Finland may claim the fame to be the Country of Christmas...but American Christmas is like any Christmas I know on steroids....and I just love it! :)
I felt guilty to arrive first on 21.12. to US and not be the contributing part for Christmas. But for that it has already been agreed that next year Christmas is in our house. Best of both cultures mixed :o)
Weekend before Christmas we spent with the family in Galveston, enjoying relaxed time together and us "kids" doing all 5k Santa Hustle fun run: http://santahustle.com/galveston/
Part of the fun was to dress up like Santa :) The run was fun and there were loads of people. Christmas music was playing along the route and everyone was cheery.
The Christmas celebration started on 24th (yes, not all Americans celebrate only on 25th). We went to aunt-Laurel to join the extended family in celebration. The menu was fish and vegetables. This comes from the family tradition in aunt-Laurel's house, which go back to Polish roots. It was such a lovely evening. I got to know one more cousin and her lovely family. I was totally unaware of any of the traditions. Anything and everything that took place over Christmas was super interesting.
Exchange of presents between the families took place at aunt-Laurel's house after the dinner.
After this we continued the Santa-game within the immediate family. I must say, I am eternal child when it comes to Christmas and I love giving presents. But even I have never seen this many presents in total...Ever. After few hours of back-up Santas delivering the presents there was an envelope hidden in the Christmas tree....and it was for ME!
I had just been hooked into the family's treasure hunt. The clues were in the form of poem, leading to a new clue or a pit stop. Along the way I found my comfort food e.g. Kalle's caviar cream, frozen salmon and Fazer Dumle candies. The final clues involved the rest of the females in the family...and the final treasure was a total surprise to all (except American Dad)...Girls' weekend trip to New York with some Broadway shows/musicals!!!! Hurray! I enjoyed totally that all this took place on Christmas eve, instead of Christmas day. Happy to have like minded people in the family, who are keen to open the presents in the evening of Christmas eve :o)
Despite all the lovely presents, which were amazing...the best present I could have was a Christmas with a family...not by invitation but as natural expectation. Nothing replaces the feeling of being welcomed and loved. My adulthood Christmases have been for most part bouncing around and being the extra participant, who always had to ask others if there was space to join for Christmas. From here on I know where my place is over Christmas and I know that I do not have to ask :o) The little elf in my heart was making cartwheels. Thank you Santa!
Christmas Day meant Christmas lunch at my American mom's and dad's house. Mom had prepared delicious turkey dinner with side dishes prepared in family tradition. There was funny discussion about the stuffing...whether mom's or dad's family recipe is better. One is with mussels and one is with raisins & onions. I do not pick sides when it comes to food...I let my stomach decide. Since I got to taste the one with raisins & onions, hard to say which one would be the winner. Thus remains to be seen.....
Aunt-Laurel's family came over and so did Nana (95 year old grand-mother). The food was excellent and the extended family spending time together even so. I got to bring some Finnish flavor into the mix. My fiancé and myself happened to find what I call "squeaky cheese / narinajuusto" in the Specs store in Houston. I prepared that in the traditional way, warming it up and serving with marmelade. Then there were buckeyes and the mint meringue...yammi! Also glögi was part of the Christmas. I prepared Finnish glögi, spicing it up for adults with hint of Finlandia vodka. Nana fell totally in love with it. We jointly renamed it as Christmas party drink. The fun with glögi is that one can add the juice part even to sparkling wine / champagne. Glögilicious!
Apropos Mint: I so like all the minty tastes during Christmas. All the leadingcandy brands in US make a special edition of minty flavored batch for Christmas season. Sooooo dangerous :o)
After all the eating and watching with the younger kids (including me) my new present, the Moomin midsummer madness movie in English, (thanks to my käly/sister-in-law and brother-in-law)....it was time for some fresh air. We took a walk in the neighborhood in Woodlands. It would have been normally dark evening, had it now been the MASSIVE amount of Christmas lights.
I seriously thought that I was addicted to putting winter lights / christmas lights up...but I tell you, my lights are in baby shoe level. It was amazing!!! So many colorful lights, some even with music.
Yes, it is crazy....but it is again so crazy that I really like it!
How does the translation of the old hebrew saying go: "Let there be light!" :o) (Yep, don't spread phrases like that if you don't want millions of people to follow it)
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| Video of the musical lights: http://youtu.be/zkaJWx2TCkc |
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