Christmas Is About Giving

Merry Christmas everyone. I know it's very late. But, I needed to take a break from blogging and enjoy the short holiday.

The best Christmas story I found during the last few days was of a man who walked into a homeless shelter and handed the homeless people $100 each. That's the spirit of Christmas. Read the story here.

How Christmas Works In Iraq

I was going to write about the difficulties facing Iraqi Christians this year. Then, read Dilnareen's post and thought she's right. Let's forget about war and talk about Christmas during perfect times. I moved my Christmas post from last year here. This way, people new to this blog would have the chance to read about Iraqi-Christians' Christmas traditions.

One thing I noticed, many Iraqi-Christians are turning Christmas into a commercial festival of Santa Claus and gifts exchange. I'm not against dear Santa. He really works hard during Christmas season. But, I like the "Pure Christmas." The Christmas I remember from when I lived in Iraq.

As Fr. Yousif said in his e-mail to me:

In this Christmas, nobody can be more near the first Christmas as the Iraqis. Cold, fear, strangers, but we know the Lord is between us, this is our joy and hope.

Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy the reading.

ORIGINAL POST: 12/22/2003
American Christmas preparations are more simple than Iraqi preparations.

Most Iraqi Christians, Assyrians in special, would fast from December 1st until Christmas day. Almost every year, I fast the week before Christmas. Christmas feels different when I fast. Christmas in the Middle East is more spiritual than the commercial Western Christmas.

For at least two weeks before Christmas in Iraq, Christian families shop for koleicha (Christmas sweets) ingredients. Iraqi Christian women are so proud of their secret recipes to make the best koleicha. Ingredients would include white flour -- French white flour was always the best. Fillings include walnuts, dates and a special kind of filling made of butter, sugar, flour and special spices. Each woman has her own secrets on how to make the best dough for their koleicha and will not reveal it to anyone. Yes, it's a family recipe secret.

Now, you would think our mothers would settle for a pound or two of flour. Hell no. My mom's standard was 20-30 pounds of flour when we were still a big family. After my brothers and sisters left the country, my mom reduced her standard to 7-10 pounds.

To make all this amount of sweets you better have good friends and relatives to help you with your big koleicha day. This is how it works: friends and relatives that you could count on would decide a schedule, so you could help them the day they make theirs in return for their help to you. My task changed from one year to another. I always found the easiest task to do -- like cooking lunch for these hard working women. My mom -- being my mom -- would always keep the cooking sheets for me to clean after all is done. Great. I can't complain anyway.

The next episode is to give a plate of koleicha to your neighbors. If you are working, another plate goes to your colleagues at work. My Muslim friends would get their share too as I WANTED my share during their Eid. The postman and trash collector were always on our list of "who gets koleicha this year?"

This happened every year of my life -- even during worst years of Iran-Iraq war in Basrah. For Iraqi Christians, Christmas is not Christmas if you don't make koleicha.

The few days before Christmas are devoted for cleaning the house and putting up the Christmas tree. This part of Christmas is identical to Christmas in any other part of the world, except we don't exchange gifts. Good plan. You could keep your budget under control during Christmas.

The most popular Iraqi Christian food for Christmas is pascha. Well, this is one other food not easy to make and our mothers would not allow anyone to help them with preparing this meal, another family recipe secret.

Most people would go to the midnight mass, come home and break their fast with eating pascha. I think that's the best part of Christmas, and I really miss it. These masses are very long (about 2 to 3 hours). Me and my sister, who moved to America after she got married, would attend the last mass on Christmas day. This is usually the shortest mass. It has a disadvantage though. You can't eat your favorite pascha until you come back home from church. It is kind of a temptation so you would have something to tell the priest if you ever go to confession on Christmas day.

We have many churches in Iraq where Christian populations are high. In Basrah, we have two Catholic churches, Latins, Syrian Catholic and others have their own churches too. Baghdad has lots of churches as most Christians lives in Baghdad. Mosul, Dehuk, Sulaymania, Arbil and kirkuk governorates have their own share of churches.

Christians make 3% of Iraq's population. The most popular sector is the Chaldean Catholic church, which is a branch of the Roman Catholic Church.

The family usually gathers for Christmas lunch at the parents house. You would invite a family or two that would invite you for next Christmas lunch.

OK, now you think by this we're over with Christmas and could have some rest. No, so far we had "The Fellowship Of The Food". Playing next at a home near you, we have the sequel, "Return of The Christmas Visits".

