小時候，我最愛的節日是中秋,端午,新年和聖誕節。每一個節日，都有它獨特的味道與氣氛，彷彿一年中的不同樂章。

記得爸爸當鎮長的那八年，每逢中秋，家裡總是有絡繹不絕的客人登門拜訪，手裡提著各式各樣的月餅禮盒，有的是雕花的木盒，有的是色彩鮮豔的鐵盒。月餅的口味五花八門——蓮蓉、豆沙、五仁、蛋黃、綠豆椪……應有盡有。那時的我，最開心的不只是能吃到各種口味的月餅，更是看著那些包裝精美的禮盒，一個個堆在桌角，像是小小的寶庫。

中秋節是農曆八月十五日，新曆則落在八月至十月之間。如果那天的天空沒有烏雲遮擋，家家戶戶的屋頂上方，總會掛著一輪又圓又亮的月亮。我們會搬出小桌子，擺上剛切好的月餅和剝好的柚子。我最愛吃的是蓮蓉豆沙裡那顆金黃的蛋黃，鹹香中透著綿密的甜味。柚子的清香恰好中和了月餅的濃郁。我坐在板凳仰頭看著月亮，一邊聽大人講嫦娥奔月的故事，想像自己乘著雲，悄悄飛進廣寒宮。

五月的端午節則是另一種記憶的味道。雖然媽媽身體不好，無法親手包粽子，但爸爸會到市場買回本省和外省口味的粽子，有時阿姨們也會提前一天送來她們自家包的。粽葉的清香在打開的瞬間撲鼻而來，黏軟的糯米裡面藏著香菇、花生、鹹蛋黃……一口咬下去，既有口腹的滿足，也有節日的欣喜感。

過年是最熱鬧的時候。除夕夜的年夜飯是一年中最豐盛的一餐，熱騰騰的湯、香噴噴的魚、象徵圓滿的湯圓，令人垂涎。我最期待的，就是爸爸發壓歲錢紅包的那一刻，每一個人拿的錢數都不一樣，記得我曾問爸爸為什麼我的壓歲錢比哥哥姊姊少？他說:‘年級不同，當然錢數不同啊！’我那時很不服氣。窗外不時響起此起彼落的鞭炮聲，雖然我很怕走在路上有鞭炮響起，但還是覺得有鞭炮才像過年。那幾天，大家都盡情玩樂，享受一年中難得的閒適。

聖誕節對我來說，不只是節日的裝飾與禮物，更有教會裡的歌聲與表演。小時候，每逢聖誕前夕，教會都會舉辦晚會，唱詩班的合唱、舞台上的燈光、聖經故事的短劇，讓我沉浸在一種安定而喜樂的氛圍中。至今我仍記得教會發給我們每一人的有上面印著嬰兒耶穌畫像的糕餅。

來到美國成家、有了孩子後，生活有了新的節奏，也添了新的節日傳統。感恩節和聖誕節成了我最喜歡的兩個節日。

孩子還小的時候，每年十一月的第四個星期四，我都會提前幾天將十幾磅重的火雞解凍，再在前一天把調味料仔細揉進雞肉裡醃製。當天早上，火雞被放進烤箱慢慢烘烤，整個下午，香氣一點一點漫開，充滿了家的每一個角落。孩子們在客廳嬉鬧，我在廚房忙碌，那是一種感恩與踏實的幸福。

孩子長大成人後，烤火雞不再是我的責任，但烤火雞仍然不變的傳統。對我來說，沒有自己烤火雞的感恩節，就不像感恩節。

聖誕節則是全家最熱切期盼的時刻。十二月初，聖誕樹就會在客廳安好，彩燈閃爍，各式各樣的裝飾品掛滿枝頭。孩子們會數著日子，等著聖誕夜的到來。

我們有個特別的傳統：在交換禮物之前，每個人要先準備一段小表演，可以唱歌、跳舞、講笑話，甚至變個魔術。看著家人為了節目絞盡腦汁、互相捉弄，笑聲往往比禮物還珍貴。等到表演結束，才輪到一個個打開禮物，那一刻，家裡充滿了驚喜的尖叫與擁抱。

後來孩子們長大，表演變成了全家一起玩的遊戲；有了第二代，舞台便交給了孫子們，而我們在一旁看得樂不可支。

無論是童年的中秋月光，端午粽香或過年炮竹，還是如今餐桌上的火雞與聖誕樹下的笑聲，這些節日傳統的核心，始終是「團聚」。它們不只是食物與活動，更是藉過節的機會，把家人聚在一起，也讓每個人在平凡的生活中多一份期待的興奮感。

每一次節日的相聚，都是一次愛的確認——讓我們在團聚之後各奔東西時，仍能在不同的時空裡感受到彼此的牽掛與溫暖。

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Whats your favorite holiday tradition? Where does it come from?

