Christmas
For the first time in my life I find myself thinking about the meaning of Christmas.
Most people here think that Christmas is a special new year's celebration. I'm not sure why they confuse the two. For some reason, they think that Christmas is on the same day as New Year's. When I tell them that indeed it's not, they still insist on translating "Christmas" to "New Year's". So then I find myself explaining that Christmas is the day that Jesus was (supposedly) born and everyone in Europe and the States celebrates his birthday. With my limited language skills, it's difficult to explain that while the day on the calendar is called Christmas, not everyone believes Jesus was/is the Son of God and what we are celebrating is entirely unrelated. At least, that's how it goes in my family.
So as I prepare try to bring Christmas to my apartment with meager decorations, I contemplate what it really means to me. I always knew (and told others) that Christmas was about getting together with family and showing them that I love them, but now I feel it. I can almost hear the Christmas carols my dad is playing on the stereo. I can smell my mother baking her annual Christmas cookies and stollen, a sweet German holiday bread with raisins, currents, and nuts. I can hear the hushed voices of what my siblings are getting Mom and Dad this year. The crinkle of wrapping paper and the zzzt of the tape dispenser float around my ears with the anticipation of the recipient opening the hidden treasure fluttering around my heart.
With my parents and brother in Madison, my sister in some other far-off Middle Eastern country this year, and me here in Turkey, Christmas is going to have a very different feel this year. Perhaps this is the start of a new chapter for my family. People usually celebrate in the family unit, later go to the grandparents, and then celebrate even later with friends. Kyle arrived this morning, so this our first Christmas without either of our families close to us.
Ah, the poor dear! He traveled for about two days on six planes to get here from Ecuador. He is now sleeping soundly at home and may wake up at 3 am, before even the first call to prayer.
Merry Christmas, friends!
Most people here think that Christmas is a special new year's celebration. I'm not sure why they confuse the two. For some reason, they think that Christmas is on the same day as New Year's. When I tell them that indeed it's not, they still insist on translating "Christmas" to "New Year's". So then I find myself explaining that Christmas is the day that Jesus was (supposedly) born and everyone in Europe and the States celebrates his birthday. With my limited language skills, it's difficult to explain that while the day on the calendar is called Christmas, not everyone believes Jesus was/is the Son of God and what we are celebrating is entirely unrelated. At least, that's how it goes in my family.
So as I prepare try to bring Christmas to my apartment with meager decorations, I contemplate what it really means to me. I always knew (and told others) that Christmas was about getting together with family and showing them that I love them, but now I feel it. I can almost hear the Christmas carols my dad is playing on the stereo. I can smell my mother baking her annual Christmas cookies and stollen, a sweet German holiday bread with raisins, currents, and nuts. I can hear the hushed voices of what my siblings are getting Mom and Dad this year. The crinkle of wrapping paper and the zzzt of the tape dispenser float around my ears with the anticipation of the recipient opening the hidden treasure fluttering around my heart.
With my parents and brother in Madison, my sister in some other far-off Middle Eastern country this year, and me here in Turkey, Christmas is going to have a very different feel this year. Perhaps this is the start of a new chapter for my family. People usually celebrate in the family unit, later go to the grandparents, and then celebrate even later with friends. Kyle arrived this morning, so this our first Christmas without either of our families close to us.
Ah, the poor dear! He traveled for about two days on six planes to get here from Ecuador. He is now sleeping soundly at home and may wake up at 3 am, before even the first call to prayer.
Merry Christmas, friends!
posted by nicole @ 9:05 AM
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