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Are the parties a tradition? Yes, ladies. Especially when it comes to Christmas festivities. Do we have Christmas traditions in my house? Well, of course we do, like every Venezuelan family that likes to share with the family and enjoy these days.
We have many traditions, but, particularly, in my house there is a magic, almost epiphanic, when it is time to make the hallacas. Even I, who am a bit of a Grinch (I am not a lover of these days), get carried away by what they call the Christmas spirit.
It all starts a day before the elaboration process. Dad is in charge of chopping the meats in small pieces, because we don't like the stew to be ordinary, that's how picky we are!
¿Las fiestas son una tradición? Sí, señoras. Sobre todo si se trata de las festividades navideñas ¿Tenemos tradiciones navideñas en mi casa? Pues, claro que Sí, como toda familia venezolana a la que le gusta compartir en familia y disfrutar de estos días.
Tenemos muchas tradiciones, pero, particularmente, en mi casa surge una magia, casi epifánica, cuando llega el momento de hacer las hallacas. Hasta yo que soy medio Grinch (es que no soy muy amante de estos días) me dejo llevar por eso que llaman espíritu navideño.
Todo comienza un día antes del proceso de elaboración. Papá se encarga de picar las carnes en trozos pequeños, porque no nos gusta que el guiso quede ordinario ¡Así de exigentes somos!
That same day my mom seasons the meat to cook it the next day. In the meantime, my sister and I prepare what's missing, that is, we do the last minute shopping, because in my house there are always last minute purchases.
I've always wondered why we never have enough to buy. I don't understand it.
The next day, the good stuff starts. Mom gets up early, puts her pot on the stove, lights the fire and starts cooking. While that is being done, my nephew washes the leaves. That activity was my sister's job, but in Venezuela, those activities are designated by age, so the youngest in the family gets to do that.
Ese msismo día mi mamá condimenta la carne para ponerla a cocinar el otro día. Mientras, mi hermana y yo alistamos lo que falta, es decir hacemos las compras de ultimo momento, porque en mi casa siempre surgen compras de último momento.
Siempre me he preguntado por qué nunca alcnaza lo que se compra. No lo entiendo.
Al día siguiente, comienza lo bueno. Mamá se levanta tempranito, monta su olla a la en la hornilla, enciende fuego y a cocinar, se ha dicho. Mientras, eso se hace, mi sobrino lava las hojas. Esa actividad le correspondía a mi hermana, pero en Venezuela, esas actividades se designan por edades, asi que, al más pequeño de la familia, le toca hacer eso.
On the other hand, I pick the decorations (onion, paprika, eggs, potatoes) together with dad and my sister. I always have to do the kneading. There have been no changes in my house. My sister hates to knead, so it's my turn.
Then, with the stew ready and everything ready to start, we all sit at the table to assemble the hallacas. My mom and sister roll out, dad ties them, I take care of getting all the decorations and blah, blah, blah.
By rolling out I mean taking a little bit of dough and stretching it on top of the banana leaf to put the stew and the decorations. Quite an art.
Por otro lado, yo pico los adornos (cebolla, pimentón, huevos, papas) junto a papá y mi hermana. A mí siempre me toca amasar. En eso no ha habido cambios en mi casa. Mi hermana odia amasar, así que me toca a mí.
Luego, con el guiso listo y todo alistado para comenzar, nos sentamos todos a la mesa a armar las hallacas. Mi mamá y hermana extienden, papá las amarras, yo me ocupo de tener todos los adornos y bla, bla, bla.
Con extender me refiero a tomar un poco de masa y estirarla encima de la hoja de plátano para ponerle el guiso y los adornos. Todo un arte.
But the magic of the whole process is not the process itself. It is everything that comes out of it, because while all that is being done, we laugh, we play music, we have a drink here and there. We snack on the stew, we eat the trimmings....
Now I understand why they never reach the garnishes (onions, olives, capers, potatoes, paprika...) Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Dad and mom tell their stories of how their Christmas was and we also try, in the best way of aedo or minstrel, to transmit to my nephew part of what our time was like and how Christmas was lived in those days.
Pero lo mágico de todo ese proceso no es en sí el proceso. Es todo lo que surge del mismo, porque mientras todo eso se hace, nos reímos, ponemos música, nos tomamos una copa por aquí, por allá. Picoteamos el guiso, nos comemos los adornos...
Ya entendí porque nunca alcanzan los adornos (cebolla, aceitunas, alcaparras, papas, pimentón...) ¡Ja, ja, ja, ja!
