Casa Sosegad

Dec 21 2006

Thursday 13 #26 - Christmas Growing Up

brushes courtesy of seishido.biz
Visit my Thursday Thirteen banners page
Thirteen Christmas Traditions growing up

1. We always went to midnight mass.
2. After midnight mass, we wished each other and friends and then came home to eat some treats and drink some wine before turning in.
3. We always displayed a nativity scene. As we grew older, the setting grew to be more hand- made by us using foamboard, paints, cellophane, hay, “grass” and anything else we thought of.
4. We had a lighted star displayed outside our house. The star was hand-made by my dad from bamboo and decorated by us every year using cellophane and other types of paper.
5. Making Christmas treats was a family affair with all of us pitching in, sometimes even dad.
6. Baby Jesus did not go into the crib display until after mass. My dad put Him in just before we left but we never could figure out when until we were much older!
7. People who were in mourning (a period of one year after a loved one dies) do not make Christmas sweets. So, we’d distribute sweets to them.
8. We’d distribute sweets to our non Christian friends, too.
9. We always had a Christmas tree and as we grew up it got filled with home made ornaments.
10. Wishing neighbors and friends is an integral part. Every stops by and you in turn visit friends to taste their Christmas sweets and treats, drink some wine and wish them “Merry Christmas”.
11. Christmas lunch was always elaborate with the traditional sorpotel, pulao, and salad. Maybe even a chicken xacuti, fish mayonnaise, fried shrimp and other dishes.
12. Christmas Carolers came door to door with a guitar, a badly dressed Santa and cheap candy. You tipped them for singing for you and got some candy.
13. The decorations stayed up and festivities continued until January 6 (the feast of the Magi).

9 Responses to “Thursday 13 #26 - Christmas Growing Up”

1. # Shelleyon 21 Dec 2006 at 8:14 am

   Nice Christmas traditions that have more to do with Christ than Santa…which is wonderful to see.

   I can remember growing up…we would always go to Midnight Mass and one year…I was busted by my pastor almost falling asleep during mass…cause I was a tired kid!

   My TT is up!

2. # Michelleon 21 Dec 2006 at 9:56 am

   #7, what a nice sentiment. Didn’t know that.

3. # Chickadeeon 21 Dec 2006 at 9:56 am

   We went to midnight mass too as a tradition and decorated the tree together.

   My 13 are up.

4. # Mikalaon 21 Dec 2006 at 9:58 am

   Don’t you just love thinking about Christmas growing up? I do.

   Happy TT and Merry Christmas!

   I’m up!

5. # Caylynnon 21 Dec 2006 at 10:20 am

   Wonderful Christmas traditions. Thanks for sharing your memories with us. Midnight Mass was a tradition for us too (or earlier Christmas Eve when we were younger) and our decorations would stay up until after the Feast of the Epiphany.

   Merry Christmas.

6. # Sparky Duckon 21 Dec 2006 at 12:32 pm

   wow, the midnight mass and visiting sounds like a long night.

   Merry Christmas

7. # K T Caton 21 Dec 2006 at 12:43 pm

   Great list. You reminded me that we don’t have a nativity display up at my house.

   My TT is up.

8. # my 2 centson 21 Dec 2006 at 12:58 pm

   Alot of nice Christmas traditions!!

9. # Fireflyon 21 Dec 2006 at 7:36 pm

   Thanks for coming by and visiting my TT. I haven’t been around your blog long enough, but do you live in India now? You grew up in Goa? How interesting! I loved reading your list. It is nice to revisit such memories. God bless!

Leave a Reply