As MAURO BRANCO prepares to return to his native Brazil, he looks forward to the festive season and recalls his memories of Christmas
As MAURO BRANCO prepares to return to his native Brazil, he looks forward to the festive season and recalls his memories of Christmas
Christmas is coming! It is that time of the year when one reflects on what he’s done, and what he hasn’t. Last Christmas I asked for something special in 2008, something that I knew I would remember forever. My wish was to travel from Brazil to Ireland as I had finished my studies last year and thought ‘It’s now or nevermore.’ That Christmas, my gifts were a new passport and application to study at the EF School in Dublin. My chance to improve my English and meet people from everywhere was about to be realised.
I arrived in Dublin in April 2008, ready to meet my host family and to start my class the day after. I lived in Lucan for nine months with a wonderful family who now I can say are my real friends - Emma, Daniel and little Rachael, my seven-year-old teacher, who I have learned from each day.
But I also maintained my own language. Every weekend I spoke Portuguese with my Brazilian friend Rodrigo, who I’ve known for over 20 years now. So I kept company with him and his wife, and my friend Carol, during the past several months in Ireland. On the first Sunday of this month, as I prepared to travel home to celebrate Christmas, we celebrated with a group of Brazilian friends as a kind of farewell. We prepared a turkey, rice and traditional dishes from Brazil. That was fantastic!
I’m going back to Brazil to start my career and bring my experience with me. Some friends are also going home with me but they will just be staying there with their families for the Christmas before returning to Ireland after a few days. But many of my Brazilian friends will spend Christmas here in Ireland, far away. For some of them, it will be their first time and it will be strange.
But is it different? Christmas is the date that all the Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. So, is it the same in any place? I have spent all those Christmas days, 29 of them since I was born, at home with my family. And this year I’ll stay with them again.
I live in south Brazil, in the southern hemisphere, so Christmas in Brazil is always during the summer. It is the tradition to wear white, short clothes. The food is a mix between a traditional Christmas meal and traditional dishes from each part of the country. The smell of turkey, white rice with raisin, salad with fruits and seafood dishes is so peculiar in that date that it is impossible to imagine a different smell when I think about Christmas.
The most important day is 24 December. I remember when I was a child, all the women preparing the supper all day, the men preparing a barbecue for the lunch time on the 24th, and all the kids playing outside – me, my brothers and my cousins. All the family together. At noon the sun was over our heads and it was time to jump into the swimming pool. Cold drinks and all kinds of music. And I can feel the same thing every year. It is the day to think about your life.
Even though I am an adult, I still have strong memories of childhood Christmases, especially of waiting for Santa Claus, of grandfathers and grandmothers talking about old histories of Christmas and all the adults watching special programmes on TV. And through the window I can see the same in the neighbourhood. After the hugs, everybody sits down and prays to Jesus Christ, asking his presence in our lives. The dinner starts after midnight and is a holy moment.
Somebody knocks at the door. It’s Santa! All the kids are extremely happy. They can play with new toys and sleep late. Adults win gifts too. The celebration continues all the way through 25 December with another kind of lunch and one more holy moment with prayer. The weather is nice and everybody goes to the beach for the New Year holiday.
At that moment I think that 2008 was hard, I worked a lot, but some moments were fantastic. Christmas is the special day to be with people who you love. You have to. After that, you can return to your life and wait for next Christmas.
