Warm days of Christmas
By eileenleyva
@eileenleyva (27560)
Philippines
December 27, 2020 2:54am CST
The night of the winter solstice was spent looking up at the cloudy heavens with only the crescent moon ascending vividly northeast. Such was the wish for the Christmas Star that we spent three and half hours singing carols and playing jeopardy at the veranda, sipping homemade milk tea and eating kiatkiat, desperately hoping that against the indigo surrounding moon, the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn might make a show.
Oh well, that commenced our brief family bonding this Christmas, the succeeding activities include cooking kare-kare and pancit, wrapping shanghai rolls, slicing chicken ham, watching old mushy movies, and delivering rellenong bangus to my elderly friends.
Of course I completed the Misa de Gallo and would have written thoughts about the stories of the beautiful tradition but I did put my family first, and my friends on facebook top of my priority.
Christmas comes but once a year and I indulged clicking 'heart' on family photos, even urging others to do so. Somehow, pictures make us feel closer.
This Christmas was most meaningful. I have my two girls home.
12 people like this
10 responses
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
27 Dec 20
An effort to wake up at the wee hours of the morning but I love the virtual Misa de Gallo. Convenient for an oldie such as me. Just in the comfort of my wreck room.
Next year might be another story.
2 people like this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
29 Dec 20
@Shavkat Let the old life stay in the past. Get excited about today and look forward to a better tomorrow.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (140118)
• Philippines
28 Dec 20
@eileenleyva I agree. As of this present time, we can still rely on things virtually. I have been missing my old life.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
27 Dec 20
Thank you very much. It was a Christmas I could hope for - my two girls with me. A wish granted and I am happy.
2 people like this
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
30 Dec 20
@eileenleyva just the three of us. Were complete family just missing my father back home. We cancelled our trip back hole because of the many restrictions imposed when traveling around. Although I was declared as not infectious l still have this feeling that l might inadvertently bring along the virus back home and infect them. So l will wait for the proper time perhaps when vaccination is available so l can be sure l do not bring around harmful virus that could affect my father back home.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
31 Dec 20
@rsa101 A very wise decision on your part. We do not want our loved ones falling ill with the contagion. The virus is ready to prey on a host, without us seeing.
Glad you had a good Christmas. Let 2021 be a year of thanksgiving for all that happened in 2020. Just being alive is a blessing and you, of all of us, could attest to that.
A blessed new year to you and your loved ones. Cheers.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
29 Dec 20
None better. Thank you.
What about you? How are you spending Christmas?
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
27 Dec 20
Thank you.
However, I have not read discussions yet so I couldn't comment on the Christmas activities.
Kiatkiat is a citrus fruit. Karekare is meat with vegetables in peanut/roasted rice sauce. Eaten with shrimp paste. Pancit is sauteed noodles with vegetables, shrimp and chicken strips.
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@magicbiz (119)
•
27 Dec 20
@eileenleyva Thank you very much for the reply..I guess they are all native to Philippines
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@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
27 Dec 20
@magicbiz Filipino cuisine has been influenced by the Chinese, Arabic, and Spanish cooking. Before the pandemia, our malls and restaurants offer buffets of international cuisine.
1 person likes this
@oahuwriter (26777)
• United States
29 Dec 20
Christmas a time of many feelings one of which memories are made of. Mine was quiet.
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@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
29 Dec 20
That is how I love it - a quiet Christmas. Christmas means rejoicing in the Birth of the Messiah and during His Birthday, I so very much like to focus on the Holy Infant in a manger.
1 person likes this
@oahuwriter (26777)
• United States
31 Dec 20
@eileenleyva
The joy remembering Jesus Christ birth makes many merry.
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@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
31 Dec 20
@oahuwriter I have reflected on that - Maranatha - and a Child was born in Bethlehem. Happy those who have seen the Child Jesus, and those who also saw Him in His earthly Lifetime.
Grateful, too, for the Word Incarnate. Happy Birthday, my Lord.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
27 Dec 20
Not our luck, I suppose.
Still thankful for the serenity of the night and a quiet Christmas. I didn't even feel the earthquake on Christmas morning. In Nashville, Tennessee, a bomb exploded.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
27 Dec 20
Thank you very much. It was a lovely Christmas.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
29 Dec 20
My girls have grown. It's the other way around now. They're taking care of me.
Wasn't much of a cook but my girls can. Sigh. They prepared the tastiest Noche Buena our small family ever had.
1 person likes this
@eileenleyva (27560)
• Philippines
27 Dec 20
It was a subdued Christmas for my family, as it had been the past years, but more meaningful now because of the CoViD-19 threat. We are grateful for the few days we had together.
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