Merry Christmukkah

The holidays have now come and almost gone (2 days down, 6 to go for Hanukkah, though), and with it feasts of home-cooked meals and laughter about the good 'ol times. For my family, the holidays are all about coming together, eating a combination of Cuban and Jewish fare (let's say, Jewban), and berating one another with, "Y tu novio?" For those lucky enough to be unfamiliar with the phrase, it translates to "And your boyfriend?" but means "Any men out there? Settling down yet? When are you getting married? Where's the wedding?!" Since I'm the youngest, my older sister used to have to field this interrogation, but now that she actually is engaged, the spotlight is now on me. Resulting in my cousin trying to set me up with her 30 year-old dentist because, "Why not? He's cute!" 

All the set ups aside, the warmth of being with family can't be beat - well, unless it's competing with the weather. At a ripe 80 degrees last night, most guests donned their linens for a Miami twist on a "White Christmas." Given that "s'winter" jokes are always made, the newest and freshest pun I've found this season came from Yashodhara Suri (fellow high school alum & blogger supreme) who astutely noted, "The only wintery thing this December is this (polar)oid." And while I didn't chase people around with my instax mini this time (rather I was too busy trying to orchestrate a Mannequin Challenge that never came to fruition), I did capture some sweet moments that I'd love to share. 

Also, because I've had the good fortune to spend Christmas with family friends for the past four years, I've acquired a favorite holiday caption. You've probably heard it, as it graces almost all social media platforms this time of year, but here it goes:

"'Twas the nizzle before Christmizzle and all through the hizzle not a creature was stirring, not even a mizzle, 'fo shizzle. All were awaiting Sizzle Clause and his bag, to bring the good homies and ladies their swag."

Whether we celebrate the holidays similarly, or extremely differently, I think we can all agree... that the food is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Because that's what it's all about, right? 

Regardless, though my family is almost entirely Jewish, we do love Christmas time, and are ecstatic that this year Hanukkah coincides with the 25th (don't get me wrong, Hanukkah presents during Thanksgiving are fun too, but this year we get to participate in all of the ~holiday hullaballoo~). 

So, all the way from the Sunshine State, I send my love to all of you, your families, and a happy New Year to come! 

Xx, Maia