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My nieces and nephews

I love Christmas’ Eves. In Brazil, we celebrate Christmas on the 24th and the 25th. Growing up, the adults would lock us children up in the kitchen while they placed the gifts underneath the huge Pine Christmas tree that we had helped them decorate. Then, they would take us out of the kitchen and we would see Santa Claus driving up his tractor and shaking his bell, HoHoHo. Yeah, I said tractor. And it was no John Deerie.

You see, we always spent Christmas at a ranch my grandpa and his 12 siblings owed together. That’s right. So there was about 200 of us family; the elders, their kids and grandkids. And every year they hired a Santa Claus to come distribute the gifts on Christmas Eve.

Now the family ranch has been sold to one of his siblings, and we no longer spend Christmas all together. But my grandparents had four daughters, and my family remains very close. So every year we spend Christmas Eve at my aunt’s house. And every year, she hires a Santa. Only this time he doesn’t drive a tractor, he arrives walking. But still shaking his bell HoHoHo.

It’s always a tropical summer night. And now the new generation of kids (my nieces, nephews and cousin’s children) are so excited to see him. Only this time they don’t have to be locked up in the kitchen. We came up with a solution to this issue and just explain to them Santa Claus dropped the gifts before he arrived with the help of his reindeers and elfs. They take their place on the couch.They don’ t blink, or talk . They are on a trance that is only broken when their name is called by Santa.

And is so magical to see their enchantment, that one can almost believe it’s true. And it reminds me of my childhood, and that I am home.

Tags: @postaday, Brazil, Christmas, home, post a day, weekly photo challenge