Holidays Spent in my Household

 

Hey There!

Last week, we talked about food, and this week, I want to dive into how my family and I would spend the holidays. Both my mom and dad come from Catholic backgrounds, so they raised us Catholic as well. This made celebrating major holidays like Christmas and Easter easy. But the two holidays that truly stood out in our family were New Year's Eve and St. Patrick's Day.

As a child, I always looked forward to New Year's Eve because we would spend it with my dad's side of the family. My mom usually worked late since she was a server at a high-end steakhouse. So, my dad would take my brother and me to my aunt's family party. It was always a blast—I’d get to see my cousins, and we always had the best Mexican food. We’d spend the evening playing ping-pong in the basement or running around playing hide-and-seek. An hour before the countdown, we’d play games together as a family, like musical chairs and minute-to-win-it challenges. Then, about five minutes before midnight, my aunt would hand out poppers, hats, crowns, and silly string. We’d do the big countdown, then celebrate with hugs and laughter. I always looked forward to this time, being surrounded by my dad’s family and culture. It made me feel at home.

On the other hand, St. Patrick’s Day was my mom’s big holiday—and it has since become my favorite, too. The day would start with Irish music blasting through the house and my mom cooking up a traditional Irish breakfast. There’d be soda bread, black and white pudding, Irish sausages, and Irish bacon. Irish breakfast is my all-time favorite meal, and she’d always serve it with Irish tea. After breakfast, we’d head to the Irish American Heritage Center, where they held a huge celebration, complete with a rugby match, Irish dancing, and even an Irish Mass. My parents would take us to Mass, and afterward, we’d watch the rugby game while snacking on my favorite Irish chips—Taytos! I especially loved seeing the Irish dancers perform because, at the time, I had just started taking lessons myself.

Now, St. Patrick’s Day has become a tradition that I continue with my roommates. It’s my way of sharing that part of my heritage with them, and they absolutely love it! New Year's Eve on the other hand has changed for me, instead, I spend it with my friends from back home and make new memories with them! 

See you guys next week!