When I was a child, my favorite holidays were the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, Lunar New Year, and Christmas. Each holiday had its own unique flavor and atmosphere, like different movements in the symphony of a year.

I remember the eight years when my father served as the town mayor—every Mid-Autumn Festival, our home was filled with a constant stream of visitors, each carrying beautifully packaged mooncake gift boxes. Some came in carved wooden cases, others in brightly painted tin boxes. The flavors were endless—lotus seed paste, red bean, mixed nuts, salted egg yolk, mung bean, and more.

Back then, what made me happiest wasn’t just eating the mooncakes, but admiring those beautifully wrapped boxes stacked in the corner, like a little treasure trove.

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which is between September and October on the Gregorian calendar. If the skies were clear that night, a round and glowing moon would hang above every rooftop. We would bring out a small table, lay out freshly cut mooncakes and peeled pomelos. My favorite part was the golden salted egg yolk inside the lotus-and-red-bean mooncake—its savory richness perfectly balanced the sweet, velvety filling. The refreshing aroma of pomelo helped cut through the heaviness of the mooncake.

Sitting on a small stool, I would tilt my head up at the moon while listening to the grown-ups tell the legend of Chang’e flying to the moon, imagining myself riding the clouds to the Palace of the Moon.

The Dragon Boat Festival in May brought a different set of memories. Although my mother’s health prevented her from making zong z herself, my father would buy both local and northern-style zong z from the market, and sometimes my aunts would bring over their homemade ones the day before. The moment the bamboo leaves were unwrapped, a fragrant aroma would rise up, revealing sticky rice filled with mushrooms, peanuts, and salted egg yolk. One bite brought not only satisfaction to the taste buds, but also the joy of celebration.

Lunar New Year was the liveliest time of all. The New Year’s Eve dinner was the most lavish meal of the year—steaming soups, fragrant fish, and glutinous rice balls symbolizing family unity. My favorite moment was when my father handed out red envelopes. Each person received a different amount. I still remember asking him why mine was less than my older siblings’. He smiled and said, “Different grade levels, different amounts!” I didn’t like that answer one bit.

Outside, firecrackers popped constantly. Though I was scared of walking past them on the streets, I still felt that the sound of firecrackers was what truly made it feel like New Year. Those few days were filled with play, laughter, and a rare sense of leisure.

Christmas, for me, was more than just decorations and presents—it was also the songs and performances at church. When I was little, the church would hold a Christmas Eve service with choir performances, stage lights, and short plays reenacting Bible stories. I was immersed in a peaceful and joyful atmosphere. I still remember the small cakes given to each of us, printed with the image of baby Jesus.

After I moved to the United States, got married, and had children, life found a new rhythm, and with it came new holiday traditions. Thanksgiving and Christmas became my two favorites.

When you kids were little, every fourth Thursday in November I would start preparing several days in advance—thawing a turkey weighing over ten pounds, marinating it with spices the day before, and roasting it in the oven early on Thanksgiving morning. All afternoon, the aroma would slowly spread through the house. The children would play in the living room while I bustled in the kitchen. It was a warm, grateful kind of happiness.

Even after you all grew up and roasting the turkey was no longer my personal responsibility, the turkey itself remained an unshakable tradition. To me, a Thanksgiving without turkey simply doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving.

Christmas became the most eagerly awaited time for the whole family. By early December, the Christmas tree would be set up in the living room, adorned with twinkling lights and ornaments of all shapes and colors. Everyone would count down the days until Christmas Eve.

I especially love our special tradition: before exchanging gifts, each person had to put on a little performance—singing, dancing, telling jokes, or even doing a magic trick. The laughter from these performances often meant more than the gifts themselves. After the last act, we would open our presents one by one, the room bursting with delighted squeals and warm embraces.

As you guys grew up, performances turned into group games which is as fun as the performances we did in old times . Now that we have a second generation, the stage belongs to the grandchildren, and we watch from the sidelines, overjoyed.

Whether it’s the moonlight and pomelo fragrance of my childhood, or the turkey on the table and laughter under the Christmas tree today, the heart of these holiday traditions has always been the same—togetherness. They are not just about food and activities, but about using these occasions to gather our family, giving each of us something to look forward to.

I think every holiday gathering is a reaffirmation of love—so that even when we go our separate ways afterward, we can still feel each other’s care and warmth across time and distance.