Written By: Richelle Kim
Director | Aston American University
For as long as I can remember, about 50-60 of my relatives and I gathered to have a potluck dinner every Christmas Eve. Everyone made a dish and we had a huge feast. It all started at my aunt’s house, and now, at her daughter’s. The gathering spot is one of the coldest areas in the island. My cousin’s house has a fireplace and a large formal living and dining room, along with a picturesque mountain view from their deck – it is perfect for a Christmas celebration. It really does make me feel like Christmas has begun after this dinner.
The highlight of the night is a Christmas play put on by the children. About 2-3 weeks in advance, the children are given a script and are assigned parts, each child has to memorize their parts and practice for the performance. The costumes are made, props are built, and a mini set is constructed.
As a child, I performed in these plays. Memorizing my parts and performing the lines were things I didn’t like to do. Also, I never liked being told what to do, so I hated it. Each year it was a different play. Sometimes I kind of enjoyed it, but most of the time, I didn’t think it was enjoyable having to be forced to do this. I even tried to boycott the play when I was 13 years old. My excuse? “I’m too old for this and don’t want to do it anymore.” My aunt insisted that I continue and my parents continued to force me to participate. (We could only stop when we graduated high school.)
Now as an adult, my children have to perform in the play, and I love it. I love seeing the creativity in the costumes. It is so cute to see the children dressed up, trying to remember their lines, making mistakes and being funny when they are acting out their characters. I love it when they enunciate their lines and we can hear every word, every syllable, joke and punch line. My kids think “it sucks” to have to remember their lines and study, but they will learn to appreciate it later in life, as I did.
Now, I can see how this play had brought the family together – from the smallest child in the play to the oldest adult watching. Often, the play had a moral story behind it. Either to remind us of why we were celebrating, the real reason for Christmas, or just to take time out to relax during the holiday season. The play was building character in each of us. We had to practice public speaking, leadership, communication, and how to combine our talents and work together. Like me, the majority of my cousins who grew up performing in these plays are either leaders in our communities, entrepreneurs or directors/managers in our workplaces – and all are college graduates. It really has taught us to be stronger and confident individuals.
Forty-two years ago, we had created our own family holiday tradition that we still carry on today, and it all started from a simple potluck meal together and a Christmas play. You can start your own holiday traditions, too. It’s never too late to create and find meaning in the things you do.
Happy Holidays to you and yours, from Aston American University.
