Christmas Is Coming To Town

Hi, blogger, wherever you are in this world, it's me again, Maya.

It's December 23rd already. 8 more days to New Year and 2 more days to Christmas. Well, tomorrow is gonna be the Christmas Eve. Anyway, tonight and tomorrow is the Beppu Christmas Fireworks, the difference is that tonight is for families and friends while tomorrow will be for couples (yeah, I know). The fireworks was so beautiful.


Anyway, that is not the main point I wanted to write here. This year, I did plenty of things related with Christmas. I did Christmas Party with kids for SAS Event, I went to Christmas Fireworks, etc. And in fact, I quite enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong, I don't celebrate Christmas, because I am not Christian. But, these all Christmas Carol reminds me a lot with my childhood and my family.


I spent my early years in America. And in my opinion, Christmas is just so western. I can say, I partly grew up with this culture. 


Whenever I heard the word "Christmas" or see a Christmas Tree, I always remember about one memory. During Christmas when I was in Pittsburgh, I really wondered why my family did not put Christmas Tree inside our small apartment, unlike all my other friends and classmates. I thought in that time, that if my family didn't put and decorate Christmas Tree with Christmas ornaments, I cannot tell my friends about it in the other day.


So, I asked my parents to get a Christmas Tree as well, without knowing that actually our family do not celebrate it. My older brother, who did not want to see my crying face, draw a big Christmas Tree with beautiful ornaments and put it on the wall. He succeeded to make me smile.


And then, Christmas Day came. Because all my other friend was talking about Santa Claus and what kind of presents they will get, I expected that I was also going to get something for Christmas. I believed in Santa Claus so much. Then, just like other days, I did not see any present on that day. So I asked my older brother.


"Where's Santa? Did he forget about me?"


Being asked like that, all my older brother can do was nothing but telling me a make up story.


"He did come,"
"He did?"
"Yes, but he cannot get into the apartment because you were asleep and unable to open the front door for him,"


I believed it. Later on my life, I realized that it was only a lie that being told by my brother to escape me from a disappointment. But, I am glad he lied. It shows that my brother cared about my feeling so much.


Went back to Indonesia, I learnt that I am not Christian, that is why I do not celebrate Christmas. After 12 years lived in Indonesia, here I am, living in Japan. Then, it's almost Christmas that everywhere I go, I hear Christmas Carol. And I remember my childhood. I remember the warmth of my small family back then. That is why, I always smile whenever I have to do Christmas-related things. Not because I want to be Christian and celebrate it. But deep inside my heart, it makes me smile and reminds me of my childhood and my family.


That's all =)