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Historias de las Familias
STORIES OF FAMILY CELEBRATIONS
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MY GREAT TIA RAQUEL
Mi Gran Tía Raquel
By Paloma, Grade 3
| When my mom Sandra was a little girl in Chile, it seemed like every house had a party every night. Losing a tooth became a two-night party! Soon my mom and her family came to the United States and they continued on with the celebrations. She especially remembers celebrating El Dieciocho, which means the 18th, for the 18th of September, Chilean Independence Day, and she especially remembers her Tía Raquel at these celebrations. ![]() One night there was going to be a party. That day everyone in the family was decorating, cooking or cleaning up. At about 7:00 the doorbell rang. My wita Gladys said, "Oh, what a surprise, our first guest." People came quickly, at about 7:30, the house was full. They were all starting to have a lot of fun, playing games, talking, eating... and then... Knock, Knock, Knock, all of the kids said, "Its Tía Raquel!!" Tía Raquel had black hair and she always wore it back, she always wore red lipstick and she loved lentejas. She went straight to the kitchen looking for empanadas, which are meat turnovers made of ground beef, onions, comino, olives and raisins with pieces of hard boiled egg rolled into masa. Then she went straight looking for the glasses and bottles of vino. Tía Raquel went to every table and gave everyone a glass of vino. When everyone had a glass she went to every table with her pañuelo (handkerchief) and danced and sang
Tomate ese vaso, ese vaso de vino, Tomate ese vaso, ese vaso de vino, Ya se lo tomo, ya se lo tomo, Ahora le toca al vecino. By nine oclock, everyone was drunk (except the kids) everyone ate, danced and told stories, and soon it was time to go home. Tía Raquel was always the last one to leave. | Cuando mi mami Sandra era niña chica en Chile, parecía que en cada casa había fiesta todas las noches. Perder un diente se convertía en una fiesta de dos días. Una noche íba haber una fiesta. Ese día todos los de la familia estaban decorando, cocinando o limpiando. Como a las 7:00 de la noche sonó el timbre. Mi Wita Gladys dijo "Que sorpresa, ¡nuestro primer invitado!" La gente llegó rapídamente y para las 7:30 la casa estaba llena. Todos se estaban divirtiendo, jugando, conversando y comiendo y pronto... pon, pon, pon) los niños gritaron "¡es tía Raquel!" Ella fue directamente a la cocina buscando las empanadas, que son pasteles de carne molida, cebollas, comino, aceitunas y pasas con pedacitos de huevo cocido envuelto en masa. Luego fue a buscar el vino y los vasos. Tía Raquel íba a cada mesa y le daba vino a todas las personas. Cuando todos tenían su vino ella íba a cada mesa con su panuelo y bailaba y cantaba "Tomate ese vaso de vino, Para las 9:00 de la noche todos estaban borrachos, menos los niños. Todos comieron, bailaron, y contaron cuentos y pronto era tiempo de irse a la casa. Tía Raquel siempre era la última irse. |
| Story narrated and drawings created by Paloma Xochitl 2001 |