A Day To Remember

In recent years the importance of extended family has been lost and forgotten in my family. There used to be family reunions annually, celebrating each others birthdays, and sometimes just meeting on Sundays at my grandmother's house to have Sunday dinners. Majority of that precious time we spent together has since been determinate, but there is one joyous occasion that will stay strong throughout our family history, and that's Christmas. On Christmas day we gather together and reunite to celebrate before the New Year and also bring a new life into the circle of our family.

In the past the family would get together on a regular basis because my grandmother was ill and there was no time frame on when there would be that one last time to be able to see her. So my grandmother's children decided to at least have one big event to dedicate to her; something that would keep the family together and they decided to make it Christmas. Christmas to us represented unity and the bond that we share with each other. Whether it was only that one day we met as a whole, it was meant to never forget where we come from and it was meant to remind us that family was the one place you could confide to. Christmas allowed us to just come together and converse on anything, just giving us a day to just get away from the outside world. For instance, my dad and uncles would discuss new ideas on how to make money and the kids would run around and bring about that laughter enjoyed throughout the house. Christmas day gave us a chance to wind down and relax without worrying about work or other daily duties. Even though there were bills to pay and beds to make up, no one cared because it was Christmas day.

On Christmas day we eat well prepared food that my mother and aunties take time out on Christmas Eve and Christmas day to prepare. They separate the items and my mom cooks the side items like dressing, collard greens and potato salad. My auntie Alice cooks macaroni and cheese, buys the ham and she just started cooking the chicken. My auntie Lou bakes the cakes, for instance red velvet, pound cake, and everyone's favorite chocolate cake. Although the desserts are wonderful they can't compare to my mother's sweet potato pie, it has cinnamon and lots of butter and other cholesterol building ingredients. Dinner usually starts around 4 p.m. and we around 4:30 p.m. If you are late you won't miss out because there is plenty to go around. It seems like they cook enough to last months and ironically enough the food is gone at the end of the night. But before we eat any food we have to pray for the loved ones we lost and the food that we are going to