A Magical Evening

     "Christmas? It's Christmas!" I said as I was filled with excitement and precise happiness as my mother woke me up at exactly 11:30 on Christmas Eve. I immediately run to see our kitchen with all my favorite handas like shanghai, macaroni salad, carbonara, and chicken joy. That night feels so magical because of the essence of our Chrsitmas tree wandered by colorful lights, garlands, and ornaments and it was filled with gifts. It was so magical that everything felt so unreal. All of a sudden, I heard my alarm ringing and I woke up. It's the 24th of December, morning. That magical evening was just a dream, but it felt true. It felt real and I know for sure that it really happened, I just can't remember it.

   However, when I woke up, I heard a sound of a car infront of our house. To my surprise, I saw  my first cousins, aunts, and grandmothers all from my mother's side. Since 2021, we've been celebrating Christmas together in Pampanga but this year, it's different. They all came in our house to celebrate and for me, it was more than enough than all the gifts to receive. My tita who usually organizes the games was also there, together with her signature cassava cake. I was again filled with excitement because our Christmas tree was then again fllled with gifts and all our ready to cook handas were macaroni, spaghetti, shanghai, and chicken joy. It seemed familiar, but I ignored it and proceeded to enjoy the moment. 

    Few hours have passed, it's already Christmas Eve. We went to the church to be blessed as we come to celebrate the birth of jesus Christ. After that, we played several parlor games sponsored by our tita who gave us 50 Php worth of prizes for every game. it was so fun and I enjoyed every single moment we've established together with my family. I turned to look at the Christmas Tree. It was sparkling, the ornaments were shining, and the gifts seemed to be waving at me. For a second, everything felt silent. Now, I remember. My dreams, they really happened and it was the memory of my Christmas experience back when I was 6 years old. Everything was a memory that will forever remained as just a memory. 

    Suddenly, my cousin tapped my shoulder, asking me to come eat with them. After all, it was really joyful, all my experiences throughout the night. However, it was not the same as before, not as magical as when I was a child. Christmas had been part of my life, and I am ready to make the most out of it every year, together with my cousins, relatives, and my family. Regardless of how different and less magical our christmas tree is or whatever our handa is, what the most important is the real spirit of Christmas, that is, celebrating with our loved ones.