Our Holiday Traditions
Since I can remember, my most favorite time of the year is Christmas Season. It’s just everything that I love, celebrating Jesus, family, traditions, delicious food and plenty of parties. I grew up in Puerto Rico where we have one of the longest Christmas Season in the world. The kick-off is on Thanksgiving day and the festivities do not end until 8 days (Octavitas) after 3 Three Kings Day (Epiphany Day).
When I moved to Kansas City this season here was so different that I felt a little lost. Maybe, it was the cold, being away from my family or the difference in how Puerto Ricans and Americans celebrate this Holiday Season. Or maybe all of these, the fact is that I was in cultural shock. Little by little Jerry and I have started adding our very own Christmas Traditions that combines a little bit of both worlds and makes this season a very special one for us.
Our Traditions:
Coquito- Ever since I moved to Kansas City I started making coquito one or two days before Thanksgiving day, so is ready to drink that day. Making Coquito spikes up my Christmas spirit and makes me feel a little bit closer to home. Coquito is the most popular Holiday drink in Puerto Rico, so it’s perfect to start my favorite season of the year. Now I also make coquito without alcohol so Isabella can have it as well and she helps me with the process. Click here to see my recipe for this delicious drink.
So we start the Christmas Season officially the day after Thanksgiving. We go out as a family and pick out our Christmas tree at a local farm. We started doing this two years before Isabella joined our family. For me this has been an incredible experience because in Puerto Rico we don’t have tree farms. If you want a real tree you just need to buy it at store.
Throughout the years we have had friends and family join us as well on this day. Isabella enjoys it very much too. That same day we start decorating our tree. Sometimes it takes us few days, because for me this is a very serious task, I like my tree to be perfect, at least perfect for me. I move ornaments around a lot. I remembered the Christmas I was pregnant it took me like a week, but being due in January you can imagine why it was that way, Momma was too tired.
We also start the house decoration the weekend after Thanksgiving too. We do outside decoration and we add a little bit of the charming Christmas colors and ornaments to the inside of the house too. Now I see that excitement in Isabella as well and is even more special. I think she will love Christmas Season as much as her Momma.
Elf on the shelf- we started this tradition last year, when Santa Claus send Paco to our house for the very first time. Jerry and I decide to introduce Isabella to him, because we thought that would add up some magic to her Christmas. At first she was like, wait what is this?, but after a few days, as soon as she woke up she will start calling his name and looking for him all over the house. It was fun for her and for us, so we decided he is coming back this year.
The Night Before Christmas- We have a few traditions for this night. We all wear matching pajamas since Isabella’s first Christmas, have a box exchange, make cookies for Santa and put the magic key outside.
Usually we spend this day at home, sometimes we go to church, have a family dinner and then just stay home enjoying this night. The box exchange is just a simple gift exchange we started to add something different for the night. We include in each box things we can use that night. The matching pajamas are always in the box, other things are movies, games, books, art things, treats. The gift exchange is just to us from us and I personally love it.
We celebrate Three Kings Days, so our tree doesn’t come down until after January 6th. When I met Jerry he didn’t know about this Holiday we celebrate in Puerto Rico, of course he knew about the three wise man, but didn’t know about how special this day was for us. He adopted this Holiday and now we celebrate it all together as a family.
Growing up in Puerto Rico I remember this day being celebrated just as we did Christmas day. Christmas for us in Puerto Rico is a holy day we celebrate our Savior, go to Church and have family gatherings. Santa Claus didn’t visit as many houses down there as he visits now. He always visited my house with a couple of small gifts. But Three Kings Day, oh that was like the most special one. We visited Church, celebrated Jesus and had amazing family gatherings.
The night of the 5th, most kids on my Island will put grass in a shoe box and water under their beds, this is for the Three Kings camels. On the morning of the 6th the grass and water was gone and in its place there were gifts. My brothers and I went outside that morning to look for the footprints of the camels, and guess what? Some years we were lucky enough that we saw them. A very special day for everyone in Puerto Rico
So after hearing about this story, of course Jerry was onboard with this celebration.
We put out the grass and water even before Isabella was with us. If we are in Kansas city we take that day off from work, exchange gifts and cook a delicious Puerto Rican meal. Isabella knows about the Three Kings, when we are Puerto Rico for this day, she gets to experience the full tradition, as I did as a child. If we don’t travel to the Island, the Three Kings visit Isabella in Kansas City. We don’t have grass here at that time, so we leave water and lettuce, and some cookies too for the Three kings. She loves them as much as she loves Santa.
Last year we started a new tradition tied to the Three Kings, thanks to one of my best friends. She introduced us to the book ” Un coquí de Boriquén con los reyes a Belén”. This is a perfect story for us. It narrates the story on how the 3 Kings find all the Puerto rican Kids. It’s all about our native Coquí.
So that’s how Elena, the Coqui joined our home last year on Christmas morning. She sings every night and that guides the Three Kings to our home no matter where Isabella is. This tradition is one that is celebrated very differently in the US and this book is perfect for when they ask why the 3 Kings come to our house and not others. Elena leaves us the night of the 5th, her job is to make sure Isabella is following instructions and being kind. Isabella can play with her, touch her and take her everywhere. Last year we travel to Puerto Rico for Three Kings and Elena traveled with us as well. This year we are expecting to have Elena back the morning of the 25th.
So these are some of the traditions and rituals we have in our home, hope you enjoyed them. For me it is very important that Isabella knows the real meaning of this season. We celebrate Baby Jesus birthday, that’s how I’ve been explaining her this season. Its good to have all the gifts, gatherings and food, but I don’t want her to loose focus on what we are really celebrating. We love all the magic, we have adopted all these traditions to add something different and have fun, but always having Jesus in our heart.
Tell me about you Christmas season, your traditions, rituals and what you like to do. If you are from another country please tell us what you do different, we love to learn!
Have the best Holiday Season everyone!
**First and last picture in this blog by: Marie Photography**