Christmas Past.....

My late mother Mary Go Ledesma raised her children like Americans. I was named after Hollywood actress Hedy Lamar and my sister Jeannette after another screen icon Jeannette Macdonald. We watched English movies, read English comic books, and were exposed very casually to the American language. My mom spoke English fluently, having been educated during the “Peace Time” at the city’s public high school. (With probably a few American teachers.) As children, we were brought up as Christians, celebrating Christmas and believing in Santa Claus. During Christmas time, however small our abode, the family never failed to put up a green crepe paper covered Christmas tree. We the children hang and decorated the tree with our mini plastic toys, Mama would string the tree with Christmas beads and Papa the final touch, decking it with colorful Christmas lights. On Christmas Eve, the kids would hang stockings on the branches of the tree, and Santa Claus never failed to fill them with candies, sweets, little coins and some little knickknacks too. As a child, I would try to stay up late to catch Santa Claus putting stuff into my stockings at night, (which to my wonderment, I never did.)  and woke up very early to dig deep into the stocking on Christmas morning.  For me, as a young girl, the tree was such a delight and beauty. It was also truly magical. Thus, this was how I was brought up, growing up filled with so much Christmas spirit and fun.

This wonderful childhood also included a new dress at least once a year. My mother would bring me to a modiste at Manday across the bridge to fit in for a new dress once a year for the school Christmas party. My auntie Elsa Go in Manila would also gift me with one or two beautiful ready-to-wear dresses for the season. I never wished for a present nor yearned for toys or dolls. But these were the best gifts any girl would wish for. I think my dress was always the prettiest during my elementary to high school Christmas years.

Not all was rosy pink and honey sweet though. At school, my “exchanged gift” from my Kris Kringle in class was always disappointing. Yearly I got the same cheap commercially packaged box of cookies from my classmates whoever they maybe. The cookies were completely soft and tasteless. Although on my part, I would myself go all the way to Benedicta Store to looked for a Christmas appropriate gift for my Kringler, such as a little Belen, or a mini doll or a deck of playing cards, etc. When I was in high school though, I was not eager for the exchange gifts anymore. Rather I was looking forward to receiving Christmas cards from any admiring boys. Many of my girl friends in high school were receiving plentiful of them, sadly I never got one, not even during my senior year.  Yet despite my great disappointments nothing can dispel my heart. Christmas in its entirely, was great!!! There were dancing parties, school fairs, bingos, Christmas Eve’s masses, carolings, going to the beach, and food, plentiful food! How I loved them all. 

To this day my Christmas past has made me remain the person I am today, a child-at-heart. And these and all and everything good on earth, I thank thee graciously Lord for coming to us on Christmas Day and for coming to us everyday. You are the greatest gift of all! Peace, joy and good will to all. Merry Christmas!!!