I like the year-end holidays. I like the fact that each culture has a reason to come together to celebrate.
Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, they are all fabulous ways of promoting unity and collective prayer. I admire the intricate traditions, beliefs and ceremonies each of them offers.
I also want to acknowledge the people who don’t have a particular celebration because they are not affiliated with any faith or creed. I guess for them the holidays represent the opportunity to have two extra days off from work, being able to stay at home and avoid horrible traffic and weather. Hey, those are great reasons to like December! No judgment here.
In my case, I was raised Catholic. In Colombia we pray for nine days straight, starting on Dec. 16 and end our prayer with the birth of Baby Jesus on Christmas Eve at midnight. We call that prayer “Novenas” which in Spanish translates to nine days of prayer.
I’ve participated in this form of guided prayer since I can remember, and to be honest, it’s one of my favorite traditions. I love the songs and the short stories that narrate day by day; the journey of Mary and Joseph, starting at the Immaculate Conception, until the birth of Baby Jesus. I like it so much that I’ve kept it alive 2,708 miles always from home (I Googled it.)
Every December, I made an effort to have a nativity, sometimes a tree, and what I consider most important, I’ve passed it down to my son, who was born and raised here, but who prays and sings as a true born Colombian.
I remember when I was a little girl, I attended four or five Novenas per night, at different houses on my block. The homeowners would coordinate their schedules so they didn’t overlap, and all the kids could participate. What I haven’t told you is that there are perks to attending, but you had to comply with two things: to sing as loud as you can, and to properly articulate every word when you’re praying. If you comply with both, the host gives you traditional food, candy and pastries, and on Christmas Eve, a Christmas gift.
This year, for the first time, I’m an empty nester, and to tell you the truth I was not as thrilled to decorate. The Novena already started, and prayer has been tricky. My son is in finals so we’ve facetimed late at night, or early morning to be able to come together and pray.
To my surprise he’s been willing to cooperate and continues to sing and pray as if he was physically here. Of course, sometimes, his peers jump on the call and say “hi” in the middle of prayer, or they are singing and shouting in the background — it’s a dorm after all. But this doesn’t seem to distract him (it for sure distracts me.)
Anyway, whatever your tradition is for the holidays, my wish for you on Dec. 24 at midnight, as I celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus, is that you receive an abundance of unwavering peace, unity, love, financial stability, and great health.
For the ones, like myself, who are far away from their family, I will pray for a prompt reunion, so you can once again sing as loud as you can, modulate your prayers properly, and enjoy a meal in the presence of your loved ones, and for that moment in time, your heart can once again be whole.
