Iris2004

International Institute of Anthropology

Cultural Reproduction and Everyday Life

Lolita's Scrapbook 2004

Iris' Christmas Letter
2004

Iris is my goddaughter who lives with
her husband, Ogi, in Hungary {L.N.].

December 26, 2004

My Dearest Loli (Figure 1)!

Re: Christmas Letter 2004

Today is the second Christmas day – time, which we can spend at last in tranquility, relaxing after the whole hectic year, thinking about all our beloved relatives and friends, wishing the same things as we do year after year – let them be healthy, successful and happy, and let us meet them in near future...
     Thank you for your lovely letter and for giving the opportunity to admire your home-page, the creation of your brother, the essays of your students – I find as very thought-provoking those about Marriage and It’s Accompanying Changes and about Constructive Criticism, as well. And of course, I’m very happy to follow with attention your advance and achievements during the years.
     Well, I should be happy having the possibility to communicate this way in this globalized world, but I have also to ensure you, I would better prefer changing minds with you in a company of a glass of wine (or something else) as in those days, to enjoy your smile, which never goes out, and your voice, helping me so many times 20 years ago...
     And because I love you so much, but I love much better to dispute with you, that’s why I’ve decided to write down some thoughts, according to your question why we do need traditions, giving the chance to all my favorite authorities – my Mother, Margarita Tatcheva (Figure 2), my Brother, Yassen Hitov (Figure 3), my parents-in-law, Blagovesta and Angel Kaloyanov (Figure 4), my Sister-in-law and her Husband, Nelly and Ivaylo Dimov (Figure 5), my Boss, Kalman Mago (Figure 6), my Guardian Angel in Haskovo – the very best specialist in all question about tradition – Magda Miltcheva (Figure 7) and my eminent debating partner in Haskovo, Juliana Peltekova (Figure 8) to exchange their points of view – of course if they find time, vigor and feel pleasure to do it. And what about the Very First Authority in my Alldays – my Husband, Ogi (Figure 9) – if you receive this letter, it means he has read it, and agree with it, too.
     However I can mention here only those, who use Internet. But if they find some fun in it, I’m sure they will share the opinions of our common authorities, who don’t dispose over it. And I think this way we can enjoy the benefits of communicating, being part of the globalizing world.
     And I have to apologize in advance – English doesn’t belong to my “best languages”, as well.
      I love traditions and I need traditions because:
          · they give me occasion to celebrate – the Magic of Birth and the Mission of
            Human Life – to love and to save the world, improving it day by day;
          · they teach me to refreshing my scope of values – in order to improve my
            relations, and to reach my goals;
          · they help me to remember – to knead the Christmas Eve Bread by myself as my
            Grandma done it, just for instance;
         · they make me curious to learn about another cultures – so I still remain being
           fascinated of the challenge to know more about our world;
         · adults also need their fairy tales and to believe in miracles – so I try to provide as              much beauty and harmony as possible to the details and ceremony of our rituals.

I think these are the most relevant reasons which I bring with myself through the years and through the world, whenever and wherever I am. That’s why I’m awaiting again and again to retire in the magic world of traditions, which “fill my heart with so much special things”.
     So I bring down the icon, and dress up our home with glittery ribbons and with the shining glass-toys of my childhood, and fill the air with the citrus, cinnamon and honey fragrances, coming from the baking cookies, and light the candles, and write cards to my dearest, and prepare the 7-course fast-dinner (Figure 10) with a view not to forget to be thankful and satisfied, and burn incense in order to hound out the devil, and think about how nice it is to celebrate love and progress, and relax between intimated surroundings, listening holy music, thinking about beloved friends and relatives, creating new plans about our tasks, aims and activities in the next future.
     This way I wish Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, Loli, and to All Of You.
     And – without regard on loving traditions or not – I wish you to enjoy celebrating, to collect your own scope of values, not to forget where you come from, to forgive to your relatives and friends, and to remain opened for new contacts, to think creative, to demand beauty and harmony, to believe in miracles, to have your dreams, and to have your concept with the list of activities how to realize it. And ... Cheers!

Your,
Iris (Figure 11)

Figure 1. Lolita [At the wedding of her "adopted son" Travis, June 2004. Salt Lake City, Utah].

Figure 2. Professor Margarita Tacheva [My mother is a Lolita's teacher at the University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria]

Figure 3. Yasen, my brother, Sofia (Bulgaria)

Figure 4. My parents-in-law, Blagovesta and Angel Kaloyanov. My father-in-law is a doctor in Haskovo, Bulgaria.

Figure 5. My sister-in-law and her husband, Nelly and Ivaylo Dimov. They live in Boston.

Figure 6. My Boss, Kalman Mago (Budapest, Hungary).

Figure 7. My Guardian Angel in Haskovo, Bulgaria, Magda Miltcheva (the very best specialist in all question about tradition).

Figure 8. My eminent debating partner in Haskovo, Juliana Peltekova

Figure 9. The Very First Authority in my Alldays – my Husband, Ogi.

Figure 11. Me.

Figure 10