Happy Holidays!

This post is somewhat delayed because of all the holiday activities around here. The week after Thanksgiving, I went to Disney World with Alyosha, while Rosalia went back home to Italy for a few weeks. I had never been to Disney World before. It was very exciting, and as soon as we got home, I was begging to go back!

(Tin soldiers in the Magic Kingdom)

(Nighttime in France)

While in Disney World, we celebrated Hanukkah. Each night I prayed, and played dreidel, and I was even lucky this year and got something each night! It was a good year. I liked spending Hanukkah in a non-familiar place.

Then... CHRISTMAS! Even though I'm Jewish, Rosalia and Alyosha are not. A part of me learning about other cultures is holidays too, so Alyosha lets me celebrate Christmas. I even sent Christmas cards to my some of my friends who sent me a card this year! I liked Christmas music too. It's kinda like Broadway music, but if you sing it in a store, no one looks at you funny!

(Rosalia and I making Christmas cards! We decorated the tree all by ourselves, too!)

Finally, we have the Epiphany. Although a religious holiday, it isn't really celebrated in the United States by too terribly many people, like Christmas. For Alyosha, it's more of an Italian tradition to celebrate the coming of the three kings to Bethlehem. For the Epiphany, a family usually would attend a mass, and in Italy, their gift bringer comes on this night. She is called La Bufana, which means "the gift-bringer" in Italian. She was asked to join the three kings on their journey, but she was afraid to go with three very strange men, so she didn't. Later, she thought she would and see the new king, but it was too late. The star was gone. So now, she visits every child and gives them a little gift, just in-case they are the Holy child. 

Different cultures celebrate differently though. 

!!!HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!