Eurojournal- More Christmas

After church we go home. We need to give our gifts. Alex drops by with Luna and Liam’s big girl friends, Monica and Alessandra. He brings gifts: a wooden carving he made and chocolate. He spends the afternoon at our place. I successfully intoxicate him. I took pride in that as everytime I offered anything to anyone when they came over they did not take it. Yet we could never say no.

Alex runs home to get something and James uses this time to give some gifts to Micsi-Basci. Dangerous as James has already had some Palinka with Alex and I. Time passes. Alex is back. More time passes. Finally I ask Byron to go see if James is ok. He returns saying that Micsi-Bacsi wants all of us to come over. Uh oh, James is drunk. We go over and when I walk into the door, James comes to me with wide eyes and says, “I’m f*&%ed! I am so drunk. Help.” Misci-Basci and Irene-neni invite us in. Misci is offering me drinks, some sweet rum I think. I take a shot and wonder what the fuss is about. It isn’t strong at all. So I have 2 more at Misci-Basci’s urging. Later I find out that James had 2-3 of Misci-Basci’s palinka and what I drank was not the same. We have a nice time communicating with them. I see a picture of a young Irene-Neni on the wall and ask her about it. She then shows me pictures of her son who died in a car accident 2 years ago and cries. I hold her and listen. They care for their grandchildren, the children of their dead son, while the children’s mom works in a sweatshop fulltime. We communicate more. Misci-Basci asks about America and tells us that he will never afford to travel. It is time to go. Alex is drunk and standing in the corner taking pics of everyone and giggling. Irene-Neni gives us gifts, handmade of course. She embroidered some napkins.

We are back home preparing dinner and awaiting the Christmas carolers. Eva said they would come by our house. The come and we stand in the door. Instead of singing outside the door like in the states an entire crew of high school and college kids come inside. The line never ended until everyone filled up our kitchen. We were packed in well. Eva leads some songs. I am again tearful. This is so sweet. Jingle Bells in sung in English. Byron encourages us to all go along for the rest of the caroling. We hurry and get our coats and hats on and follow them. Luan and Liam find some college friends and that is the last we see of them until we finish caroling in the village. We drop by houses where everyone (except us because we had no idea!) offers the carolers wine, palinka and baked goods. I take a few palinka shots, James does too and so does Byron. It’s Christmas in Transylvania, why not??!! We are all having a great time. There is a party later and we have been invited. Byron ends up at that party and dances with a girl. Nevermind we Americans can not dance at all and the Hungarians are VERY serious about dancing. Quite embarrassing.

In reflection though, this was the best Christmas in my life. I don’t usually like Christmas much for the commercialism and saccharin sweetness associated with it. Honestly it depresses me but being here, it felt so whole and meaningful. I felt such a part of the village, part of the family. Part of the tradition.