Their First Christmas
My final holiday story (for now) is about celebrating Christmas with Syrian refugees. Can you imagine never having celebrated Christmas? For many of those who attended the party that night, it was their very first taste of the holiday, among Christians in the USA. We felt so very privileged to be part of it!
This was a big event that took a LOT of planning and hard work… our hats are off to the organizers, who are local friends of ours. Twenty-five Syrian refugee families were invited, and each family was seated at a table along with volunteers like us from area churches. The centerpiece of each table was a small Christmas tree, and there were craft supplies on the table so that we could help the kids decorate their little tree to take home. Of course, the food was the main thing, and there were traditional Syrian dishes along with meat and salads… and of course desserts! Following the meal we all watched a film clip about the birth of Jesus, and sang Christmas carols. Some Syrian musicians were on hand to provide additional entertainment, and the evening closed with everyone up on their feet, holding hands and doing a traditional line dance!
The family we shared a table with had six children, ranging in age from teenagers to a one-year-old. After less than a year’s residence in the US, the parents’ English was still at a beginning level, but the older kids were already well on their way to becoming fluent. The father had been an engineer in Syria; here, he is grateful for a job at a car wash. We took lots of photos together and promised to keep in touch.
For this family and many others, it was the first time they had heard the Gospel Christmas story. While we have many treasured family traditions from holidays past, it’s always a special experience to share the holiday with people who have never before celebrated it, people to whom its profound beauty and meaning are unknown. The refugees we ate and danced with that evening have gone through suffering and trauma of many kinds, most of which they can’t even communicate. We pray that the joy and love we shared that night will be a source of healing to them, and that before this year is over they will have discovered its Source.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged holidays by Lisa