NORWALK—Norwalk St. Paul parishioners celebrate Christmas with traditions

brought from many cultures as families celebrate their heritage along with the birth of Christ.

Mexican
Both Patricia and Francisco Carrillo were born in Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1980s, but they still follow Christmas traditions from their native country.

“Most of the people from Mexico do a Nativity,” Mrs. Carrillo says. “We put them out at the beginning of December and keep them up until Feb. 2, El Dia de la Candelaria.” (Candlemas Day)

Many Hispanic families don’t just set up a Nativity scene, they hold ceremonies to highlight the birth of the Christ child, and keep a figurine in His honor in their homes throughout the year.

For several years, Mrs. Carrillo says, the Hispanic community in Norwalk has brought their traditions to the 8:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass at St. Paul.

“We do have a lot of American people that come just because the time is convenient,” she says, but she has never seen non-Hispanic parishioners join in their special ceremonies. “It’s probably just because they don’t understand it,” she says.

She explains Hispanic families choose padrinos, or godparents, for the Christ child before the ceremony. “We dress Him up in a baptismal gown,” she says. “Then everybody prays the rosary while the baby Jesus is wearing the dress and is sitting down in a chair.”

After the rosary is completed, Mrs. Carrillo says, the chosen godparents undress the figure. “They clean it with perfume to represent what the Wise Men brought,” she says.

The padrinos then lay the gown the baby Jesus wore on the manger and wrap the figurine in a blanket. They also bring out candy to symbolize adoration, Mrs. Carrillo says.

“Everyone then comes up to adore the baby Jesus and give Him a little kiss and bring Him candy,” she says.

After the adoration and Mass, Mrs. Carrillo says, families celebrate by saying the rosary and having a special dinner. Then they exchange presents.

“We get out of church about 10 p.m.,” she says, “so it’s about 3 or 4 in the morning when we open our presents.”

She says children receive presents from baby Jesus rather than Santa Claus. “The emphasis is on the baby Jesus,” she says. The figurine of Jesus is then returned to the manger.

Many Hispanic families choose one other day to celebrate the season, Mrs. Carrillo says. “We awaken the baby [Jesus] on one of two days,” she explains — on Jan. 6 for the feast of the Epiphany (the celebration of the Wise Men’s visit to the Christ Child) or on Feb. 2 for El Dia de la Candelaria, (Candlemas Day — the celebration of Mary’s return to ritual purity according to Jewish law and the celebration of Mary and Joseph’s trip to the Temple in Jerusalem with the baby Jesus to dedicate Him to God, which occurred 40 days after His birth according to Jewish law).

On whichever of the two days is most convenient for families, Mrs. Carrillo explains, they gather to “waken” the Christ Child. “The padrinos bring in a new gown every year,” she says. “We pray the rosary again, the padrinos dress the baby [Jesus] in the gown and we sit the baby up in a chair.

“It doesn’t end there,” Mrs. Carrillo adds. “The baby Jesus is part of the household all year long.”
Tamales are a traditional Christmas food for Hispanic families, Mrs. Carrillo says. Bunuelos, a Hispanic version of elephant ears with cinnamon sugar instead of powdered sugar, are also popular.

Greek
Christmas festivities for Greek-Americans often focus on community events.

Angel Revelas and her husband, James, both grew up in traditional Greek-American families; she in Warren and he in Youngstown. Both cities have predominately Greek-American neighborhoods where, “all the Greek kids kind of hung out together,” Mrs. Revlas says.

The couple met at Youngstown State College, married, and continues to follow traditions they learned as children.

In the tradition of Greek Catholics, Mrs. Revelas says, families observe a partial 40-day fast before Christmas. “It’s not a strict fast,” she says, but they restrain themselves from indulging between meals and eating holiday foods.

Before Christmas, women start baking special breads and sweets such as baklava and holiday cookies. Dinner on Christmas Day is traditional — turkey and stuffing with chestnuts roasted over a fire, roasted lamb and potatoes.   

Mrs. Revelas says Christmas is not celebrated as just a day for Greek-Americans, but as a season.

“Everybody just enjoys the warmth of the season and welcoming people into their homes,” she says.
Celebrations and traditions start on Dec. 6, the feast day of St. Nicholas, and continue through New Year’s Day. “It’s a community event,” she says. “It’s not unusual for us to be at my parents’ house and for two or three people just to drop in to visit.”

She says small gifts are exchanged between friends and family during the entire season. “We really emphasize St. Nicholas,” she says, rather than the American version of Santa Claus.

Children also go from home to home during the Christmas season to sing Kalanda (carols) in Greek to offer good wishes, Mrs. Revelas says.

Mrs. Revelas says her children — Celeste, a senior at Norwalk St. Paul High School; and Jordan, a seventh grader at Celeryville Christian School — enjoy the traditional Greek festivities.

“They really love participating in events when we go back home,” she says. “They enjoy being part of the Christmas festivities and the baking and enjoying it with other people.”


Bunuelos
2 1/2 pounds flour
3 eggs
2 tablespoons shortening
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
6 to 7 tomatillo husks, very well rinsed
2 whole cinnamon sticks
Ground cinnamon
Sugar
Cooking oil

Boil tomatillo skins in water, add 1 tablespoon sugar and the cinnamon sticks. Bring to a full boil, remove from stove and let cool until warm enough to handle. Remove skins and cinnamon sticks.
In a different bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add shortening and mix it in by hand until well mixed. Add eggs and mix well.

Add the water a little bit at a time. Mix well until good dough consistency. Knead for about five minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with cloth and let sit for 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into small pieces about the size of a cherry tomato. Roll each on a lightly floured surface into a thin, round shape. Stretch with the hands to desired size.

Lay tortilla shapes on a clean surface and let dry for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Flip every half hour so both sides dry evenly.

Heat oil in a skillet and fry the tortillas until lightly browned. Mix ground cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over cooked tortilla on both sides.

Kourambiethes
1/2 cup blanched almonds or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 pound sweet, unsalted butter
1 pound plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
1 jigger cognac
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Melt butter, place in refrigerator to cool until soft, but not entirely solid. Add 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and beat at high speed for 45 minutes. Butter should be very, very pale, almost white. Continue to beat, adding in egg yolks, cognac and vanilla.

Remove bowl from mixer stand and stir in nuts, cake flour and baking powder. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. If the dough is sticky, continue adding flour a few tablespoons at a time.

Shape about a tablespoon of dough into a ball or crescent, place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. Cookies should not get more than a scant color.

Remove from pan to cooling rack. Sift powdered sugar over the cookies. After cookies cool, roll each one in powdered sugar. Repeat the rolling in sugar procedure a second time. Place each cookie in a muffin cup for serving.

These cookies keep extremely well when stored in an airtight container and kept in a cool spot. Refresh with a bit of sifted powdered sugar after taking them out of storage.