elaborate decors and Christmas trees and we would usually stop and take photos with those uniquely decorated trees. After taking like 20 trees during our various trips here, we realized that we have started a "collection". And voila! A new tradition is born. Looking at our previous stay here, I saw in our 2006-2007 albums that we also did this "tree collection" then. I think it's neat that we have started a new and fun tradition here in Japan. But of course, later, we will still be doing the family photo thing. :)

I can't believe it's finally Christmas!! Can you?