When I was in Liberia one of my favorite holidays was Christmas, because it was very interesting dressing up in our best outfits and going around to people we know and ask them for our Christmas, and sometimes we'll share food with our neighbors and the neighbors will give us food also. Another reason I love Christmas in Liberia is that every time before Christmas there used to be a bug that comes to let us know that Christmas is near, we call it “Christmas fly, “    Americans call it “Boxelder bugs in America.”  We also have our own Santa Claus but the opposite, Back home we called ours Old Man beggar. He dresses up and dances for money, he wears big clothing that covers him up and has a very huge belly, along with his shoes, they’re as big as my school backpack. Some days we used to go to church and the church people will give us the kids surprises. I miss the joy and excitement that Christmas brought me, the excitement that filled my eyes when my Mother and my older sisters gathered together to do our Christmas hair, and yes, I cried when doing my hair because they usually are tangled but at the end it was worth it.  I usually end up covering my hair for about a week just so nobody sees my beautiful hair, till it's Christmas day. When I get a lot older i'll like to go back to Africa to experience Christmas once more. 

– MP

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child