Celebrating Christmas

Celebrating Christmas

For the first time in 3 years, I could spend Christmas with my family in Ruteng. The last 3 years, I spent Christmas away from home for works, to guide people around Flores. Since covid-19 hit, tourism activities are not busy anymore that made me having lots of time to stay at home to spend Christmas with family.

Christmas for me and family refer to dried cakes, tart, and pork. This part has always been a tradition since I was kid.

The talks over the cakes making was about sharing memory about our childhood during Christmas. My mom and I while pressing the batter reminisced about I and my brother who were always frustrated when my mom used to ask us to go to the neighbor to borrow some cooking stuffs to make cakes like baking oven, mixer, and cake maker.

This was always been the frustrating part for us. Every time we went to borrow their belongings, we faced the fact that the neighbors were also busy in making their own cakes, we had to wait till we were about to arrive at the Christmas eve, so mom was so worried she could not make it and then she had decide to “collaborate” with the neighbor in order that we could celebrate Christmas and enjoy some cakes. This has always been practiced by mom for decades till we finally owned from my friend’s present in just 3 years ago.

All kids gathered around with beautiful outfits moms had bought. We discussed about where we started to walk and which house we had to be staying bit longer. All agreed if we would stay way longer to the family who served us lots of cakes.

For this special moment, my parents who used to be very strict and controlled agreed if we could enjoy lots of time to be away from home till night time. It was just freedom to all kids no matter what the religion is because I remembered my little friend Abdul who is Muslim spent all day long with us to celebrate Christmas. 

My family and I smiled when these memories were shared again. Suddenly, my mom smelled something strange, she immediately ran to the stove to check if everything was alright. She found out some cakes burnt, she was seen not happy but on the other side, we loved this part and these landed directly to our stomachs as we loved this part just like how we used to. Hehehe

It used to be the church was full of people at the Christmas Eve. People from all ages went to church to celebrate Christmas. The Parish church had to open the church two to three times so that the church can occupy this huge number of people.

Christmas this time was quite different that the Parish church had to limit the number of people by having more mass time by the 24^th of December due to the covid-19. If it was maximum 3 times mass, now the church was so busy serving 6 time mass in order to practice covid-19 protocols.

Everyone looked so happy that they could finally go to the church for celebrating Christmas mass after the churches in the town were locked for some times.

The unforgettable part of the Christmas memory was a visit to neighbors. By the Christmas Eve after the mass, we used to visit the neighbors and relatives to share Christmas spirit added with some big meals. Arak was one of the biggest parts and a loud music to make the moment more alive.

For Manggaraian people, Christmas is not only a celebration for Jesus’ birth but it is also the time for people to do some offerings to their spirits.

There is a ritual called “teing hang” or offering meals to ancestor that aimed to thank all the ancestor for their blessings during the year and hoping they will continue giving their blesings for the New Year.

Since there is no exact time which date the ceremony has to take place, every single family of Manggaraian people had to practice this near the end of the year.

Bapa Yohanes Napur who is my neighbor was busy inviting his relative right after the mass at Christmas Eve. He prepared chicken and arak to offer to the spirits.

Bapa Yohanes Napus had his says why he made it at Christmas Eve. "I would rather make it now than later because there would be many rituals afterwards that I would probably be busy. Christmas is also glorious time to do the ritual, besides because of its spirits but also it is for the first time in 5 years my families were gathering after being away for works outside of the town”.

The most beautiful part of Christmas 2020 that I could always fondly remember that unlike I was kid who loved to receive, but this time we were able to share some gifts with the children in my community. All thanks to Ms. Fransisca and Mr. Ken who have fully supported the children in my neighbor in Ruteng with some school supplies such as notebooks, picture books, rulers, pens, and Christmas hats. 

Gio, one of the kids who received the gift expressed his gratitude saying “terima kasih Ibu Fransica, terima kasih pak Ken, semoga sehat selalu”. (Thanks to Mrs. Fransisca and Mr. Ken, wish you a good health).

Jein, who received the present expressed the gratitude to thanks Ibu Fransisca and Pak ken who have presented her the meaningful present as she will use that for studying.

All of the kids saying “terima kasih ibu Fransica, terima kasih pak Ken, semoga sehat selalu dan selamat Natal” (thanks to Mrs. Fransisca and Mr. Ken, wish you a good health and merry Christmas).

Mrs. Fransisca and Mr. Ken were my business guests who travelled with us in October 2020. For them travelling is not just for fun but more than that it is for a life experience. To add the value of the travel experience, the love to share bits of what they own to support kids and their education.

Mrs. Fransisca who I contacted after we shared their presents saying “thanks for making it into reality, during the pandemic, there are people who couldn’t celebrate Christmas and some have no Christmas spirits because they cannot buy presents, they cannot buy Christmas tree, and many more due to the pandemic, so we are so pleased that we could share to those who needed more even though it is not a huge present but hopefully the spirit of Christmas is delivered to everyone who celebrates it”.

For me, the small action we have done could have been something to be taken for a lesson. When I was kid, I loved receiving than giving, next time that will definitely swap and hope the same to these kids and you. Merry Christmas everyone!