MY MOST CHERISHED FAMILY HOLIDAY TRADITION.
Christmas is usually a special time of the year where most people get a break from work just to spend time with their families and to end the year with so much enthusiasm for the next year. It's also a time when people make the best memories with their loved ones and every one of it usually comes with a memory that often stays in the heart till the next season.
For my family, the holidays is usually a great time for bonding and spreading love to one another. We also have some traditions in our home which seemed to have stuck with us for years long and it's one of the reasons why I look forward to happy holidays every year.
Both my mum and dad usually get off work after the first week of Christmas and it feels so relieving knowing that they still have the opportunity to spend quality time with their family despite all the sad and good things that the year may have brought.
My dad, as the head of the family usually prepares ahead of time to make sure he has enough money for the season. This is partly because there is always a hike in price of goods and services and in his bid to fulfill his responsibility as a parent, making sure that we have our basic needs provided.
My dad makes it a more like a rule that at the second week of every December, he gives a good sum of money to my mother to go shop for the house and my mother gladly accepts the deal. She shops for everything we need at home including live chickens which we rear in our home-made cage.
During the Christmas holidays, even our friends that work in the grocery stores and in the shops along the street get to perceive that our home is usually stocked with almost all that we need because we barely go out to buy petty stuff like we do on a normal day. My mom makes the Christmas season a good one because she goes out of her way to ensure that cooked food is always available for both her family, our neighbours and and the visitors that often flood our humble abode. We rarely lack any food especially the Nigerian jollof rice and chicken even though my mum prefers to make different delicacies including smoothies and fruit juices.
Another tradition that my family keeps is giving out live chickens and drinks to our neighbours and friends of the year. He does this to appreciate them for being good people and for them to have more meat in their homes during the season. Most times they return the kind gesture in the same way or another and it teaches me to know that having a good relationship with people will often bring you goodwill.
The holidays are also a time that I and my family get to see our friends and relatives that we may not have seen in a long while through the year. We mark dates in our calendar to visit them and when we finally do, it's usually a sweet reunion and it makes me believe that we can all get along with each other during the holidays regardless of not having seen each other's faces in a while.
It is also a tradition for I and my siblings to clean the entire house before the new year. Most times, we move a lot of our belongings all out in the sun and clean thoroughly. This is an act that our parents are most glad with and it makes us happy to know that they appreciate our own efforts.
All the above mentioned are traditions that I cherish with my whole heart but the most exciting thing about the holidays is the love my dad extends to all of his kids at home. Every Christmas holiday, my dad calls each one of us and gives us an envelope with our full names written on it and in it, a certain amount of money that we appreciate. It's his way of saying "Thank you for walking this year with me. "Thank you also for being a part of my family."
Sometimes it makes me emotional because even when I feel the year has been rough and we may not get some money like we usually do, he shows up for us somehow and even till my 25th birthday or as long as we keep living under his roof, I don't ever think it's a tradition that would ever go down the drain.❤
MY MOST TREASURED HOLIDAY ORNAMENT.(A SHINY ONE)
I think gifts are often given to people for different reasons but mostly to show appreciation to them for a certain act. The most beautiful thing about gifts is how they make you feel so good about yourself for receiving them and whether small or large, you just feel the need to appreciate the gift.
For me, the most treasured holiday ornaments that I still have in my possession is a silver bracelet and a gold wrist chain given to me by my best friend. It was given to me the day I contacted a call service to reach out to my best friend, to thank him for being a part of my life and to sing him his favorite song.
It was a genuine act that he felt deeply and he decided to gift me the shiny ornaments before the date he was supposed to unbox.
It was really a beautiful moment and sometimes I look back to that day and feel the need to appreciate good friendships even more. I may not wear the ornaments all the time but I always have it in my bag or purse. That's how much I cherish them and I hope for them to stay with me forever.
PS: I had to wear both of them for the purpose of this contest and yes, I enjoyed writing this piece and answering both questions asked by the LOH community. Thank you for visiting my blog.
I invite @Jessicaossom to come participate in this contest. Maybe a short note would do but just express yourself based on the questions asked. Do subscribe to the 
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Hive ball was created by me, specially for the Ladies of hive.😊
