Tuesday, December 17, 2013

OUR BICULTURAL CHRISTMAS



Music is switched continuously
from mellow songs of Santa, bells, home,
to fast beat of guitars, maracas, drums titillating
senses with lyrics of roasting pigs, rice, rum.

Aunts call - You can't have Christmas without
their special  peas, their treats
nougats, guava pastes, chocolates, more.
They feed the children -  those within our hearts.

Languages switch too,
from English to Spanish to Spanglish.
Bright lights blink from tree,
sparking memories to revive
fused traditions of our lives.

We cook 'til late making pasteles*
next day we bake some pies,
friends drop by for tasting,
we drink coquito** as well as wine.

The music wraps us like presents,
we become the season's gifts
dancing to loving sounds,
grateful to be in such a mix.



*Traditional Puerto Rican meat pie made from a mixture of green bananas and other tropical root vegetables, and pork.
** A blend of coconut juice, sugar and rum consumed mostly during Christmas.


My husband is downstairs making a green chile/ cheese casserole.  The New Mexican culture here is similar to mine, though our food and language dialects are very different.  I'm a Puerto Rican from New York and that's a blended culture all its own. How lucky I am to enjoy this diversity.  It's all so good.

I wish you all the good of this world.  Enjoy all the differences and cherish our similarities.  May your holidays be full of joy as well as all your years.














13 comments:

  1. they feed the children in our hears...sounds like a warm christmas with family around...we will be busy with family the next week...and there will be plenty of cooking...though a bit different than yours...though i would love to try yours...smiles...i had these green chile tamales in a place just outside mexico...mmm...for breakfast even....lovely

    merry christmas!

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  2. I like this a lot. It makes me think of my experiences of kid from other cultures at school. What makes a celebration....

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  3. Puerto Rican is one of our Hawaii plantation cultures! I love your post

    ALOHA to YOU
    from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral
    =^..^= <3


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  4. How lovely. It sounds like the very best of family celebrations with blended cultures, languages, traditions...

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  5. ah that sounds lovely...i love everything multi- or mixed-cultural... my little one will spend christmas in costa rica this year.. wondering what she will tell about the traditions there... hmmm...the food and family closeness is just heart-warming myrna...wishing you a wonderful christmas time...and can i get a coquito...? smiles

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  6. Beautiful poetry, traditions, family. You have such a good heart, Myrna! I'm glad you explained the food and drink, too. I think I'd like a bit of that coquito! ;)

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  7. Beautiful and mesmerising.

    A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for you and your family.

    Greetings from London.

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  8. Beautiful and mesmerising.

    A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for you and your family.

    Greetings from London.

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  9. wonderful Myrna...have a blessed Christmas!

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  10. "The music wraps us like presents,
    we become the season's gifts
    dancing to loving sounds,
    grateful to be in such a mix." beautiful dear Myrna… I think perhaps we are all blended families, bringing in traditions from generations on his side and her side and learned from others in the larger culture no matter what religion we practice… all of us wrapped, presents in the presence of love.

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  11. Hola, que tengas un lindo fin de semana navideño, un placer descubrir tu bello blog, feliz Sábado, te invito de manera cordial a que visites el Blog de Boris Estebitan y leas un poema mío titulado “El guerrero Pegaso”, espero que te agrade, puse mucho de mí para escribirlo, saludos cordiales y un abrazo enorme.

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  12. Myrna, I love the sound of this gathering, and especially adore your closing stanza....the music wrapping you like presents, you being the season's gifts. Beautiful. And your new little granddaughter the most amazing gift of all.

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