By Edd Staton
It
is Christmas morning, and my wife Cynthia and I are celebrating the
joyous occasion with our daughter's family in New Jersey. Tomorrow we
fly to North Carolina to do it all over again in the home of our son.
When
we moved to Cuenca, Ecuador three and a half years ago we had no
grandchildren. In the space of 19 short months we experienced our own
private "baby boom" and today we have three (and counting?). Christmas
is really all about the kids, isn't it, so we now come back to the
States to be with our loved ones each holiday season.
Early
on we spent a memorable Christmas at home in Cuenca I'd like to share
with you. Thanksgiving is obviously not a biggie there (although expats
attend various gatherings all over town), but Christmas is celebrated in
high style. Malls, markets, and public spaces are colorfully decorated,
although the theme is generally more religious than the commercial
extravaganza the holiday has become in the States.
Nowhere
is this more evident than the annual Christmas Eve parade, which
organizers claim is the largest in Latin America. Clocking in at over
eight hours it must certainly be the longest! A seemingly
endless procession of floats from neighborhoods in and around Cuenca
carry children dressed to depict the nativity scene.
There are also cars
and horses decorated with flowers, produce, beer cans and liquor
bottles, even plucked chickens with money in their beaks...bands,
dancers, and street performers—plus assorted characters like Santa, Bart
Simpson, and SpongeBob wandering by.
We
watched this somewhat bizarre extravaganza from the balcony of a
friend's home located directly on the parade route á la Bourbon Street
during Mardi Gras. Memorable, yes, but we couldn't hang in there from
start to finish.
On
Christmas Day, Cuencano friends kindly invited us to spend the day with
their family. We were amazed that they had hired a priest to deliver
Mass for the entire neighborhood in the front yard of their home.
Afterwards we handed out wrapped presents to all the children and drank
an unfamiliar beverage with one familiar ingredient—alcohol.
Cynthia then joined
the women in the kitchen to help prepare the big meal while I hung out
with the guys for an afternoon session of chatting and drinking. As best
I can remember there must have been a siesta in there somewhere before
the meal was served!
Returning
home after enjoying the day's camaraderie and feast, we reflected on
the notion that regardless of your religious persuasion or physical
location, the spirit of the holiday season is all about love, giving,
and thankfulness.
My
wife and I are thrilled to be with our immediate family during these
holidays, and doubly blessed to soon return to a loving extended family
of close friends in Cuenca. We are truly grateful to be able to enjoy
the best of both worlds.
I
close this message with a Christmas toast to you: May your heart be
filled with joy today, and may happiness await you in the New Year
ahead.
www.internationaliving.com
No comments:
Post a Comment