Merry Christmas!
The sun once again shines and the streets have rebounded after the rain with mobs of people, vendors and traffic.
Life doesn't look a whole lot different here despite the date on the calendar. The big bank near by has a 2-story blue tinsel Christmas tree and gaudy balls decorating their fence. If driving at night, a few restaurants and dance clubs show off a string of lights or two. In the piles of used clothes, shoes and plastic housewares sold on the streets, you can now find tinsely decorations for sale. A man on the corner is selling Reindeer made out of pinecones. Silvia called them large rabbits when I asked her their name.
In preparation for a new year, December is a time when people put a little extra time and care into their homes. If a little money has been saved, walls will be painted, construction continued, improvements made. Now that we know to pay attention, freshly painted store fronts and stuccoed walls covering previously exposed concrete blocks are evidence as we pass by familiar spots. Silvia tells us everyone spends extra time in the week before Christmas thoroughly cleaning their homes and preparing for a fresh start to the year. Maybe she was just indirectly hinting at us to clean our closets or scrub the couch liners.
Last night we spent the evening with friends, sharing a pot-luck style meal that was full of savory flavors, roasted vegetables, homemade cornbread, pumpkin soup, and lots of christmas sweets. We sang carols around candle light, and slipped into easy conversation. One of the couples there has two children, their oldest a 3 year old girl. She and Solomon became fast friends and walked hand in hand all over the house and yard while the grownups did their boring grown up things. Although we haven't known this group of people long, their company has become familiar over the month and the atmosphere warm. It was a perfect way to spend Christmas Eve.
On the drive home, the streets were a buzz with activity. Usually, if driving home after 10 in Port-au-Prince the streets are wide open as the city sleeps. But no one sleeps on Christmas Eve. Like New Years, Christmas eve is a night when young and old stay up through the night and welcome the holiday at the stroke of midnight. Many of our friends, including Silvia and her family, went to church in the evening and spent the entire night there, dancing, singing and celebrating with friends and family.
As we drove down Rue Delmas, we passed masses of people dancing in parking lots and along the side walks, rum and Klerin being sold by the cup full to people walking down the street, vendors hovering over their baskets full of food despite the late hour, fritay vendors selling their hot fried food. The street kids were still out and about, a few sporting Santa hats, wishing us a Jwaye Noel and seemingly caught up in the energy of the night. The music and party-making lasted 'til the break of dawn and was accented with bursts of fireworks and carols sung over megaphones into the wee hours of morning.
Silvia reported she went to bed at 2:30am after coming home from church, was up at 4 to pray, but couldn't go back to bed because the neighbor was slaughtering a hog and the "streets were hot" with activity at the early hour.
We, however did not see the 4am hour arrive. Just removed enough from the street, the Bentrott family enjoyed the rare treasure of sleeping in. I immagine there won't be many Christmas's that we have the option of sleeping in with kids, so we enjoyed this our first, and maybe our last.
Tonton Noel found Solomon. We opened a few presents and mostly watched Solomon bang on his drum with Santa hat on and smiles abound. I'd worry about what the what the neighbors will think, but their little angels got a karaoke machine and have been rocking on it since 7am. Maybe we'll all start a band.
About the time we were getting ready to sit down for breakfast, Silvia surprised us at the door to declare that she wanted to make us our Christmas gift--homemade Pumpkin soup. She chopped and simmered, stewed and stirred our surprise Christmas feast. She has quickly learned a quick way to our heart is through our stomachs!!! She couldn't have wrapped anything more delicious!
Pumpkin soup is a special soup for the Haitian people, symbolizing freedom and hope. It is packed full with vegetables and meats as if to celebrate all the produce Haiti is capable of making. It is fragrant and delicious. She told us stories of her all-nighter at church with family and friends while patting around the kitchen and drinking cocoa with us. She is planning another late night tonight at a different church, but would take a nap before starting round 2 of Christmas celebrations.
Nothing on the agenda for us tonight aside from maybe a movie and some quality time before I pack and catch the early flight out of Port-au-Prince tomorrow morning. Our tummies are full, the lights are glowing illuminating the dark room in primary colors, my little elf is reading a book with his dad and we all are cuddled up on the couch. A perfect Christmas day. The traditions are new, the scenery a little unusual, but the day full of the most important ingredient of the season--time with those I love.
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