The Holidays With Friends

The holidays is always festive. It is probably one of my favorite time of the year. There are lots of customs and traditions associated with this season, and we try to replicate them wherever we are. Aside from the usual gift-giving, the highlight is always about the eating and the drinking. We believe that food (and lots of it) on the table represents abundance and good fortune, especially for the coming new year.

I don't have any family where we live, nor does my wife. Her closest kin is in southern California, and so is mine. But we do not make the drive down south. We'd rather stay where we are and be among friends. They are our family, and they've treated us as their own as well. For the past so many years, this is how we celebrate the holidays.

Christmas eve was spent with, what I would call, fairly new found friends over the last couple of years. They're a school family as well, and very active in both parish and school communities. It was our first time celebrating Christmas eve with them, and their immediate families. Personally, I enjoy their company because it brings me back to the type of friendship I have established back home. Easy going. Unpretentious. Casual. Being a great cook and gracious host, we feasted on a variety dishes that were true to the occasion, as we ushered in Christmas day.

After attending mass on Christmas day, off we went to our "second" family -- the family of our godchildren. We've known this family for quite sometime, even before the wife became pregnant with their first child. As a matter of fact, she was my mother-in-law's physical therapist. That's how we met. Now with 2 kids, both of whom we are godparents to, they are who I would consider our "second" family. We try to see each other as often as we can, with or without an occasion. And the event that bonds us together? You guessed it. Food.

A mean cook in her own right, this mother of 2 does not hesitate to invite us over to eat and catch up, or to simply hang out. The eldest daughter is growing fast, and the 7-month old son is a joy to play with. The dad is a crafty handyman, and has helped us a lot, especially during our last move. It was a Christmas day we all chilled, figuratively and literally (it was about 43F and raining that day).

For New Year's eve, it was a different "family". We were invited by one of our closest school families. A family whom I consider real, grounded, honest, and sincere. I always enjoy their company, no matter what the occasion is. The evening was shared with a few other school families, and we each brought a dish and favorite drink to share. Our kids have been classmates for the last 9 years, and each promised to continue to get together even after our children have graduated and moved on to high school. I think we will. I know we will. As Ryan Seacrest counted down the ball dropping from Times Square, we all ushered in 2013 with shouts of joy, hugs, and a toast of champagne and Martinelli's.

The holidays here will never be the same back home. But you adapt and make the most out of it. What's important is that we do not forget what we're celebrating during this season.

Have a wonderful 2013 to all of you. Cheers!!!