Blurb

In a crisis torn, South American country, only little Ann's faith, her determination, and one young woman could help keep her dreams of escape alive.

A true story...
Find a synopsis and other details about Sunday’s Child at my confidence blog (linked). Read excerpts here: List of Books on Amazon
___________________________________________

Christmas in A Hot Climate

I’ve always been curious about how other people in the world celebrate Christmas. I grew up in a hot country in South America so all through my childhood, I enjoyed blistering hot Christmas days while ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas’ beckoned to me on the radio (when we had enough money to buy batteries, that is).


The tree was never put up until midnight on Christmas Eve night. The tradition was that no one – except the person putting up the tree – saw it until they woke up on Christmas morning.
On the night before Christmas, it took ten minutes to walk around the town’s one high street to look at the lights. Of course this only made sense if there was no black–out (widespread power shortage) that night.


Christmas breakfast was pepper-pot and bread. The hot, black juice dripped down our chins as we slurped it all up, after the two allocated slices of bread were gone. I miss the taste of the soft, spicy meat in the cassava sauce. There is no other taste like that in the world.

There were never any presents, as all the extra money went on the two special meals we would have that day. The music and annual Christmas play on the radio were enough for my Christmas cheer.

Lunch was macaroni cheese and hot ginger beer. And just like it had come, Christmas sneaked out the back door when the last of the food was gone. It was hot though. Nice, hot and sweaty. Just the way I like it. Bing didn’t mind. He just kept singing. And if my guardian was in a good mood, I would be allowed to sing along with him too.


How did you celebrate Christmas as a child? Here is one of my articles called How Christmas is Celebrated Around The World. I know you will find it a very fascinating read indeed.

8 comments:

Jeff King said...

I grew up in Utah, and a white Christmas happened every year of my life.

Making snowmen, sledding down hills, hitting cars with snowballs, eating ice sickles, bizing behind cars (that is where you hold onto the bumper and tow yourself behind it skidding down the snowy road...) building snow forts and having snowball fights, playing king of bunkers hill, the list goes on and on. I loved snow as a child, and hate it as an adult...

White Christmases are cold, you have to shovel snow, you have to scrape ice of your windows every morning, and did I mention its COLD... I wish it snowed for 2 days a year, Christmas Eve and Christmas day... that is it.

In summary, as a child it was great as an adult I hate it. I wonder why I put up with it every year...

Thx

la verdad oculta del ser said...

¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` * ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
........|___|...VENGO A DESEARTE
........|000|...FELIZ NAVIDAD
........|000|...LLENA DE LUZ Y AMOR
........|000|...Y PROSPERIDAD
........|000|... FELIZ AÑO NUEVO 2010
.........\00/.... Q ESTE AÑO SEA CARGADO
..........\0/..... DE BUENAS VIBRACIONES Y BUENOS DESEOS
...........||...... PARA TODOS, SON LOS SINCEROS DESEOS
...........||...... DE ANA
...........||......
.........._||_....FELI... FIESTAS!!!
♥¸.•*¨)¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´♥♥.¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)★¡¡¡Feliz Navidad!!!

Glynis Peters said...

I had UK Christmases, some were cold and crisp, others were wet and damp.
Here in Cyprus they are warm and sunny.

nothing profound said...

I love the warmth and simplicity with which your family celebrated Christmas. It has a beautiful innocence and purity to it. Here in the US Christmases are very commercialized. There's little endearing about them; they're mostly glitz and greed.

Middle Ditch said...

What a lovely Christmas celebration as a child you had Anne. Inspirational and spiritual.

I grew up in Holland and we celebrated St Nicholas' birthday on the 5th of december. He would usually arrive by boat in Amsterdam early in December and I would set my shoe in the evening with a carrot and hay for St Nicholas' horse and, to my delight, I would find a chocolate surprise in the shoe in the morning.

Early in the night of the fifth my father suddenly had an urgent message for the neighbours and disappeared. Whilst he was away there was the long awaited knock on the door. Mother opened the door and exclaimed that St Nicholas had been and he had left us a large basket of presents. Father returned and was also delighted he had been.

Then the Hot Chocolate was put in glasses and the unwrapping of presents began. In each present was a little rhyme as to why St Nicholas had given that particular present. Then there was the taai taai, speculaas, pepernoten and chocolate letter (mine was a giant G).

Oh, what delightful memories. And how I miss it.

Anne Lyken-Garner said...

It's so lovely to hear about the different celebrations. Monique, what fun you must have had.
Unfortunately, I didn't look forward to Christmas very much as a child.

Don said...

honestly i am actually feeling the brand of christmas mentioned above. i think it makes perfect sense to not set up the tree and present until christmas eve. although in these current times and christmas "traditions" i think such an act would result in mutiny. ha.

i pretty much spent my childhood christmas the same as i do now - tree placement after thanksgiving day, bought and received presents, yuletide carols, christmas movies and TV shows, visits, out of town visits, dinner and we resume the act the next year.

Anne Lyken-Garner said...

Don, welcome to my blog and thanks for the comment. Perhaps one day you'll sample a hot christmas?
Please visit again.

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin