A Christmas Story
🎄 Finding Beauty in the Blend of My Heritage
The Ohio winters in the 1970s of my childhood were truly cold and snowy. Back then, we could pretty much count on having heavy snowfalls that transformed the flat northwest Ohio landscape into a deep, silent white blanket with large shiny jagged icicles hanging from our ranch style house’s roofline, giving our home an authentic holiday look. Outside our big front picture window, Christmas looked like a Norman Rockwell painting filled with a scene of trees, their boughs bent over with heavy loads of snow, snowmen in neighbor’s yards and the typical chaos of school holiday performances and the final shopping rush to the stores before December 25th.
For my family, who brought their Tejano and Mexican roots north, December 24th was the culmination of weeks of preparation - Christmas tree decorating, wrapping gifts, making special cookie packages and gift baskets to take to family members, and while we also celebrated all the festivities of Christmas day too, Christmas Eve was also a celebration of familia and traditional foods. As the days approaching Christmas counted down, the excitement began.
🥧 The Sweet, Spiced Aromas of Postres
While savory tamales would simmer on the stovetop, the kitchen counter would be covered in an array of baking tools and ingredients for making classic Mexican American holiday sweets, each adding its own lovely aroma to the holiday cocina:
Pan de Polvo: The delicate, shortbread-like cookies known as pan de polvo filled the air with the unmistakable, warm fragrance of cinnamon and sugar. Their dusting of sweet powder made them melt in your mouth. I remember eating them with cinnamon tea and dunking them quickly for fear they would break apart into my cup before reaching my mouth.
Empanadas de Calabaza: These flaky pastries made from sweetened versions of flour tortillas were filled with sweet pumpkin filling (calabaza), often spiced with clove, cinnamon, and brown sugar. My favorite part was folding them closed like a half moon, crimping the edges with a fork and poking little vent holes in them.
Buñuelos: That intoxicating smell of fried flour tortillas mingling with the final dusting of azúcar y canela (sugar and cinnamon) that coated the puffed fried dough. The resulting crisp, sweet perfection was usually paired with Mexican hot cocoa.
🎶 Sounds, Sight, and the Warmth of Family
The air wasn't just filled with cooking smells; it was also filled with music and the sound of life. Our holiday playlist was an eclectic, a beautiful blend of classic English-language Christmas carols mixed seamlessly with Tejano music.
In the days before Christmas, I would help Mom wrap Christmas gifts for our relatives. We’d lay out all the holiday wrappings, bows, cards and supplies on the living room floor and dig into this huge project - gifts for tias y tios and all my primos.
The glow of our Christmas tree lights and stacks of presents for everyone under our tree was magical. Part of the fun on Christmas Day was dropping gifts off to friends and family as well as hosting Christmas at our house.
⛪️ Leading Up to Mass
Just before we headed off to the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass in our finest clothes, my parents would allow each of us children to choose and open one regalo from under the tree. This moment of immediate joy was a smart way to tide us over until the morning and keep us on good behavior at Midnight Mass. It made the anticipation of the night all the more exciting.
I must admit, as a child, I was never really happy about attending church, but Midnight Mass was a totally different story. It was something truly special. Being allowed to be up that late was the first big perk of the night—a rare, monumental freedom that signaled the importance of the evening. The mass held it’s own kind of magic. It was filled with so many sensory delights. The powerful music of the church orchestra and traditional hymns and carols sung by the choir and congregation, the story of the Nativity recounted, the beautiful soft candlelit glow of the altar decorated with pointsettias, the Nativity scene laid out in front of it, the beautiful finery of all the people and of the clergy, the unmistakable scent of smoky frankincense wafting through the church - all of these things added something deeply mystical and incredibly special to the mass.
😴 Home Again: The Long Drive and the Sweet Sleep
Finally, the long, hallowed service ended. Exiting St. John's at or just after midnight, the cold, crisp air was a stark contrast to the warmth of the sanctuary. The ride home was quiet. After hours of cooking, cleaning, feasting, and the solemn beauty of Midnight Mass, our eyes were heavy. We were all a beautiful mix of deep peace and utter sleepiness.
Beneath the exhaustion, however, was anticipation. The weariness of Nochebuena was a small price to pay for the promise of waking up just a few short hours later to the sound of Mom busy in the kitchen, the smell of breakfast, and the sight of Santa's gifts waiting under the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree.
🎄Family Traditions
Every single family, regardless of where they come from, has their own beautiful, specific traditions that act as their holiday anchor—a special recipe, a particular song, or a unique time they open gifts.
As an author, I believe that what makes us unique is what makes our stories powerful. If the journey of my Tejano-Ohio Christmases taught me anything, it is this: Your heritage is your greatest gift. Don't feel the need to conform to one mold. Embrace the blend!
What traditions define your family's holiday heart? I'd love to hear how you celebrate your unique heritage this year!