I am going to make some generalizations here; I want to just make it clear that my life is different than yours in a few ways. I have been watching the news, reading Facebook posts, and have even talked with a few of you.
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YOU |
ME |
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Around town you are seeing Santa and maybe reindeer and elves.
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I see statues of Mary in churches, houses, and on floats for the seven day parade called La Purisima. |
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The weather is keeping most of you indoors |
I see my neighbors sitting outside of their houses in the evening, enjoying conversation and elaborate Christmas lights and decorations. |
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You awake to an alarm sometime between 5-7 AM.
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The fireworks start going off at 4 AM to wake us up for the La Purisima celebration. They go most of the day, with the most intensity in the early morning and evening. |
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Celebrations include warm drinks and Christmas cookies |
We followed the sound of fireworks this evening and came across a La Purisima celebration (A lighted statue of Mary and angels). I was graciously given a bright pink fruit drink in a sandwich bag (very common) |
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You see cars with antlers and wreaths on them.
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We saw a 4 foot Papa Smurf piñata being carried on the front of a bike (must be headed to a First Communion celebration today.) |
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Your Christmas tree is cone shaped; either real or fake.
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We swiped a tree from our “garden” and hung our ornaments! |
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The temperature is somewhere between 10-40 degrees Fahrenheit.
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The temperature falls to the upper 70s at night and gets to around 90 during the day. We do have a nice breeze and occasional rain. |
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Very few of your neighbors chose December to paint their house. |
Many of our neighbors paint inside or outside of their house to get it ready for Mary. |
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You are listening to Christmas music. |
Small bands playing brass and drums go throughout the town playing Mariachi type music. |
It is so interesting to be a part of a different culture. Every day Stephen and I wish we had our cameras at the ready. A few days ago it was a rickety cart pulled by an old bony horse, with a man sitting in a large leather recliner “driving” the horse. Today it was a young man riding his bike with his girlfriend sitting on the cross bar holding a large bag of beans and rice, and he was holding a beautiful decorated cake. The ingenuity of the people amaze me!
What we do have in common: Celebrating the birth of Jesus!
Love, Natalie