Every day for a long time now, I have been writing this blog. In every spare moment, I close my eyes and start remembering and imagining what that distant summer was like. And now, as it has started to snow here, I am writing a section about the most unusual Christmas celebration in the summer. Just imagine: it's hot outside, palm trees, the usual (for us) plus 30 degrees, and you are going to celebrate an American Christmas. I didn't have to wait a year from the last New Year, because the residents of America organized such a gift for us. Every Tuesday and Wednesday, meetings were held at the church for all students, where you could simply chat with Americans, various families, and get to know students from all over the world. Unfortunately, I wasn't at all the meetings, but I was invited to celebrate Christmas.
They wanted to show us what Christmas is like for them, over there, across the ocean. You can read a lot about traditions and culture, but until you experience this holiday yourself, you won't truly feel it. Everyone was dressed in Santa and his helpers' costumes. We took photos together.
There was a tall, decorated Christmas tree in the hall. It was decorated in the same style we had seen in all the American New Year movies before. There were many tables, and we could sit wherever and with whomever we wanted. I sat with Chinese students in the front rows.
It was impossible to imagine such a variety of food. Such completely non-native, completely strange, and incomprehensible food.
It is worth noting that there was even traditional Christmas food in the form of a baked turkey, which was carved in front of everyone at the beginning of the celebration. Potatoes, ham, pudding, salads, snacks – it's impossible to list everything. Some dishes were unusual for me and seemed difficult to combine, but it was worth a try.
A volunteer woman spoke in front of us. When she gave her speech, everyone closed their eyes and listened.
She spoke about life, faith, and how sad it is that all good things come to an end and that our meetings had also come to an end. It was so touching that tears welled up in my eyes. I didn't want that evening to end. It seemed to me that these people were my family. At that moment, each of them cared about you, someone who had come from far away. Everyone tried to please us and wanted us to know what Christmas is like, not from stories, but in reality. Then, surprisingly, a Santa bag was prepared for everyone, with a memorable, albeit symbolic, gift. It was the most real Christmas, when you feel like you're 5 and you're waiting for the moment to unwrap the package. But that's not all. Each student prepared a gift to exchange with the others. Thus, everyone received something as a keepsake. I got a charming panda, as a symbol of China. Everyone without exception was satisfied. Then everyone was given postcards, and we had to answer the question: "What is the most important gift in your life?" And then you could leave wishes for the volunteers and hang your postcard on the tree. All the postcards were in the shape of New Year's figures, and I sat and thought after that wonderful woman's speech that, perhaps, life itself is the biggest and most important gift for me. It was this life that gave me the opportunity to sit with those wonderful people and spend time, celebrate Christmas, and forever keep those indescribable emotions in my heart. And in my postcard, I wished that all these wonderful people who organized such a holiday would be surrounded only by worthy people, like themselves, because it is very important to surround yourself only with positive emotions that come only from good and faithful people. I saw the shining eyes of all the students, sometimes admiring the atmosphere itself, sometimes just from the opportunity to make new friends and acquaintances and chat with them.
And one thing united them all – they were happy. And such a little winter happened to me on one of the most non-winter August days. And life became easier afterwards because you had your own personal New Year in the summer. And one more truth: you don't have to wait for New Year or Christmas or any other holiday. If you really want to, you can organize absolutely any holiday on a completely ordinary day. Everything depends only on us and our attitude. I wish everyone to find or meet such people who can create a holiday just like that, by themselves, by their presence and mood. And then we won't have to say that our life has turned into routine and grayness.
