The Chronicles Of Nay

Happy Thursday! I hope that everyone is having a good week! Today was the last day with kids! I have to come back tomorrow but it is a very different vibe when the kids aren’t here! The plan is to finalize grades and clean up some piles in my room. The big goal is to have grades done! haha

So this weekend I was talking about Santa with some friends . I was telling some people that the Santa I grew up with was built different. When I was young I asked my dad why my friends had to wait until Christmas morning to receive their Santa gifts but I got mine Christmas eve. My dad looked me straight in the face and said “Well Santa has a lot of houses he has to get to in one night she he has to start somewhere. So he goes to all the hispanic houses first then sort of works his way to everyone!” My kindergarten brain was like “yup! that makes sense!”

A few things that my Santa did was he NEVER brought gifts put together already. Part of the gift was the memories made while putting together the gifts! The year we got the trampoline Santa dropped the box off in the backyard. Another thing Santa did was he left the batteries for our gifts to my parents. We would get up Christmas morning, eat breakfast then clean up the kitchen. Then after the kitchen was clean she would give us the batteries needed for our toys.

When we were really young we would go to my grandparents house and they would make us wait until midnight then we would all open our gifts. My cousins would be there and they made us play games and stuff to try to keep us awake! I remember playing red light green light in my grandparents VERY dark hallway. We played cards and hide and seek. As we got older and stopped going to their house we would not have to wait as long to open our gifts. My parents were like let’s open gifts so we can go to bed! haha I know I have written a blog about Santa before you can find that one here 🎅 but this was more about traditions. We have New Years traditions, we have a seafood feast, we since karaoke and play games. We laugh, A LOT, we laugh until my brother makes me pee my pants! I am not proud of it but It happens quite often!

So I asked some of my friends what Christmas traditions they had and here is what I got:

• We burn fires and snuggle on the couch. We like making cream cheese sugar cookies and decorating them.
• Advent, Mass, Stockings on St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6th)
• Tamalada 🫔
• We do usually open one gift Christmas Eve (it’s usually pjs or fuzzy socks or a blanket or something to do Christmas movies with the family with.) on Christmas morning, we have breakfast pizza and open secret santa gifts and mom always sneaks presents in the stockings then we play cards or dominoes then lunch then go home to nap. On three kings day/feast of epiphany was when we would get one big gift, usually a piece of jewelry or electronics growing up- something to symbolize the gifts of the magi. It was usually our one expensive gift growing up. As adults, it’s sometimes a gift card or heirloom jewelry bc my mom can’t help herself 😉
• My mom will make Gumbo and the entire family would gather and enjoy. Either Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Years.. just depends on the year.
• We participate in a Penta. Events vary from year to year (e.g. bowling, hatch throwing, golfing). Usually we go play darts fot the last one. Winners and prices are awarded then.
• Hanging the Pickle Ornament in the tree
• We go to Salado every year to go shopping, walk around, and eat yummy burgers!
• Get shit faced on Christmas eve
• We celebrate Christmas only on the 24th
• Baking cookies especially Norwegian cookies
• Open gifts one by one, takes about 3 hours, then have a huge ass breakfast/lunch afterwards.

Looks like lots of time with family! There are a few that I need to know more about:

1. can someone explain more about St. Nicholas Day?
2. What about 3 kings day?
3. can oyu explain more about this pickle ornament?
4. GIFTS ONE BY ONE!?!?! omg! I could never!

I hope that you have a amazing time with family and friends this holiday season! I am going to go work on grades for a little bit to see what I can get done before tomorrow!