CHRISTMAS
...ll wonderfully detailed. The shopping needs to be done in time for our immediate family, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Trying to find what they would like is chaos, so usually I take the easy way out and purchase gift cards for everyone. Every year we celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas at two of my aunt’s house, but everyone prepares different food and takes it to their place. My mother usually makes a Romanian food called “sarmale”, which is simply stuffed cabbage. They have a sour aroma that you can smell before you even walk into the house. I also help her with another Romanian cake roll-up recipe called “cosonac”. This cake is a cream of nuts or poppy seeds rolled into dough and baked. Everything needs to be done on Christmas Eve so the food can be fresh and tasty. The presents are required to be wrapped up and ready to take with us. There is much preparation for this exciting event that we all await for every year. The big day has finally arrived and the crisp fresh air outside reminds us to pray to receive some white shimmering snow. We meet with all of our relatives at my aunt’s gigantic house. Since not all of our relatives are in the U.S., we are a total of a few families. First, we all gather around the dining area and give grace for another wonderful year that we can all spend together as a family. We eat the delicious food that every family brought and compliment each other on another dinner turnout. I wait for my favorite part of dinner, which is the famous fruit salad. It’s filled with sweet pineapple, strawberries, watermelon, and so many more deluxe fruits topped off with whip cream. After dinner, we gather around the Christmas tree and pass out presents to the small children first and work our way up to the adults. Seeing everyone so happy gives me a warm feeling inside and once again I am more satisfied to give than to receive. We usually try to have dinner and open presents early so we have enough time to make it to the evening church service. Everyone comes to church in his or her best clothes, and the service is exceptionally well. Seeing the small children perform reminds me of when I was once their age and did the same ritual routine. This seems like the most perfect day from the whole year, everyone in such a glorious mood and the smiles complete this awesome day. We wait for this day all year round and it flashes before our eyes faster than a blink. There is so much preparation but it is equally as much once the holiday comes to an end. It’s a sad feeling that it went by so fast and yet you’re left with just the memories. Taking the decorations off the Christmas tree lights from the outside, or any other decors selected throughout t...