The second weekend in November has been marked as the traditional day of our gathering.We pretty well fasted all day knowing the feast which was to come. Everything else of importance was diverted. Teenage children stated clearly to friends "that they were busy on Saturday night". Why you ask? It was our 4th annual Ancestor's Day.
It was started four years ago as a joke against me and my endless ramblings about my Viking heritage. My husband,who doesn't talk about his Lebanese ancestry at all, corralled our best friends to set me up for a screamer of an evening.
I was told that we had been invited for a great Chinese feast at the Deng's to celebrate Ancestor Day. Part of the tradition is not only to eat great food but to tell of our ancestors. Everyone must come wearing a hat that represents their heritage. That right there should have been a give away but I bit the bait ,.....hook, line, and sinker.
That first Ancestor's Day I wore a Viking helmet and kept asking questions about how the holiday was celebrated. I kept getting very evasive answers. Finally as we were eating dinner someone stated that it was time to tell of our favorite ancestor. I was opening my litany of Eric the Blood Ax, our favorite family Viking, when my best friend Susie gently touched my arm and said,"Valli....it's a joke. There is no such thing as Ancestor Day." The whole table groaned in disappointment that Susie had given away the joke. "I wouldn't be your best friend if I didn't save you from yourself". True,I thought. Isn't she a very good friend?
Flash forward to this year. The table was set with the anticipation of a great celebration. No longer a joke, but a cherished time to get together with friends to celebrate our friend like family relationships.
Over 10 different dishes were served and all 18 of us sat around the table enjoying each other's company and recalling that very first ancestor's day 4 years ago. Our friend Shaoqing cooks this meal for us every year. Spending his evening in the kitchen cooking each dish right then is an amazing feat. At the very end he sits down to listen to the moans and groans of his very full friends. The Deng's love and care leave all of us in a state of prosperity. Thank you for such a great evening and blessings to your ancestors.
