Since childhood, I waited all year for December to arrive, because I was free from school, and family would come over to my house. My aunts and mom would cook together and prepared the grandest dinner of the year. One bite of that Christmas meal filled me with joy.
December 24th of 2010 was the last Christmas Eve dinner that I celebrated with my entire family in the Dominican Republic before I moved permanently to the United States. I remember it like it was today. The sweet and sour aroma from the food being made was mouthwatering, the typical plates were roasted pork or chicken cooked in the oven, Moro de gandules (rice and pigeon peas), Russian salad (Macedoine of potatoes, carrots, peas, boiled egg with mayonnaise), fresh green salad, sweets such as caramels, biscuits or cakes and last but not least my favorite dish pasteles en hojas which is a traditional Dominican savory cake wrapped in plantain leaves, that is made out of tropical root vegetables. My mom used to let me help in the preparation of this Christmas supper. Since I was the oldest female out of my cousins, she allowed me to prepare the fruit trays, …show more content…
The candles on top of the large table symbolized purity. My mom lit them when everybody sat at the table, eager to say their prayers thanking God for letting us delight in the feast cooked by my mother. For me, this was a crazy meaningless ritual. Nothing about it was important because at that time, I was ignorant. The only thing I cared about was food, and the tons of gifts given to me by my aunts and uncles. I could not wait for the 25th to finally open my gifts. The year I left I received so many gifts, it was unbelievable. I got a laptop, an IPod, ice cream maker and envelopes with cash. I guessed everyone knew I was about to leave forever. I was the happiest person in the world. My mom cooked my favorite dish, my family was together and I got a lot of gifts. What else could I ask
December 24th of 2010 was the last Christmas Eve dinner that I celebrated with my entire family in the Dominican Republic before I moved permanently to the United States. I remember it like it was today. The sweet and sour aroma from the food being made was mouthwatering, the typical plates were roasted pork or chicken cooked in the oven, Moro de gandules (rice and pigeon peas), Russian salad (Macedoine of potatoes, carrots, peas, boiled egg with mayonnaise), fresh green salad, sweets such as caramels, biscuits or cakes and last but not least my favorite dish pasteles en hojas which is a traditional Dominican savory cake wrapped in plantain leaves, that is made out of tropical root vegetables. My mom used to let me help in the preparation of this Christmas supper. Since I was the oldest female out of my cousins, she allowed me to prepare the fruit trays, …show more content…
The candles on top of the large table symbolized purity. My mom lit them when everybody sat at the table, eager to say their prayers thanking God for letting us delight in the feast cooked by my mother. For me, this was a crazy meaningless ritual. Nothing about it was important because at that time, I was ignorant. The only thing I cared about was food, and the tons of gifts given to me by my aunts and uncles. I could not wait for the 25th to finally open my gifts. The year I left I received so many gifts, it was unbelievable. I got a laptop, an IPod, ice cream maker and envelopes with cash. I guessed everyone knew I was about to leave forever. I was the happiest person in the world. My mom cooked my favorite dish, my family was together and I got a lot of gifts. What else could I ask