One of the best traditions that I love so much is the way my family celebrated Christmas and new year season, this season is so special to us in our family, the way we celebrate Christmas makes it to fun-filled for us, my father started this special treatment for us during Christmas, He believed that no matter how life turned out, family must always come together during Christmas. He built that habit so strong that even after his passing, we have continued with it.
In my family, Christmas is not just a date on the calendar. It is a time of reunion. Once December comes, everyone knows they must find their way back home. No matter where we are we must surely come home to celebrate Christmas, we haven't celebrated Christmas without our family. The family house becomes alive again, filled with noise, laughter, and love. .
After the demise of my father them my mother makes Christmas beautiful for us every year. She starts preparing long before the day itself. She buys different kinds of meat goat, chicken, sometimes turkey. The freezer is usually filled up, and just seeing it brings joy because it is a sign of what is coming. She also makes provisions for plenty of food. There will be jollof rice, fried rice, white rice and stew, pounded yam, and different soups. The whole house smells like celebration.
But it doesn’t end with us alone. My mother has this habit of sharing food with our neighbors and even people outside the family. She always says Christmas is about giving, not just eating. I admire that about her. She makes sure nobody around us is left out of the celebration. I grew up watching her package food for others, and it taught me that Christmas should be about spreading love.
New year is not left out as well, we always carry the energy of Christmas to new year season, we always love the joy of January 1st in our house, the excitement, the gathering we always have, the love we always shared, my mother always cooks something special, and we all sit down to eat again as one big family. That day, we pray together. We thank God for seeing another year, the dance has no bound, we always make sure we finish the food we prepare on the 31st so that there will be no carry over to the next year also we always pray and ask God for blessings and protection in the new one. That prayer moment is always deep for me. It gives me peace and hope.
This family tradition has shaped me a lot. It has taught me the value of family and the importance of keeping bonds strong. It has also shown me that giving is more rewarding than receiving. Most importantly, it has made me realize that even though people leave this world, their legacies can live on through us. My father may be gone, but his tradition is alive every Christmas and New Year when we all come home.
For me, these celebrations are not just holidays. They are moments of reunion, joy, and gratitude. They remind me of where I come from and the people I share life with. Christmas and New Year will always remain the tradition I hold closest to my heart.
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