I love the entire month of December, and not just because my birthday is on the 20th, but also because my parents and my grandmother taught me to love it. Since I was little, I saw how when December arrived, my house and everything around it would take on different colors, a festive atmosphere would arise, and a radiant spirit would make us share and give gifts, even if it was just hugs. My father, who must be leading a band in heaven by now, was the one who would take out his cuatro (a Venezuelan musical instrument) and start playing Christmas carols, while we, his daughters, sang the chorus and clapped. Mom and my grandmother would make hallacas and chicken salad, also preparing dessert and cleaning the house.

At home we knew December had arrived because Mom would take a small Christmas ornament with lights out of a little box. That was all we had, but it was enough to dance with joy. We also had a tradition of painting the whole house when December arrived. In fact, I still can't smell fresh paint without exclaiming: "It smells like December!" Another tradition was wearing new clothes. They would buy us clothes to wear on the 24th, 25th, 31st, 1st, and the 6th (Three Kings' Day). I remember that by 4 o'clock we would already be dressed and start playing with fireworks. Of course, we would make a letter to Baby Jesus, who would arrive at midnight with lots of toys. On December 31, all my paternal family would come to my house to celebrate the New Year with my grandmother Eugenia. The house would turn into a real chaos, but I don't remember ever being as happy as in those days.

After my grandmother's death, the dynamics changed and my uncles would come to visit, but not to stay. In the house, it was just my parents and us, their five children. In general, we continued with the same traditions, for example, making hallacas, but now each of mom's daughters began helping with preparing the dishes and cleaning the house. We also bought a bigger tree and started giving toys and clothes to the needy children in the neighborhood. We started by giving toys to just 5 children, today it is more than 20. On the 24th we had the family dinner and on the 31st, in the living room, we arranged the furniture to all hug each other and welcome the year like that, holding hands.

Currently, we no longer have a Christmas dinner because there are so many empty chairs. We only set up a table on the porch of the house, and there we put all the food we make and share it with people who pass by or come to visit us. For example, this year we will make the ham bread on the 22nd and the hallacas on the 23rd so that everything is ready for December 24th. Surely on that day we will buy and enjoy delicious drinks, listen to music, remember past times, and see the joy of the children when they receive their gifts.