Christmas déjà vu

The second family Christmas party felt like déjà vu from last week.

The similarities:

We had an abundance of delicious food and desserts. Everyone contributed something to the spread.

Family came in from out of town to join the festivities. Our out-of-state family members didn’t make the trip, but it was great to see the family from San Diego.

Minel did his part for the adorable baby/toddler quota.

One of my male family members volunteered to dress up as Santa and pass out gifts. Last week it was my cousin Jesus, this week it was tío Beto. Of course, Minel wasn’t into the Santa thing. He was just as resistant as Olivia last week. [Side note: even though Minel and Olivia are not related, I think they could be fraternal twins. It must be the curly hair and the proximity in age.]

Dad got out the guitar and we sang some Christmas carols. Adrian accompanied him on the snare drum.

I brought a second beautiful piñata and my cousins’ kids gave it a beating. Since these kids are older, taller and stronger, we had to handicap them in some way. After diving in to the melee for some candy, Padrino José passed out the bolo, or the traditional grab bag of peanuts, cookies, candies and tangerines.

Once again, I felt like I got hosed when it came to the height genes when standing next to my tall cousins. Nancy, Vanny, Valerie and my sister will all be part of my wedding party next year. I either need to make them wear flats or wear the highest heels I can find, if only for photos.

I forgot my camera this week and relied on my iPhone. Luckily, Sean brought along his camera and tried out his new flash and diffuser. He was a good sport being the unofficial photographer.

The differences:

Instead of doing a white elephant, we were much nicer an did a Secret Santa. Sean picked Papá Chepe and bought him a newsboy cap. I think he wears it well.

Also, we played some games. In the past we’ve done Wii games and karaoke. This year we kept it less physical with a round of Taboo amongst the cousins.

We got to open more presents!

***

Christmas Day was super low key as it’s been for the last 10+ years. Since we went to Mass on Christmas Eve, I just spent the afternoon and evening lounging around the parents’ house. My brothers spent most of the day with their girlfriends so it was just Lori, the parents, Sean and me. We watched a few basketball games, ate leftovers for dinner, and played card games. It wasn’t too different from most Sundays.

Familia

Family Christmas party (part 1)

A few years ago my family began hosting an annual Christmas party for the Mosqueda side of the family. I think for several years after my grandparents passed, it felt like we’d lost some of our holiday traditions. We always host the party a week or so before Christmas so that it doesn’t conflict with Christmas Eve gatherings. Typically, Mexicans gather on Christmas Eve and do all the fun stuff — including presents — then.

This year my family hosted the biggest party. Part of the family who moved out to Texas years ago returned. It was good to see my aunts and uncles again. Last year, tía Nellie and tío Rick came to LA for tío Joe’s funeral. This time they brought their spouses and kids to celebrate and have fun.

After a dinner that included the requisite tamales and several other options (roast beef, pasta, meatballs, fried chicken, etc) and digging in to the dessert table, my dad got out his guitar and we sang a few Christmas carols.

Santa showed up shortly afterward and the kids went crazy. Well, most of them. My cousin’s 18 month old wasn’t too keen on sitting on his lap. The adults didn’t get anything from Santa except a photo op.

We cleared out the tables and set up the piñata. Even if Isabelle hadn’t asked me a few times when it was time to break the piñata, she would’ve gone first as one of the youngest. Again, her little sister wasn’t interested.

The adults played a white elephant game, we took lots of photos and then cleaned up.

I’m glad I didn’t miss this year’s party. Last year I was in New York with Sean. This year he got to meet the Texas side of the family. It was nice to hear my tía Nellie welcome him in to the family.

Even though I attended a few low key holiday parties for Job1 and Job2 last week, I didn’t really feel in the holiday spirit. It usually takes me a few weeks in to December to begin to feel like it’s Christmas. This weekend I couldn’t help it. Seeing toddlers go crazy for Santa and singing carols with my family is enough to snap me out of my grinch mood. Candy and baked goods help too.

Photos mainly by Sean.

