On Christmas Day in the Morning - São Sebastião

I am sitting here in the delightful wreckage of presents and wrapping, coffee and panettone. It really doesn't matter where you spend Christmas; it is the same. The arguments last night over how much longer the suckling pig should be roasted, the overeating, the lighting of candles, the kids falling asleep on couches while waiting for Santa to appear.

Appear he did and stuffed the two huge stockings made for the boys by one of their godmothers (we call her GM Susan) with books and chocolate and games and frisbees. The cookies were half eaten, the reindeer had scarfed up the lettuce. 

I know that this is their last year of believing in Santa--already their older brother is threatening to spill the beans today. And that is okay because truly it may be time for them to know how people not an imaginary man try their best to fulfill their wishes. And of course they have their 9-month old cousin to convince of the chubby white-bearded delivery man.

Half a cookie and a bit of lettuce left over from Santa and Rudolph

Shadowing ("asombrando" in Portuguese) the delights is the other passage of time. 94-year old Nonna had an episode last night at the dinner table where she blacked out briefly and needed help to get to the bathroom and to leave the table. She is the much-loved matriarch here but the slow decline has more than begun. It has accelerated. We may be without more than Santa next year.

And we await news of my uncle James, the artist uncle, the best friend of one of my sons this summer. He was hospitalized three days ago with a weak heart. It is at these times that I deeply feel how far away Brazil is from the US (and California is six hours time change away as well). We get news in bits from my aunts, late at night, waiting up.

Soon we'll head to the beach and sit and watch the waves come in and the waves go out. 

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one 
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The road is so long. 

....

Silent Night - São Sebastião

Our rental house...no chimney for Santa!

Today is Christmas Eve. It is the big celebration of Christmas on the Eve, and not on the Day as is traditional in the US. While I'll never get used to a tropical Christmas where I have to wash the sand off my feet, I do enjoy the beautiful simplicity of the holiday here. In fact, at the beach, it is a day much like any other, spent with family--and a whole lot of cooking later in the day.

Presents are opened on the Eve. If there are kids around who still believe in Papai Noel (Daddy Christmas), a relative might race through the house in a Santa suit. Two years ago this was Great Aunt Mara with a beard (after all the lights had been doused by an accomplice). She almost got caught. It gets pretty tough to keep this mystery going--much easier in the US when you can just wait until the kiddies go to sleep. 

The meal is sometimes suckling pig (more common New Year's Eve), turkey, and lots of fixings. And we even forgot a Christmas tree this year so we'll have to hang some ribbons off the sideboard. I think we have a small felt hanging tree somewhere. Much like my feelings about importing Halloween here (I am opposed), I am somewhat happy we don't try to copy a northern Christmas. We can't, so why bother. While I miss it, the northern Christmas doesn't allow me to still my toes in the surf and toast Iemanjá (the sea goddess) with my glass of wine.  Cheers!

And merry Christmas!

Brazil Style - São Sebastião

Yesterday, after a three and a half hour drive down the sea-front mountains, we arrived in Guaecá. I know I have posted about this beach before so I won't bore you all with it again, but this place is magic. 

This year we have done particularly well on our house rental and our house is oceanfront. This means that two seven-year old boys were immediately through the back door then out the front door and in the sand. Sand castles, capoeira, judo, and handsprings followed shortly. 

And the sunset...there is nothing like the Guaecá sunset. And a little boy silhouetted as he cartwheels down the beach. Christmas week in Brazil. LOVE it!