Every Christmas, the parents would make sure they remember which families visited us first, and which families didn't visit last Christmas and were supposed to visit. People who visit includes best friends, family members, uncles, aunts and sometimes first cousins. This works exactly like Christmas cards work in Western countries. If someone visits you this Christmas, you return their visit this Christmas. If someone didn't visit you last Christmas, you actually don't visit them this Christmas. You have from Christmas day till 6th of January to finish this task.

Let me tell you, this is not an easy task if you have a big family like mine. I used to escape most of this exercise by staying home with my grandma, also to take care of any visitors while my parents are visiting other families.

Christian Iraqis in Australia haven't changed much of these traditions after moving to Australia except that Australian Christmas is during summer and pascha is not a favorable meal for hot weather.

So, anytime you think your Christmas is full of stress, just appreciate not living in Iraq were there are two many things to do.

I love Christmas in Dallas, all I have to do is buy gifts, wrap them, put them under the tree, attend Christmas mass and have dinner with my family-in-law. How hard is that compared to Big Fat Iraqi Christmas.

Have a nice Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah everyone.

I believe In Death

I believe in death,
I believe that it is a part of life,
I believe that we are born to die,
to die that we may live more fully;
born to die a little each day
to selfishness, pretence, and to sin.

I believe that
we taste death in moments of
sorrow and disappointment,
when we are afraid,
have courage, and give up,
when we see our dreams broken,
and every time we say goodbye.

I believe that
we are dying before our time
when we live in bitterness,
in hatred and in isolation.

I believe that
each day we are creating
our own death by the way we live.

To those who believe in Christ,
death is the gateway to eternal life.


-- Author Unknown

For Every Living Creature

May I be a protector to those without protection,
A leader for those who journey,
And a boat, a bridge, a passage
For those desiring the further shore.

May the pain of every living creature
Be completely cleared away.

May I be the doctor and the medicine
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world
Until everyone is healed.

Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support the life
Of all the boundless creatures.

And until they pass away from pain
May I also be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reach unto the ends of space.


-- Author Unknown

Love of Family and Friends

Lord, it was you who planted us on this earth. You fenced us around with the love of our families and friends. Their care towered over us. Under the shelter of this tower we grew in safety and peace.

We put out early blossoms. We filled up with leaves. People had great hopes for us. You had great hopes for us.

But now the year of our life is passing. The harvest is approaching. What have we to show? What fruit have we produced?

What if, after all this care, we should be found to be without the fruits of love? What if we had nothing to offer but your grapes of indifference, selfishness and neglect?

May you, Lord, have mercy on us, and with your patient urging help us to return your love.


-- Author Unknown

Instruments of The Lord

I found the following words on my church bulletin few years ago. They're as good as when I first read them:

This was the farewell command of Christ.
He has no body now on earth but ours.
He has no hands but ours to raise up the fallen.
He has no feet but ours to seek out the lost.
He has no eyes but ours to see the silent tears of the suffering.
He has no ears but ours to listen to the lonely.
He has no tongue but ours to speak a word of comfort to the sad.
He has no heart but ours to love the unloved.
Christ often picks the little unknown people to do his greatest work.

St. Nicholas - The Real Santa

Dec. 6th is feast of St. Nicholas in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and other parts of Europe. The best way to learn about this saint is by learning the difference between him and Santa Claus. So, here are the differences as published on St. Nicholas Center web site.

Santa Claus is round and plump;
St. Nicholas is tall and thin.

Santa Claus wears a stocking cap;
St. Nicholas wears a bishop's hat.

Santa Claus comes December 25th;
St. Nicholas comes December 6th.

Santa Claus is often seen in stores;
St. Nicholas is often seen in churches.

Santa Claus flies through the air—from the North Pole;
St. Nicholas walked the earth, caring for those in need.

Santa Claus, for some, replaces Jesus at Christmas;
St. Nicholas, for all, points to Jesus at Christmas.

Santa Claus isn't bad;
St. Nicholas is just better!


-- C. Myers & J. Rosenthal

Browse their web site. It includes good information about this saint.

Strength For The journey

I'm not sure who sings this song. If you know the singer's name, please let me know:

There is a road meant for you to travel.
Narrow and steep is the Shepherd’s way.
And as you say “Yes”, letting me guide you,
I will be strength for the journey.

There is a cross meant for you to carry.
There is a cross meant for you alone.
And as you bow down in humble surrender,
I will be strength for the journey.

How many times have you doubted my word?
How many times must I call your name?
And as you say “Yes”, letting me love you,
I will be strength for the journey.