Christmas eve

Despite weather forecast saying otherwise, rain has let up for this evening and it's a beautiful one! It's Christmas eve and I love it. Today is a little special and emotional. It's hard to enjoy tonight fully because of so much tragedy happening all around us, at the moment. Hopefully the people affected by the greatest flood we've ever had will find strength and solace to carry on with their lives and start over.

You see, here in Brazil we kind of celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve. It's Summer and we spend the whole day cooking to have a great feast with family late at night. At midnight it's time to toast and hug each other and exchange presents. It's my favourite time. Usually I'm feeling tipsy by then lol but it's lovely. Then the mass starts on TV and there's the traditional movies, too. Then I go by the neighborhood wishing everyone a Happy Christmas! I shall do a post after about our traditional Christmas food just because I love tradition and culture and knowing different stuff from different countries and I'd love to know what other people usually have on the holidays, besides the famous turkey.

I might have written about how close I am to my family and specially my cousins. Today I received two phone calls in a row that warmed my heart. I have this one cousin who grew up with me who moved to London two years ago. He left his six year old son behind because he has shared custody with the mother and so it had been two years since he had last seen him. Today my auntie arrived for the first time in his home in London, taking his kid as a Christmas surprise. I can't imagine a better gift than having your family with you after so much time. He called me to tell me about it and said he almost had a heart attack. I couldn't control my grin. No sooner had I put the phone down, it rang again. It was my cousin from Rio saying he had arrived safely after picking up his three year old daughter here. It's going to be their first Christmas together after facing legal action to gain a right to see her. That made me really really happy.

Also, this time we have a new addition to the family. My niece, Alice, who's three months old, arrived in this world bringing so much love and happiness this year.

I can't not address the great musicians I follow who have been gifting us with Christmas music this week. They have surely made this day a little brighter and I'll link a few in the end of this post.

So, although we aren't all together this Christmas and there are so many bad things happening around us, it's like almost all is right with the world and my heart is swollen with love tonight.  For this holiday, I wish everyone's hearts are filled with love and care and music. Happy Christmas!


Bobby Long God rest ye merry gentlemen (click the player on the right)
Rae Morris 2000 miles
Foy Vance Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Marcus Foster w/ Sam Bradley Christmas island