Santa has never been a part of my Christmas experience. I remember that as a child growing up in Venezuela, I didn’t spend the night before Christmas waiting for Santa to bring me my present (and yes, I said A present, only one). I was the youngest of five children in a home of two working parents, I had a single gift each year. It didn’t come from Santa and his reindeer, it came from baby Jesus! In a time of much less stuff, there was always something special that I really wanted and baby Jesus would bring it for me—the newest electronic, or a new pair of shoes. And we would open presents at midnight.
Christmas Eve was always the special day in our family—a day full of special Venezuelan food that we only ate at Christmas time and waited for all year long, a time of family all getting together for a big meal, an opportunity to wear my brand new shirt, hearing fireworks in the distance as people celebrated this special holiday. I remember the importance of our nativity, and bringing baby Jesus and placing him in his crib on Christmas day, celebrating his arrival.
Now, as I have been celebrating Christmas away from my dear land of Venezuela since the late 1990’s, I reflect on how baby Jesus has continued to play a role in my life and the life of my children. I share with my children the special Christmas tradition of food, family and friends. I long for the day when my country escapes the nightmare it has been living for the last couple of decades, and my children can wait for Baby Jesus in my homeland.
I look forward to continue learning how Jesus impacted others and how he has impacted me to follow his path. This month, I celebrate the birth of baby Jesus!
Juan Carlos Ramirez