10SC-Stars: Xmas in 2007

Those who are regular readers of this blogger must be surprised now. Well, hi everybody, I`m Gabi. Perhaps in some years` time I`ll be able to write a similar article in Dutch :-)

We celebrated Xmas in a different way this year. First of all, we started to make some preparations well before Xmas --actually as early as November --, which was unusual for both of us. During our stay in the Netherlands we found some beautiful and quite unique Christmas decorations for both the tree and the house. In Hungary we didn`t see those things anywhere. We were buying and wrapping presents continuously with a smile on our face. It was a fantastic feeling... Iwas full of expectations while I felt curiosity and a slight anxiousness. It was my first Xmas not spent with my previous family, the first Xmas Eve without my sons. Despite I had a great time at the beginning of the winter holiday.

Maurice`s mother and his brother landed safe and sound in Budapest on 20th December. They were invited to spend the festivities with us. Bep had been so busy with shopping since August that it soon turned out she needed to post a parcel to us earlier to avoid having excess weight. It was sent to my address to get it for sure. My elder son was staying with us when we unpacked it; he got very excited by the nicely-wrapped small gifts. In my childhood my parents always had to hide everything which was intended to go underneath the Xmas tree, but most of the time me and my brother managed to find the presents. Now it was great to have them wrapped; we could resist temptation. Apparently Peter`s cute cat had fun while he was packing his suitcase just before the trip.

Maurice bought a beautiful pine tree which we decorated just before Bep`s and Peter`s arrival. It was the first time for me not putting up the Xmas tree on 24th.

Anyway, Maurice keeps on telling me: "My dear! This is the first time for everything!" :-) So when Bep was here we discussed the Xmas menu and made a long shopping list. Shopping just before Xmas was awful: hardly any parking places, crazy drivers, overcroweded hypermarkets, long queues... So Bep prepared some delicious dishes and me as well. I tried to include some typical Hungarian dishes such as fish soup and fried fish with French fries and tartar sauce on the 24th. I also made 3 lekkere cakes; my mum sent us walnut cake and we bought honey cakes. We Hungarians can`t miss these things at Xmas time.

We collected my sons on 25th; they had lunch with us in Dunaföldvár. Within a short period of time they noticed our brand new computer which was covered in the living room. From that point on they made friends with Peter; who had previously installed some exciting games on the computer. So sometimes Bep and me had four children around the house competing for having either the laptop or the computer and then playing against each other. However, as it was getting later on the 25th, Roland and Krisztian became more impatient. So at 6 pm we went to the guest house where everything had already been arranged for the celebration: nicely-laid table, a large heap of wrapped presents with names on them under the beautifully-decorated kerstboom, candles, drinks and the warmth-spreading fireplace. We sat around the table and agreed on the rules of the evening. My sons could hardly wait... First we started two rounds of presents; it was fantastic to look at their faces when walking to the Xmas tree, selecting a present, guessing its content then giving it to the person whose name stood on the wrapping paper--sometimes it was a challange to find it--and waiting for effect of unwrapping the present.

Each round brought some new, nice surprises. Meanwhile, we did some home-cooking (gourmet). It was completely unknown for them. To be honest, they didn`t understand what it was when I had made some hints about it previously. "Oh, you will see, we`re going to cook for ourselves." "But mummy, it`s Xmas Eve! You haven`t cooked anything! How do you imagine us to prepare our own food?"--I can still hear their reproach. Anyway, they had great fun seasoning, selecting and making their own dinner.

I enjoyed it, too. So this part of the day followed the Dutch traditions. Isn`t it great: a Hungarian-Dutch Xmas?! After several rounds of eating and giving presents it was time for the "piece de resistance" which was the racing track from Bep. My sons were so happy to get it! (Now it`s in their room in Székesfehérvár and they often compete with each other.) Thanks Beppie again! :-) Peter helped them to construct it upstairs and we all played with it. We stayed up quite late.