Merry Christmas (Week 16)
Feliz Navidad and Merry Christmas!
I can safely say I've never been so sweaty during the Christmas season in my life. As far as I know, I've only experienced one Christmas that wasn't white and it was still butt spanking cold.
A couple facts: 1) My coldest Christmas was -85 degrees wind chill. (And no! That is not hyperbole, exaggeration, dramatization or any other synonym you can think of.) 2) My warmest Christmas will now be 89 degrees. In case you need help with the math, that's a 174 degree difference.
Pucallpa Town Square
So what's Christmas in Pucallpa like?
Hot Chocolate and Paneton are all the rage here! Paneton is like fruitcake except worse AND people actually like it. No, they seem to LOVE it! I don't think I'll ever complain about fruitcake again! :p And yet, Paneton is strangely addicting. Think... Swedish Fish... disgusting, and yet you keep putting your hand in the bag for more. Or like... Orange Crush Soda... actually no! That stuff's just gross no matter how you... slice it?
December and January are filled to the brim with "Chacolatadas," where people bring TONS of amazing hot chocolate, Paneton, and gifts for the kids and then dance and play and generally have quite a blast.
Santa Clause is Papá Noel here. Is that a Peruvian thing or a Latino thing? I genuinely want to know.
At yesterday's Chacolatada, Papá Noel handed out parasite medicine to all of the children. "Oh! In the states naughty kids get coal? Well, here they get parasite meds. All of them."
I miss traversing the forest to look for a Christmas tree and drinking hot chocolate at home as we decorate it, but yesterday I drank hot chocolate while I staring into the jungle and that was pretty cool, too.
I'm missing Montana Christmas like crazy, but thanks to technology I've been able to enjoy Christmas with the Sample's anyway. I Zoomed (kinda like facetime) into story time the other night as Papa read from "Christmas in my Heart." I joined a game of Yahtzee with the family at Granny's house. Mama read to me out of a children's picture book. In our family we agree with C. S. Lewis when he said,
"No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond."
C. S. Lewis
All told, I feel like I've experienced Christmas at home nearly as much as any other year. Plus, I've experienced new Peruvian traditions.
Last night I joined the other families on an outing to Feliz Mundo, the local amusement park in Pucallpa. Despite making myself sick on the rides and coming back with MAJOR stimulation overload, it was a blast. I've rarely seen so many children AND adults laughing so hard and enjoying life so much.
Fireworks are a HUGE Christmas tradition. I've rarely seen so many fireworks even on 4th of July in the states. And, Trooper, the infamous compound dog seemed to think they were all great fun. He was wagging his tail. A dog. Fireworks. And he was wagging his tail. Either that dog has nerves of steel or no soul. Based upon previous facts, I'm guessing the latter.
The other night I stood in the street and listened to "I'll be home for Christmas." It was just me, and the community of lice on my head, looking at the palm trees and listening to the frogs. It was quite romantic actually.
Speaking of lice, the locals find it amusing to sing, "Tengo lice. Tengo lice," aka "I have lice. I have lice," to the tune of Jingle Bells. Oh! To be able to see the joy in everything like they do! Maybe that is why I am here. To learn that lesson.
I want to end this post with a quote from one of my top favorite historians, theologians, and human beings...
The word “merry” is from an old Anglo-Saxon word which literally means "valiant," “illustrious,” “great,” or “gallant.” Thus, to be merry is not merely to be mirthful, but to be mighty. In Shakespeare, we read of fiercely courageous soldiers who are called “merry men.” Strong winds are “merry gales.” Fine days are marked by “merry weather.” So, when we say "Merry Christmas," we are really exhorting one another to take heart and to stand fast! Merry Christmas!
Dr. George Grant
Let that sink into your bones. Having a Merry Christmas doesn't mean life has to be perfect. It doesn't mean that Christmas must be the most wonderful time of the year. It doesn't mean that it needs to be frilly, cozy, or memorable.
Merry Christmas means, "There is hope, there is a future, there is love."
Merry Christmas means, "I see you, you are valued."
Merry Christmas means, "Hold onto hope, have faith in joy, stand firm."
And with that I bid you, MERRY CHRISTMAS and Feliz Navidad.
~TBS~
P. S. I would LOVE it if you leave a comment telling me about a memory from THIS Christmas that impacted you.