Cultura, Familia

Las Posadas

Las posadas begin today and continue all the way until Christmas Eve. Reading Maura’s post on what las posadas mean to her reminded me that I need to buy the piñata for the first of two family Christmas parties on Saturday. Actually, I’m on piñata duty for both parties.

Anyway, the piñata comes after my favorite part. Singing “Las Posadas Villancicos”, or the actual song sung by two groups, one indoors and one outdoors.

En nombre del cielo
os pido posada,
pues no puede andar
mi esposa amada.

Aquí no es mesón
sigan adelante,
yo no puedo abrir
no sea algún tunante.

It goes on for several more stanzas.

For our family parties, we don’t actually go to our neighbors’ homes. Some of them would have no clue what we’re doing. And it’s been 20+ years since we did anything as elaborate as making costumes and setting up a nativity scene complete with an actual baby and a stuffed donkey.

We go much more low key. Our posadas are just a part of the family party. We split up the group in two. One goes outside and sings the part of Joseph asking for lodging. The second group sings the part of the innkeepers denying Mary and Joseph a place to stay.

My favorite part is always the joyful end when the kind innkeepers let in the Mary and Joseph and the tone of the song becomes much more joyful, “entre santos peregrinos.”

I can’t fault Maura for focusing on the food. I love ponche, canela (above), chocolate, champurrado and other sweet drinks to warm one up on a cold night. Paired with a buñuelo or some pan dulce, it’s even better.

But when it comes to las posadas and the family party, I’m too busy singing to grab a bite or a drink.

Familia, Mexico

Descanso

Tía Ofelia, descanse en paz (rest in peace)

***

A while ago, I wondered what it was like for my father to grow up stateside while all his extended family was in Guanajuato. I felt like my father had been cheated of the relationships with his cousins, aunts and uncles I had thanks to proximity. I teared up thinking about how lonely it must have been for his parents and siblings without the support of their extended family nearby.

Despite this, my father is actually quite close to his cousins. You wouldn’t know that they didn’t grow up in the same town or ranch if you saw them interact. Well, my dad would stick out. He doesn’t look like he knows the first thing about driving a tracker or managing a ranch. But the resemblance between him and his cousins is uncanny.

In 2004, I took some time to get back to my roots in Mexico. As I prepared for my first trip in a dozen years, my parents were jealous. They told me I’d be treated like a rockstar. And I was, even if I was the only kid from the LA side of the family to visit. Everyone wanted to see me, take me to see the sites, made sure I ate well and overall I enjoyed my trip. A few of the kids started calling me Cindylandia. I loved it and in a short time developed a connection to people I was meeting for the first time as an adult — I didn’t remember much from my trips as a kid, and nothing from the trips as a baby.

One of those people was tía Ofelia, who lived on the ranch just outside of Salamanca. She was always much quieter than her many brothers (nine in total!), but she was kind and inviting. When we last visited in 2007, she accompanied another uncle, Max, and my parents on a short road trip to Morelia. We spent the day there with my great aunt and her children and grandchildren.

I knew tía Ofelia was gravely ill, but was still surprised to learn of her passing (via Facebook, oddly enough). My dad got a call from nephews in Houston.

Rest in peace, tía Ofelia.

Familia

Happy Mexicans at the happiest place on earth

On Friday evening, my mom called.

“Do you have a Disneyland annual pass?”

“Yeah,” I told her.

“Okay, good. We’re taking Papá Chepe and Mamá Toni to Disneyland on Sunday with your tía Martha, she has a pass. Do you want to go?”

“Hmmm, my pass isn’t good on Sunday, we’ll have to pay. Let me think about it.”

Sean was down to go and it seemed worth the expense to spend a day at Disneyland with my grandparents. I don’t know who came up with the idea to take my grandparents to Disneyland. Maybe after dinner on Thursday, tía Martha was talking about how her pass expires soon and she planned to go on Sunday. My mom might have chimed in that she had some free park hopper passes. Either way, plans came together to take my grandparents to Disneyland for the first time in 35 years.

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Lotería Chicana

Category Archives: Familia