Papá y mamá cuentan sus historias de cómo eran sus navidades y nosotras también tratando de, al mejor modo de aedo o juglar, de transmitirle a mi sobrino parte de lo que fue nuestra época y cómo se vivían en esos tiempos las navidades.
In Venezuela, things have changed a lot. Many parents are left alone, many children are left in charge of their grandmothers and if we add the economic situation of the country, Christmas no longer has the same flavor of family, meetings, gifts and family togetherness of before.
I have always said that at Christmas time the absences are more noticeable, the shortages are more noticeable, that is why I do not like Christmas. One begins to miss a lot, to long for other times and nostalgia arrives and with it comes sadness, tears....
I'd better leave it here, because I get sad and start telling you about other things and that is not the purpose of this post....
En Venezuela, las cosas han cambiado mucho. Muchos padres quedaron sólos, muchos niños quedaron a cargo de sus abuelas y si juntamos la situación económica del país, pues las navidades ya no tienen el mismo sabor a familia, encuentros, regalos y a unión familiar de antes.
Siempre he dicho que en las navidades se notan más las ausencias, se advierten más las carencias, será por eso que no me gustan las navidades. Se comienza a extrañar mucho, a añorar otros tiempos y llega la nostalgia y con ella la tristeza, los llantos...
Y ¡Ay nooo! Mejor lo dejo hasta aquí, porque me pongo triste y me pongo a contarles de otras cosas y ese no es el objetivo de este post.
I love you, my beautiful ladies!
Note: last week I didn't accompany you in your posts, but this week I will do my best to leave a comment to as many of you as I can. If the internet lets me, of course.
¡Las amo mis bellas damas!
Nota: la semana pasada no las acompañé en sus publicaciones, pero esta semana pondré todo mi empeño en dejarles un comentario a todas las que pueda. Si el internet me deja, claro está.
Wow. You sound like y'all have a blast in such. Awesome.
Christmas is so exciting, but you are right...
absences are more noticeable
Thanks for sharing, @yeceniacarolina.
Good luck with the contest.
“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” – William Shakespeare
La Navidad es muy emocionante, pero tienes razón...
las ausencias son más nobles
Gracias por compartir, @yeceniacarolina.
Buena suerte con el concurso.
"Un amigo es aquel que te conoce tal como eres, entiende dónde has estado, acepta en lo que te has convertido y, aún así, te permite crecer suavemente". – William Shakespeare
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Thank you for sharing your Christmas traditions @yeceniacarolina! Christmas can be filled with such joy, yet at the same time, sadness. We long for maybe better and closer times. Take care and may you be filled with lots of Christmas spirit this season!💜🤗
Let's hope that yes, the Christmas spirit arrives soon. It always comes. A little late, but it comes.
Thanks for stopping by to read me, my dear!
You are welcome!🤗💜
Amiga bella, linda y preciosa, mi hermana de corazón; este año si estoy sola, los visito. Un abrazo mi hermana.
Hola, mi hermana querida. Sabes que serás bienvenida y no necesitas invitación. Un abrazo.
Hello @yeceniacarolina. I thoroughly enjoyed your post. I remember when you first entered the Terminal's Redfish Rally. It was such a pleasure to meet you. I see you have kept busy on Hive and been doing well.
When you say that the enjoyment is in the preparations when everyone laughs, play music, and have fun during this time, that is what family gatherings are all about. It's a wonderful feeling, no matter what you lack in resources.
Thanks so much for sharing. Good luck in the contest.
Take care, and have a wonderful rest of your week.
Hi, how nice to see you on my blog! Those were wonderful times. Yes, I'm still here, more often now. I hope to stay for a long time.
Greetings @justclickindiva!
It's good you are finding time to be more active on Hive. Good luck in your journey. Take care. Hope to engage with you again soon.
I find the people most important in any situation
If you have the right ones, and even kneading can be fun :D
Thank you for sharing your story with us <33
If you knew that I like to knead and I learned to make bread, because I like to do that. My sister says it relaxes me.
Thanks to you for reading me, my beautiful one!
@yeseniacarolina
Muy entusiasta tu relato y muy familiar, propio de estas fechas.
Saludos.
@yeceniacarolina
Tu relato refleja el ambiente típico navideño.
Me gusta.
I actually love the time when all family members are together to prepare for the holiday. When I tried to recall about holiday, it is the most vivid moments in my mind. Thank you so much for sharing with us
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