it's beginning to look like christmas

One Saturday D and I ventured out to the supermarket to get our weekly supply of food and sundries when while cruising through the aisles of the supermarket, we spotted their latest selection of Christmas trees on offer. Before we knew it, we were loading the cart with balls in different sizes, bells, stars and what-have-you to decorate the tree with. We went home that day, played Vince Guaraldi on the background and excitedly set up the tree. From that day on, D and I have spent hours staring at it. Like it's our pride and joy.

Certainly, this is not D and I's first Christmas together. But it is our first Christmas as husband and wife. And as cheesy as it may sound, I am excited to start Christmas activities that will later on become our very own family tradition. Something that we'll do with our future kids, and that which our future kids will carry on with their own families. (I suppose playing Vince Guaraldi while decorating the tree will be one of them)

Christmas family traditions are important to me, as it is with D I suppose, but to a greater extent for me. Being a Filipino Catholic and all, Christmas takes on a whole new level of significance. When my Thai friends ask me how we celebrate Christmas back home, I can't truly explain it. The occasion has an emotional aspect that I can't describe. I guess it's an overwhelming feeling of joy and excitement to be surrounded by family. My best memories of Christmas is time spent with family; when the whole family put up Christmas decorations around the house, when everybody pitches in to prepare our feast for Noche Buena, when my whole family goes to confession on the night before Christmas, or when my parents and I complete the nine-day novena mass commonly known as Misa de Gallo. It's Christmas traditions like these that I want to carry on and pass on to my future kids.

As much as I would love to come home to Manila to experience this all over again, D and I have opted to stay in town. But we'll be carrying on something we started last year, a Christmas feast with our Bangkok family, our friends. Like last year, D and I will order a turkey and invite friends to come over and bring a side dish that would go well with the turkey. We'll exchange gifts, drinks lots of wine and enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by family.  I'm excited!