Christmas is one of the most important Christian and cultural holidays celebrated worldwide. However, it is important to note that the Christmas celebration has evolved over time and has been influenced by various cultural, religious, and historical traditions. Indeed, different Christian denominations may celebrate Christmas on slightly different dates, with slightly different traditions and foods.
Looking back in history, the first record of Christmas as a formal nativity celebration was found in Rome on December 25, AD 336, during the end of the reign of the emperor Constantine, who became the first Christian emperor to embrace the workship of one god. Dates that coincide with the Christmas tradition commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ.
Would you like to know about my Christmas experience?
Childhood
When the windy autumn gives way to a new season, cold arrives, snowflakes fall covering roofs and chimneys and leaving frosted windows, twinkling lights shine brightly on streets, festive displays, and perhaps even a large Christmas tree shines on a city’s square, then… the Christmas season begins.
Because I was born into a Mediterranean Christian family, I have been marking December 22nd-January 6th on my calendar as a holy Christmassy date every year, as do many other Spanish Christian believers.
Every year since I was a little girl, I remember sitting in front of a big fireplace lifting with its fire burning and surrounded by the scent of hot chocolate, toasted nuts, candied almonds, “polvorones”, “peladillas”, butter biscuits, French truffles, and Spanish turrones in flavors like chocolate, coconut, strawberries, egg, cherries, and orange.
I remember looking at a Nativity Scene that I had beautifully created days before, complete with a stable, figurines of baby Jesus, Josep, Mary, angels, the Three Wise Men, and shepherds surrounded by farm animals, while singing lovely Carols songs to it.
I also remember staying awake to see Santa Claus in person on the evening of December 24, but I was always exhausted after waiting for him for hours and hours, and I fell deeply asleep. I always awoke very early to be surprised by multiple presents discovered under my Christmas tree. I also recall going to a Christmas parade on the evening of January 5th to see the Three Wise Kings waving and throwing presents to the audience. After watching the parade and returning home quickly to prepare a tray with biscuits and juice for the Three Wise Kings, I used to go to bed thinking about all the wonderful presents I could find the next day around the house, as I used to play to find a treasure during the morning of the magical day on January 6.
Enjoyment
I was very young when I began to celebrate feasts with food prepared with love and passion and to raise majestic glasses in the air to cheer for the spread of peace and love throughout the world.
My mother was the glue that held my family together and allowed us to sit at the largest table I had ever seen. On Christmas Eve, various uncles, aunties, cousins, and an invited lonely person chosen by my mother arrived at my house to celebrate with us. My mother also invited other family members to a Christmassy Spanish supper meal on December 25th to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
On the morning of New Year’s Eve, I accompanied my mother to do a lot of shopping, which we later brought to a mountain house where we gathered with other beautiful people who were friends of my parents and had plenty of little children to play with without stopping. We always ate 12 grapes at twelve o’clock. It is a tradition to eat them one by one, in time with the clock striking midnight on December 31st. Following that, we would leave the cabin to watch our parents display fireworks.
If you need one expert Christmassy woman’s advice, I recommend putting up a Christmas tree with lights and bubbles and setting an elegant table with candles, Christmassy pointensia flowers, napkins and plates of the same color. Choose an aromatic apple cider, cava, wine, or champagne. Make a seafood caviar salad as a starter, fill several small plates with refined olives, toasted almonds, artesanal crips, cheese, Iberian ham, tiger and king prawns, and place a flavorful duck on a stunning tray surrounded by baked potatoes. As a dessert, indulge in an abundance of Christmas Spanish sweets such as “turrones,” “Bones of Saints,” “almendrados,” “polvorones,” and “roscon de reyes,” and make your guests happy and wonderfully majestic surrounded by this type of Spanish Christmas celebration.
There are many exquisite food items from other Mediterranean countries that can be used for special occasions, such as Christmas.
Meaning
Since my childhood, I have believed that Christmas is a time to share and give gifts to others as a symbol of the gifts given to the infant Jesus by the Three Wise Men. There are no rules for giving gifts, so I encourage you to give a gift to someone you secretly like as a declaration of love, to a homeless person sitting outside in freezing weather, to a lonely neighbor who tries to strike up a conversation every time they see you, to an old classmate who shared pleasant memories with you, or to a nice coworker whom you consider a friend. But whoever you give to, do not expect anything in return; instead, give a gift to someone without expecting anything in return, and enjoy the smiles you bring to people’s faces.
I have not lost my Christmas spirit as I have gotten older; I still believe in the magic of Christmas, in miracles, and in people who have good thoughts and intentions.
I loved and still love hearing the story of Jesus’ birth, going to Carol concerts, looking at a Christmas tree full of lights, and having as a Nativity symbol the light that guided Mary and Joseph on their journey leading to the birth of Jesus.
Enjoy Christmas, and pray for the spread of faith and hope throughout the world. Listen to Christmas music, decorate a tree, bake cookies, and watch a Christmas movie.