Christmas
around is just around the corner. Growing up as a Jook-sing or ABC (American
Born Chinese), my family didn’t celebrate Christmas. They didn’t grow up being part
of the tradition, so for them they didn’t celebrate it with me and my brother.
The only thing they did do around December was plug in a ceramic Christmas tree
lamp, and put it by the window in my room. It was a nice lamp and it felt very
festive.
At the time, it didn’t
bother me because my parents didn’t make a big deal out of it so I didn’t make
a big deal out of it either. On TV, all you can watch was A Christmas Story and other Christmas movies. Even the kids at
Josiah Quincy School, didn’t say much about it since they were on the same boat
as I was. Then one year later, after Christmas vacation, one of the teachers
asked who got presents from Santa or from their presents. What I remember most
about that day was the number of hands being raised. I couldn’t believe it, I
didn’t raise my hand because the hand raise would only show how I wanted to
feel like being part of something. When the truth would’ve been falsified
anyways.
The year after, I decided
for me and my brother to finally understand the feeling of getting presents on
Christmas. My Brother and I saved some money from last year’s
Chinese New Year. The only store we could get to with the access to toys was
CVS. We both agreed to get an action figure for each other and not those
plastic army soldiers. We went to CVS and each took turns looking for a toy,
while the other looked at the magazines. We paid separately but left the store
together. We asked the cashier to double bag the toy, so that way, the toy
wouldn’t be able to reveal itself. When we got home, we didn’t have wrapping
paper. We used Chinese newspapers to wrap the toy and used color pencils to
write our names on it. We left the presents next to the ceramic Christmas tree
lamp by our window. On Christmas day, when we wake up we both said Merry
Christmas to each other and handed each other the present. My Brother got me an
X-Men toy and I got him a Power Ranger. The tradition didn't continue the year after but it was the thought that counts and it was enough to say it was a good Christmas. 🎄🎅
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