How Do You Celebrate Christmas?

Epic changes are under way for the Queen Mary's annual holiday celebration, Chill!

On any Tuesday evening I would normally be at Tempest Academy in Hawthorne, CA. It's an awesome place to learn the sport of free running. It's a 'big boy' sport, but is participated in also by many of the very young set and yes, girls do make it into the class, but the ratio of girls is pretty low (let's estimate 1 girl to every 15 boys). Sorry about that, I've been doing a lot of grant writing and have gender ratios on the brain. Tempest is situated in what is arguably one of the most exciting possible locations, on the grounds of SpaceX. To get there, you turn right at the rocket and go about 1/2 way down the Hyperloop test tunnel to the facility entrance. Make a right at the tiny sign that reads "Tempest Academy". But I digress.

Given the opportunity of an invitation to an International Tasting with the Queen, or your regular free running class... much as you might love free running... Well, we chose the Queen.

There's so much I could share with you, but what is at the heart of the new Chill struck me most. It is the sharing of the ways that Christmas is celebrated in a selection of countries. We sampled the food, certainly, and it was absolutely delicious, but at the same time we saw a little of the Christmas holiday at the countries we visited, Russia, Germany, Holland, China, Switzerland and the good, old U.S.A.

As I reflect upon this, I will share that I became a bit nostalgic about Christmas time in my birth country of Trinidad. I may have to write more on that, as we get deeper into the Christmas season. It will make me cook traditional meals, make festive pastelles, punch-a-creme, Christmas crackers (a tradition inherited from Trinidad's long tenure as part of the British empire). Who knows, I may even try to make a box guitar and sing Parang.

But then, I again digress.

I'd like to share a little of what I learned about Christmas in Russia, Germany, Holland, China and Switzerland. Hm. As I write this, I'm looking up things related to the holiday, as it is spent in the other countries, and I'm finding that the information is quite a lot. It's so much, that I won't be able to make this all come together in just one post. So, I will adjust my goal and share a little about Christmas as it is celebrated in one country, Russia. For the sake of giving credit to the sources of information, I will use Wikipedia.

Aside: It appears that Wikipedia has an urgent message to those who use it from Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia Founder. Rather than repeat the message I provide a link to the Wikipedia source of information on Christmas in Russia.

And now, I must share with you that I am considering the enormity of the task that was presented to Charity Hill and Steve Sheldon of Los Angeles' own Epic Productions, the team behind the Chill makeover. They traveled the world, as I travel the internet - criss-crossing and multiple times.

I'm sorry, readers. It's 3:02AM and I find myself getting a little tired. I think we will have to dedicate an entire post on Christmas in Russia and do it at a time when I am a little more focused on one, single task.

Let it suffice to say that whether you are from one of the featured countries or from another, like Trinidad, take advantage of the cultural introduction to Russia, Germany, Holland, China and Switzerland. Meet Christmas folk from these countries, sample wonderfully prepared tastings of traditional foods, drink specially designed cocktails in the Alpine lodge, skate on the rink, race ice tricycles, zip down the zip-line, play ice shuffleboard, ride ice bumper cars and slide down the multi-story ice slide. Visit each little world and for a few minutes, transport yourself to that country and celebrate the holiday with your friends, your family and co-workers.

I am presenting a few photographs that my photogs and I took that evening. They contain images of the Christmas folk, delicious food, some photos of the still in construction event. Please take some time to go all the way to the last photo, and say Hi to Steve and Charity. When I have a video or ten about the event, I will share them with you here, or somewhere else.

Be sure to take your Santa hat.

Trish Tsoiasue blogs on the Belmont Shore Patch, shares experiences on her YouTube channel Squigglemom, makes Makersville, and things for Makersville and celebrates life's experiences. Credit for photos shared here is given to Braedon Schmidt, artist Don Schmidt and herself, Trish Tsoiasue, Maker.