Christmas Traditions

    I love to write!! Just love it! I am always in my head writing stories or, lately, my blog. But I was stumped on this months post! I guess it is because I felt it should be somewhat special. After all its December and Christmas is getting pretty close to being here. Christmas means so many different things to everyone, and stirs up all sorts of different feeling because of that. I thought about writing on the business part of Christmas time; but we all know what that's like. So, I thought instead I would tell you about one of my family's Christmas tradition's! I am of Italian descent but I was born in Argentina. Now, that being said, I only spent four years of my life there. But  when my parents came to America for a better life they

brought with them some of the customs and traditions that they had grown used to in Argentina!! One of those just so happens to be a Christmas tradition.

Three kings day is very big in Argentina. I would say its even bigger of a holiday than Christmas itself. Let me explain. The three wisemen were the ones who presented gifts to baby Jesus. So it only makes sense that they would have gifts for all of the children too!! I recall my younger brother and I putting out our shoes with any kind of grass or shrubbery we could get our hands on. It can be really hard to find that kind of thing in Massachusetts in December, but the tradition still lives on. We would also leave out a bowl of water which, would freeze every year here! This water was to hydrate the wisemen camels, just as the grass was to feed them. Of course, after all that traveling and gift giving they would need a good snack!! What kids now a-days do for Santa, my brother and I did for camels!! I imagine that this whole magical tradition was easier in Argentina, as it's summer in December there. So the camels always got fresh grass and water instead of ice!! Of course we still waited for Santa too!

       When my kids were little I kept that tradition going in my own family, and they looked forward to it each and every year. Now my youngest is 12 and they no longer believe. But I still give them something small on three kings day, that is January 6th. I suppose I'm just not ready to let go of the tradition just yet.

    Merry Christmas all!!

                            Andrea