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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Merry Christmas From Nova Friburgo

SAM_3228As I sit here listening to the heavy, tropical rains outside,  thinking about the summer time Christmas in Brasil, missing my children and grandchildren and the winter time Christmas in the USA, and knowing what I do about how the different branches of mine and Camillo’s families celebrate the holidays, I realize that Christmas here is the same that it is worldwide.  There is not anything spectacularly different with Christmas in Brasilian to show you.  There is just the knowledge that wherever Christmas is celebrated, be it in the North or the South, the East or the West, that the celebration is about families.  

As the years pass, and I am more and more familiar with the holidays here in Brasil, I have notices that the outward signs: the decorated trees, the streets lined in bright lights, the gifts wrapped in increasingly more elaborate, more expensive papers, have become more commercial, but the core celebration here is still about families gathering, eating traditional meals, playing holiday music, and keeping the children occupied with games that all the family members play. 

And it seems to me that the traditions are not so different from place to place, country to country.  Whether it be at my sister’s in Michigan or Camillo’s sister’s in Rome, my daughter’s in Houston or the apartment of Camillo’s son in Rio there will be a decorated tree, maybe it’s a (an artificial) pine tree in the front window or a grand pine planted by your great grand parents in the front yard;  maybe the tradition is the heirloom nativity scene on the fireplace mantle, or your favorite father Christmas from Germany or the elaborate angel sewn by your mother, these symbols of our families’ love for one another, surviving over time and distance, will be throughout all our home, around the world.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

SAM_3250

 

To Your Family

 

From Mine!    

17 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Ginger!!

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  2. Doreen, thank you. you were so speedy that you read this post while I was still messing with the words and the arrangment.

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  3. Dear Ginger,

    This is a great post, love to hear about your experiences and your point of view of Christmas from different parts of the world.
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!


    Ray

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  4. Merry Christmas Ginger, and to Camillo as well. All the best in 2011.

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  5. How right, Ginger, Christmas is about the same everywhere - family, tradition, giving, feasting. Only the weather changes!
    Have a good one!

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  6. Best wishes for a great Christmas Ginger, and New Year.

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  7. A beautiful post! Yes! I think Christmas world wide has similarities! I think the differences mainly relate to family traditions!

    A very Happy Christmas!

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  8. What a lovely post Ginger. You really do live globally. I have to say that I just love the picture of the dancers - i know I said it before - but as soon as I click to your blog, it makes me happy to see these tiny dancers. Merry Christmas to you and Camillo!

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  9. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

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  10. What an excellent description. Have a merry Christmas! I forgot to tell you last week how much I love your header.

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  11. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year too!

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  12. What a great holiday post! I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!

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  13. Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

    Has the rain stopped yet?

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  14. A truly lovely Christmas post, Ginger. My son is spending the festive season with Brazilian friends in England. My brother who lives in England is in Australia with our family. My kids and I are in NZ. We may be in different countries but the spirit is the same.

    Love your header!

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  15. wow..nice colors you must have did hard work on your blog!...keep posting!..more picture please..

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