Holiday memories
By Halim Sheena
In the spirit of the holidays, we wanted to reminisce with the community. We asked people to share their favorite holiday memory with us.
My favorite holiday memory happened Thanksgiving 2016. Bella, my little 12 pound dog, decided to run upstairs and join the family holiday picture. Needless to say, my bebe ran around the house trying to avoid the dog, as most Chaldean grandmas do! Eventually, she remained calm and we got a great picture with BOTH members of the family!
Alexa Volpe, 23, Bloomfield Hills
For Christmas, I was concerned about the milk expiring before Santa’s arrival so we would leave directions to take the milk from the fridge. One Christmas, my mom pre-purchased her Tim Hortons coffee since they would be closed on Christmas Day and when we came downstairs, Santa decided to drink her coffee instead of the milk. I also used to leave notes for Santa every year, not asking for things but thanking him for thinking of me and my family when he could just be at home with his wife and that year he left me a note back thanking me for the choice of drinks because it was going to be a very long night.
Kyra F. Kattola, 21, Clinton Township
My favorite holiday memory is making klecha every year before Christmas. For my family we make these instead of the typical Christmas cookies, because in a sense they are our Christmas cookies. We even buy a Christmas themed hat for my parents, brother, and me and take a ton of pictures. We even wear them when baking. It’s honestly so fun, a family affair!! I love the holidays!
Rita Kachi, 23, Shelby Township
My favorite holiday memory is going to my grandparents’ house on Christmas Eve with my cousins and aunts and uncles and seeing each other. We would eat really good food and play games the whole night. Then I and my cousins would watch each other open our gifts that our grandparents would get us and we would go crazy.
Paul Channo, 20, Rochester Hills
I love the holidays so much, and a memory I hold close to my heart took place last year near Christmas time. I was able to join a Chaldean non-profit organization called Ruha, where we brought a safe, fun, and warm Christmas party to the less fortunate of Detroit. It was a very humbling experience that brought smiles to everyone around! I can’t wait to join them every year in sharing the joys of Christmas and the coming of Christ into the world!
Sean Dado, 20, Farmington Hills
One of my favorite memories from Christmas was and still is waking up and opening the presents. My family and I would all sit together and take turns opening them one-by-one, enjoying whatever gifts we received that year. The rest of the day was spent together doing fun activities, and is always capped off by meeting up with the rest of my family and having a nice big dinner together.
Renee Aboona, 19, Warren