Tamales~A Christmas Tradition

Early this morning I went to the local Mexican market to get the ingredients to make tamales, which is a Christmas tradition for our family.  This year, because of everyone’s schedule, we are making them a week early.  I didn’t make them the last two years because I was new in town and I didn’t know where to get my ingredients, plus I had a very tiny kitchen and no help.  This year the kids are asking me to make them so I agreed.  It’s a lot of work but I love traditions and I especially like it when my kids have caught on to the tradition and want to continue it.

I never venture to the part of town where the market is located but this morning it was a pleasant surprise.  There was hardly anyone out and I had the market almost all to myself.  The workers were very helpful when I asked for the items I needed.  The aisles were filled with products that we just don’t see in the regular American market.  I walked down each aisle, even though I didn’t need what was there, just so I could see everything.  I found aisles filled with candy and gum from Mexico and an aisle filled with rolling pins for tortillas, cast iron skillets, tortilla warmers, molcajetes (mortar and pestle for grinding chile and spices), comales (a hot plate to put over the stove so you can cook or heat tortillas), and many other things I hadn’t seen since my last trip to Mexico many years ago.  It was like a mini vacation in a short drive from my home.

I got what I needed and grabbed a few pieces of freshly baked pan dulce (sweet bread) for my daughter, hoping that it would lure her out of bed when I got back home (it didn’t).  I also grabbed a bag full of those tall candles in glass with a saint’s picture on them.  I like to burn the ones with the Virgen de Guadalupe and there were some with the Holy Spirit on them and I grabbed a few of the Saint Anthony ones because my son’s name is Antonio so I figured I would burn some for him. 

I brought my purchases home and as I drove, I had a warm feeling inside my heart and for the first time this season, I felt Christmas coming on.  I smiled, all alone in the car, I smiled from deep inside.