You know when you wake up in the morning and it suddenly dawn on you that some things are never going to be the same again? That missed feeling that comes with it, like a knot in your stomach? That was exactly how I felt this morning. I woke, opened my WhatsApp and guess what? December and new month wishes were screaming at me. Before that, I smelled it – harmattan. That's how you know Christmas is around the corner in this part of the world. It made me happy and sad at the same time. Happy because it brought back happy memories. Sad because I knew that things would never be the same again. Why? That brings me to Ladies of Hive Question this week.
There are two traditions in my family. The first one is Homecoming.
Each Christmas, every member of the family comes home. It doesn't matter where you live, so long as you're in the country. It's a time we get to see each other again and catch up on old times. I don't exactly know how this tradition came to be. There are other holidays throughout the year but Christmas is the time. Perhaps because it's Christmas after all. Communicating with your family all the time is one thing, but seeing them face to face, nothing beats that. Ah oh, we catch up on neighborhood gossip too. Being the youngest, it's the time I escape bills. Don't look at me like that. shrugs
The second tradition is White Rice and Stew
This happens on Christmas day. We prepare a lot of food on that day, but rice and stew is the king. Failure to make it means we haven't started yet. In my home town, we don't eat a lot of stew. We use ofeakwu, a type of soup made from palm fruits – boil till it's soft, separate the skin from the kernel and use water to bring out the sauce till shaft is left, then cook. It can be prepared with any protein of your choice and lots of vegetables. It needs a careful hand or you mess it up. People from other tribes call it banga. They can't prepare it like we do though. LOL
Now, to why I said things won't be the same again.
Parents have a way of holding everyone together. Both my parents have passed away and things are different now. Most times, I feel there's no reason to go home again. My siblings and I call each other and that's that. Getting everyone to come home seems like a herculean task now.
But there's no sadness because all I have is the good memories. Those moments were the best ones in my life and I'll cherish them forever. What matters is how positively out lives are affected. If and when I have my own children, I'd definitely try to bring them home once a year. The love and joy shared in those moments are priceless.
Hey, @trucklife-family, I'd love to read your holiday traditions.