Holidays

2007/2008 was the first Holiday Season I have spent away (completely) from my family, and it was both an experience and a test.  Having initially planned with Beth to be home (in Ashland) this year, it was harder than I expected to miss out on our family's somewhat untraditional traditions (like Chinese food on Christmas Eve) but after talking endlessly with my English students about American traditions, I found myself more than anything missing hiking through the snow with dad to choose and cut our own tree, Midnight Mass at Trinity, Christmas Eve at the Monks', mistletoe, decorating our tree with ornaments and memories, gift exchange with the Phelps', whiskey in eggnog with Gary by the fire, presents from the dog addressed in moms handwriting, getting dressed up for new years...

Thanksgiving being one of my favorites, we celebrated with a short trip to Sevilla to visit Aimee and Jose Luis, to drop off some cranberry sauce my wonderful friend Brad had brought over, and to get just a little family lovin' in.

Thanksgiving dinner was postponed in Cádiz until early December, when I finally found my own place and had bought a nice little oven (thank you Macro, aka Spanish COSTCO). 

 I went all out:  bird, stuffing, sweet potato 

casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy and even a couple apple pies.  My lovely friend Juan provided a mini-keg of Heineken.

  Who knew you could roast a full-sized turkey in a countertop horno??  Spanish mom's were duly impressed.  And thanks to gorgeous Cádiz weather, we ate in the sunshine on my azotea.

After setting up the elaborate hand-painted Nativity Scenes and Christmas trees and numerous MARATHON (this is not the slightest joke or exaggeration) family trips to the new shopping center in Jerez, IKEA in Sevilla, and to buy the necessary and traditional holiday treats and see the Belen Viviente (live Nativity Scene, half the city decorates and dresses up, really amazing) in Medina, it was finally Christmas. 

Since half of Alvaro's family is named Natividad (mom, big sis and niece), it is also their Santo, which means a double whammy of gifts and celebration.  Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) dinner is a family affair before going out with friends, and there's an even bigger family lunch on Christmas Day. 

(the fam on new years)

Next up was Nochevieja (New Years Eve) and another huge dinner, wearing red underwear, eating the 12 grapes as the bells toll midnight, and burning our wishes for the coming year (after they had been kept in our left shoe and safely hopped on at 12).

Here's a picture of typical holiday fare: pavo (turkey), gambas, gambas, gambas (shrimp), jamon y queso, langostinas, smoked salmon, pate, pescado, empanadas, patatas, huevos.... oh, and the tv on in the background, as always.

And of course, in Spain the holidays don't end until el Dia de Los Reyes on Jan. 6th, so there is much more shopping madness, parades, and gift giving before you are done.

I had a couple breakdowns and some periods of loneliness and of really missing being with my own family and wonderful friends, but I very much enjoyed experiencing new traditions, including some I hope to incorporate into my own future celebrations of the holidays.  

In hindsight it is hard to articulate how I felt at the time, and although I wasn't in contact with you all as I should have been, I hope you know that you were all very much in my thoughts and in my heart during the holidays.