Yep, I know
you’re going to groan and say, “Not another damn article about how wonderful
the weather is at Christmas in Mexico.”
Well,
the weather is spectacular in December, but that’s not what this week’s blog is
about. It’s about the small-town feeling
of life on Isla, especially during the holiday season. Many of the major religions have a special day or week in December that is significant to their beliefs, and to
them we wish them all the best of the season. However, living in a country that is predominantly Christian, we are more
aware of their celebrations.
December is a
busy time on the island with several events, including the annual
horse parade, bullfights, folkloric dancers in Centro, and the magical nights
of entertainment at the Casa de Cultura. December 12th is the Day of
the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico.
The Catholic churches have
special masses and processions to reaffirm their commitment to Guadalupe.
Coloured flags crisscross the streets in Centro and outlying neighbourhoods.
Lights and decorations. Music. The delicious smells of festive foods. The
island is in celebration mode.
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| Barefoot Santa John and Valerie in 2015 parade |
Our golf cart is
all tricked out in garlands, wreaths, snowmen and reindeer for this Saturday’s
Christmas parade. Starting at five-thirty, the motley crew of expats and
islanders will assemble outside our casa on Aeropuerto Road, facing south. The
parade ricochets around the various neighbourhoods and eventually finds its way
into Centro.
It’s a wild, silly event that entertains the island kids and
their parents. For other events, we have
been amassing an assortment of toys to be distributed at the January 6th
Day of the Kings’ charity event sponsored by Ruben’s Restaurante.
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| Local kids at the Day of the Kings event |
We decorated our
artificial tree last weekend with tiny sombreros, ocean-themed ornaments and
carnival beads.
I hate to admit it, but
sweating while trimming a tree just isn’t the same as decorating with Christmas
music blaring, a roaring fire in the fireplace and a glass of single malt
whiskey at hand. Oh, darn, a sneaky reference
to our hot weather just inserted itself into this blog!
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| Christmas brunch at Sue & Len's casa |
For us, part of
the fun is the gathering of friends who are not in close proximity to other
family members. There are annual early-morning open house invitations to drop in
for a glass of Christmas cheer.
This
year, two island friends have invited many ‘orphans’ to a Christmas Dinner with
Friends, a potluck gathering where everyone contributes a dish or two.
Our good friends who live just a few houses away have invited us
and our almost-famous dog to their casa for the traditional turkey dinner.
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| Sparky and Julie at grocery store M.Watt photo |
Yesterday, I
popped over to the local grocery store looking for a few more decorations. I
left Sparky in charge of the golf cart. When I returned, he was entertaining two
lady friends who thought he looked lonely. Small town living at its best.
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| Happy Holidays from paradise! |
And yes, there are
sandy beaches, palm trees, blue skies and hot weather, but it’s still
Christmas. It’s the love and the friendship that make this a special time of
year, no matter where you live.
Merry Christmas
& Season's Greetings
Lynda &
Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas the Cat
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| Lawrie, Canadian Christmas '99 |
Or
2 comments:
Wonderful, thank you for sharing Christmas on the Island with us.:)
Thank you for joining our readers .... Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings to you and your family. Cheers Lynda, Lawrie and the Sparkinator.
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