The Jolly Tamale Tradition

Christmas is not amongst my favorite holidays. Favorite - Thanksgiving. 2nd Favorite - New Years. I tend to like the holidays where people sit and think about other people and events. Not in the gift giving kind of way, but the way that makes you appreciate one another. There's no presents. No bunny. No big guy in a red suit. Just enjoying each others company. I'm weird, I know.

I do like Christmas. Of course, I love Jesus, and that's my favorite part about CHRISTmas. But due to my lack of "like" in the yuletide festivus, I instead try to focus my attention on traditions. Amongst the few traditions my family participates in, my favorite of all is tamales. 

It's an evening and full day's process. We usually start on Friday night and end Sunday morning at 1am. The troopers go to church, the slackers (including myself) sleep in... and when all is said and done we spread the love, no pun intended, to the ones we love for a little holiday cheer.

Of course, my family (and quite extended family) make everything from scratch. The masa has become one my guaranteed tasks of tamale employment. There's just something about punching and kneading lard that helps with displaced aggression from the year. Try it sometime. 

I love this tradition because we all have to work together and more importantly we spend time together. We talk. We laugh. We play (well I played with the kids and dogs outside... which turns out to not look like play, but just more work). We make food. We eat the food. Then there's all the food in between. It's the perfect combination for fun. 

It just wouldn't be Christmas, if there weren't tamales and lots of love.

And to me, that's what Christmas is about,
we love because He first loved us... (1 John 4:19)

*And here, I'm sporting the best remix of all. Camo, Vera, Sweats and Flops. Phsshh, 30x30.

What are some traditions you 

celebrate during the holidays?

*On a side note, tamales are not for sale. Of course I'd love to share with you... come help sometime. If you help, you eat. That's always a guarantee.