{"id":42913,"date":"2013-12-16T08:43:56","date_gmt":"2013-12-16T14:43:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=42913"},"modified":"2013-12-16T08:45:09","modified_gmt":"2013-12-16T14:45:09","slug":"tradition-less-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/12\/tradition-less-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tradition-less Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/p>\n

\nWhen I was younger, the lack of any sort of stable Advent traditions was a point of pride. I\u2019ve spent many a Christmas eve camping out on the floor of the Miami airport during a 5-hour layover playing cards with my siblings, waiting to spend Christmas with family in the Caribbean. But, on the risk of sounding like a humblebrag<\/a>, spending Christmas on a beach in 80 degree weather just doesn\u2019t feel like traditional Christmas in the northern hemisphere.<\/p>\n

Lack of tradition didn\u2019t really bother me when I was younger, the holidays promised airplane flights to see family, but only happened every three or so years. The other occasions of Christmas – spent with immediate family in small simple affairs.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve grown older, we\u2019ve carved out some new Christmas traditions from caroling in an retirement living community with friends from Church to making and eating local Trinidadian fare. Seldom trips to visit family have been substituted with frequent Facetime sessions with our iPhones and iPads.<\/p>\n

\"Making

Making Trinidadian Pastelles<\/p><\/div>\n

This weekend, we added yet another tradition to our growing list of unique traditions – pastelle making. Much like tamales, pastelles is the Trinidad speciality for celebrating the holidays. My father and I learned the art of making the dough, stuffing, folding and encasing the pastelle in a banana leaf to be steamed. During the pastelle-making-workshop we listened to traditional Trinidad music, drank some rum and cokes and swapped stories about the experiences on the small island.<\/p>\n

While these traditions are newly formed, they all revolve around the strong sense of community through the bonds of family and the church. There are times that I am frustrated that the closest members of my extended family are a continent away (I would tell you the amount of miles but Google maps was unable to compute the distance when I asked for directions), but am reminded of the rich friendships and community here in Central Texas that I have found.<\/p>\n

I joke with my friends that I have this fantasy worthy of a hallmark movie when I think of the holidays. Thanksgiving would consist of the family gathering to eat dinner with the finest china with a football game between the men and children in the backyard while the women drink coffee and watch from inside – all with matching sweaters. Christmas would be similar with matching pajamas and steaming cups of hot cocoa while the kids tear into presents under the tree.<\/p>\n

But what I have is so much better. I\u2019d trade matching sweaters for long exhausting plane rides to reunite with family for the holiday season, hot cocoa for chilly nights singing Christmas carols to seniors with my friends from church and finest china for sitting around a kitchen table while it snows outside for pressing banana wrapped pastelles into foil for steaming and eating on Christmas morning.<\/p>\n

\"ACNM-Advent3\"Today I challenge you to pray in thanksgiving for the different communities that impact your life.<\/strong> Whether it’s immediate family, a club or organization you are in or a church bible study, youth group or service organization all of these people impact our lives in one way or another.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I was younger, the lack of any sort of stable Advent traditions was a point of pride. I\u2019ve spent many a Christmas eve camping out on the floor of the Miami airport during a 5-hour layover playing cards with my siblings, waiting to spend Christmas with family in the Caribbean. But, on the risk… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[384,383,2886,1317],"class_list":{"0":"post-42913","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog","7":"tag-advent","8":"tag-christmas","9":"tag-community","10":"tag-traditions","11":"entry","12":"has-post-thumbnail"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":186756,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/sunrise-dark-faith-advent-brightness-christmas\/","url_meta":{"origin":42913,"position":0},"title":"Sunrise: through the dark faith of Advent to the brightness of Christmas","author":"Shawn Rain Chapman","date":"December 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Traveling through Advent with grief this year has led to me to soul search about what Christmas is, and, in the process, to notice similarities between the journey of Advent into Christmas and the stages of the soul's progression into the heart of God. \u00a0According to Carmelite spirituality, \u00a0the soul\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"photo by Renee Bork","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/12016594_10205918857824426_849206572_n-550x413.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/12016594_10205918857824426_849206572_n-550x413.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/12016594_10205918857824426_849206572_n-550x413.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":577215,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/12\/spiritual-nourishment-for-the-last-week-of-advent\/","url_meta":{"origin":42913,"position":1},"title":"Spiritual Nourishment for the Last Week of Advent","author":"Rachel","date":"December 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"On the last leg of this Advent journey, I'd like to share with you two little bits of spiritual nourishment that I have found really helpful along the way. We are getting closer and closer to Bethlehem now, just one week away in this shortened Advent season. Can you feel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/800px-Meister_der_Kahriye-Cami-Kirche_in_Istanbul_004-550x400.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/800px-Meister_der_Kahriye-Cami-Kirche_in_Istanbul_004-550x400.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/800px-Meister_der_Kahriye-Cami-Kirche_in_Istanbul_004-550x400.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":181178,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/in-the-spirit-of-advent\/","url_meta":{"origin":42913,"position":2},"title":"In the Spirit of Advent","author":"Ablaze Ministries","date":"December 2, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Every year during Advent, the Johnson clan leads a church-wide food drive.\u00a0 We ask our church community to draw a family from our sister parish in downtown Houston and pray for them, give them boxes of food, and maybe get them a present or two.\u00a0 Then two Uhauls get filled\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Advent-CCFM","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Advent-CCFM-550x366.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Advent-CCFM-550x366.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Advent-CCFM-550x366.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42623,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/12\/beginning-advent-with-a-challenge\/","url_meta":{"origin":42913,"position":3},"title":"Beginning Advent With A Challenge","author":"Elizabeth","date":"December 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This year, the number of days in this holiday season are the shortest it possibly can be. 27 days. Just 27 days separate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Perhaps, As a result this begins to explain how and why retailers have combated the unusually short shopping window by putting out Christmas merchandise\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Advent","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/ACNM-Advent1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":339830,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/mary-never-enough\/","url_meta":{"origin":42913,"position":4},"title":"Of Mary, Never Enough","author":"Rachel","date":"December 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\"De Maria, nunquam satis!,\" St Bernard of Clairvaux once said. Of Mary, never enough! \u00a0In these last few days before the great feast of Christmas, perhaps you're feeling harried or haven't had time to prayerfully prepare, or just aren't quite into the Christmas. Or perhaps you're drowning\u00a0in carols all day,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mary","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/IMG_3104-630x630.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/IMG_3104-630x630.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/IMG_3104-630x630.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42944,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/12\/kucios-christmas-eve-lithuania\/","url_meta":{"origin":42913,"position":5},"title":"K\u016b\u010dios – A Christmas Eve in Lithuania","author":"Julia Motekaitis","date":"December 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0This month at Austin Catholic New Media, the contributors are taking turns sharing some of their family Christmas traditions. \u00a0While I have some very special ones from my own family of origin, today I'd like to share just a few of the beautiful customs I have experienced\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Seneles-nativity.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42913\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}