Happy Holidays from Flip [Reviewed]

[evrydayimbyfuglien 600]

Happy Holidays from Flip

With the holidays fast approaching, Felipe Rodriguez has been reflecting on his family's traditions when he was growing up.  For the Rodriguez family, the holidays are all about family and being appreciative of what you have, which in their case, is not very much.  As far back as Felipe can remember, his family has participated in a tradition called "posadas." It is intended to recreate Mary and Joseph's search for lodging. It lasts from December 16th to the 24th.
In his family, it mainly consists of lighting a few candles, praying the rosary, and eating food, lots and lots of food. Every year they would go to a different relative's house each night of the posadas. The family hosting would supply food for everyone who visits. As you know, Felipe's family did not have a lot of money but they would always save up to make sure they could supply visitors with their best dishes. 
Felipe's personal favorites were always menudo and pozole. Menudo is a Mexican soup made with tripe, or cow stomach, with a broth flavored with red chili peppers. Felipe likes to add chopped onion, oregano, and a lot of lemon juice to his. Pozole is another traditional soup made with pork in a broth similar to menudo. It is traditionally served with shredded cabbage and sliced radishes.

(Menudo)

For his family, Christmas wasn't about the gifts and materialistic things. His family invited the whole neighborhood in for dinner the night they hosted the posadas, that was the only gift they could give. Everyone seemed to love their food and the great company.
Since Felipe is now too far away to enjoy these meals, he finds himself looking for ingredients to make them himself. He's even tried sending his parents money to send him premade meals but they don't seem to travel well. Now that he makes a little more money than he did back in Mexico, he plans to get his parents a new stove and refrigerator to help them prepare the holiday meals. 
Maybe this year he can find time to go back home, visit his family, and give back to his community.  He could visit coaches and other young players like he was once. After hockey, Felipe plans to go back and coach hockey in the Liga Mexicana Elite where he used to play for the Teotihuacán Priests, as a way to help promote the sport he loves so much in an area that is so dominated by soccer. As for giving back to the community, he would like to visit schools and churches to try and raise money for those less fortunate, especially around the holiday time when not having much money can be especially stressful. Until he can go back home, though, he'll be volunteering at local gyms, YMCAs, and Boys and Girls Clubs to help teach the youth good values and morals.

 

 

(480 Words)

Edited November 30, 2015 by evrydayimbyfuglien

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