Another great story, Jeanine. This is my third expat Christmas with my Mexican family, my first with full immersion. As you describe, the holiday is long, non-stop and all about friends, family, food and music and drink. Very few, if any, decorations. No Santa. Only the youngest kids received a present on noche buena. Everyone hugged with a "feliz navidad" at midnight, then out came the pinata! So far removed from the commercialism and competitive greed I've known for my entire life, I can only look forward. Felices fiestas y un rico año nuevo!
Thanks ... you so capture the spirit of Mexico and the differences in culture that always make understand a bit about what we've lost ... or maybe never had. "Family" is such a much bigger concept in Mexico.
Love this recounting of a Christmas past, at a time before consumerism elbowed its way in. What a treat for the soul that Christmas in Progreso must have been. Thanks for sharing this reminder of the original spirit of this holiday. Feliz Ano Nuevo a ti tambien!
The Christmas season has passed, but the Whitmas quote is everlasting, such a nice way to end your story. It sounds like you had a great experience and it made me so happy reading about you and a stranger creating an unforgettable Christmas. Although things have changed since NAFTA, I find that food and family are thankfully still the hallmarks of this season which I agree, appears to go on forever. I would even venture out to say that the last day is February 2 with the day of the Candelaria. My family has never celebrated it, but I hear it is still a pretty important one being that it is connected to Three Kings Day and when people dress their baby Jesuses. It still involves one person making tamales and having a family dinner around it. I love how your story didn't take us to Chichen Itza, but instead took us to a lone eatery somewhere in town. Have you gotten to try the cochinita pibil?
I just realized I have missed reading this story and it did my heart good! for a number of reasons. One because we have only now gotten our Christmas decorations put away. It was February 1st and we were beginning to feel like we could be flirting with a shift to being "those people" who leave up Xmas light all year. But your description of the colors and food and family and welcoming spirit in Mexico for a long, long season of Christmas was very comforting and sweet. And "lest they be angels" is a good quote and policy to live by.
Well I might avoid Christmas unless I can stay with a family! My ambition is to go for Day of the Dead but how wonderfully joyous this all sounds. And I love the Whitman quote!
Another great story, Jeanine. This is my third expat Christmas with my Mexican family, my first with full immersion. As you describe, the holiday is long, non-stop and all about friends, family, food and music and drink. Very few, if any, decorations. No Santa. Only the youngest kids received a present on noche buena. Everyone hugged with a "feliz navidad" at midnight, then out came the pinata! So far removed from the commercialism and competitive greed I've known for my entire life, I can only look forward. Felices fiestas y un rico año nuevo!
Thanks ... you so capture the spirit of Mexico and the differences in culture that always make understand a bit about what we've lost ... or maybe never had. "Family" is such a much bigger concept in Mexico.
Love this recounting of a Christmas past, at a time before consumerism elbowed its way in. What a treat for the soul that Christmas in Progreso must have been. Thanks for sharing this reminder of the original spirit of this holiday. Feliz Ano Nuevo a ti tambien!
Muchas gracias, Jeanine! I feel like I'm strolling the streets of Mexico with you as my guide every time I read your enchanting life stories.
A great holiday story that perfectly captures the warm hospitality we always received in Mexico. Gracias y feliz ano nuevo, amiga!
The Christmas season has passed, but the Whitmas quote is everlasting, such a nice way to end your story. It sounds like you had a great experience and it made me so happy reading about you and a stranger creating an unforgettable Christmas. Although things have changed since NAFTA, I find that food and family are thankfully still the hallmarks of this season which I agree, appears to go on forever. I would even venture out to say that the last day is February 2 with the day of the Candelaria. My family has never celebrated it, but I hear it is still a pretty important one being that it is connected to Three Kings Day and when people dress their baby Jesuses. It still involves one person making tamales and having a family dinner around it. I love how your story didn't take us to Chichen Itza, but instead took us to a lone eatery somewhere in town. Have you gotten to try the cochinita pibil?
I just realized I have missed reading this story and it did my heart good! for a number of reasons. One because we have only now gotten our Christmas decorations put away. It was February 1st and we were beginning to feel like we could be flirting with a shift to being "those people" who leave up Xmas light all year. But your description of the colors and food and family and welcoming spirit in Mexico for a long, long season of Christmas was very comforting and sweet. And "lest they be angels" is a good quote and policy to live by.
Well I might avoid Christmas unless I can stay with a family! My ambition is to go for Day of the Dead but how wonderfully joyous this all sounds. And I love the Whitman quote!