The First Blakeful Christmas

For quite a number of years, we do not usually plan what will be the “handa sa Pasko” for we always go to family gatherings on December 25, so we do not really prepare a grand feast at home.

Every Christmas Eve, our Japanese dining table would only have a bowl of our favorite pasta dish and maybe a bucket of KFC chicken or Andok’s manok and a box of pizza. No Christmas corner with a fancy Christmas tree, not even a small parol nor a styro snowman. Our humble space might be breathing a little bit of a Grinch-like atmosphere but we were just as happy as everyone else with our own version of Noche Buena.

But Christmas 2014 created a whole lot of meaning for us, not only is it about Jesus but also about a little fellow who rocked our world big time. This small person made us put up the first ever Christmas tree in our home, which we decorated with his plushies of love. We didn’t have lots of presents underneath the tree; hence, we placed the little person's books and highlighted my favorite, Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney- a very fitting yuletide theme for the little man.

Do you wanna build a snowman? There's Olaf on top of the tree! 

Creativity stepped inside our now bigger space. I had to decorate the table with colors of cheer, to brighten more our evening. The Grinch had faded and lost patience to hang around; he was replaced with Santa’s elves that busied themselves in making a memorable first cheerful Christmas.

Feast on Christmas hues!

In a small family, which includes three siblings who are technically orphans, we look at the Yuletide season as a time to reflect on the blessings we have received throughout the year and more importantly to celebrate Christ’s coming into this world as our Savior. 

And on top of our list as the ultimate blessing of 2014 is the little man who donned a cute Santa suit on the first Blakeful Christmas of our lives. 

Ho! Ho! Ho!