26 December 2012

Mom here.  Feliz Navidad!  It's been a joyous and very different celebration of Christmas for us this year.  We spent Christmas Eve with the Breton family (our director.)  Their apartment was all decked out and the table set with lovely Christmas place settings.  It made me miss home.  They served a beautiful traditional dinner of pork, turkey and beef along with 2 kinds of potato salad (one was red, made with beets (I loved it), a green salad and of course mangoo (platanos and cheese)...no dad didn't partake. 

They told us about their traditions here in Santiago.  Their big meal is always Christmas Eve.  They call it "Noche Buena."  They have leftovers from this meal for many days.  They sometimes open presents on Noche Buena or wait until Christmas morning.  Santa Claus comes and puts the presents under the tree.  The gifts themselves are called "Niño Jesus," or little Christ.  So the gifts represent the baby Jesus.  This is a tradition here in Santiago and the north part of the island.  Down south in Santo Domingo the big focus for Christmas gifts is on January 6th which is 3 Kings Day.  Then the gifts represent the gifts given to Christ from the 3 wise men and they save the big gifts of Christmas for then.  But here in Santiago, the gifts brought by Santa are called "Niño Jesus,." so it's easy to focus on the Savior on Christmas Day.    Awesome, huh.     

Here's Brother Breton and his son Maico with their lovely tree.  It's a Dominican thing to wrap the tree with yards and yards of ribbon.  There's a "Niño Jesus" under the tree. 
  


Notice the bars in the windows...every apartment and home has these, and tile floors.  Christmas throws and pillows on all the sofas and chairs and candy dishes everywhere like Grandma Ron's house. 

The rest of the Breton family. Relaxing after the big, big meal.







Our Christmas was quiet and very different from the past Christmas's living with our family.  We enjoyed our Christmas morning.  Santa came and filled our stocking and left some nice presents.  Notice dad's wrapping.  Mine are was least wrapped nicely in newspaper!  

The first time ever!  When he actually wears them on the beach, I'll definitely take photo proof.  And notice the flip flops.  Another first.  Will wonders never cease? 

 

My beautiful hand made scripture cover.  And blue blouse hanging on door.  Nice.  Our fan is not going around because it was actually cool on Christmas, in the mid 80's.  We took a lovely walk in the evening after dinner.  We didn't see the sight below, that was the day before Christmas.

 

Not exactly chestnuts but rather piglets roasting on an open fire....just makes you feel all toasty inside, huh.  More pictures to follow on flickr soon of pigs on the corner (or is that corner on pigs!) and more videos in dropbox, too.

 

Happy Holidays!