My family loves to create our own traditions -- for example, my Sleeping Beauty ornament. When I was younger one of my favorite movies was Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. My favorite scene was at the very end after Sleeping Beauty is rescued and she is dancing with Prince Phillip. In this scene, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip are participating in a slow dance both gazing in the other eyes, all the while Sleeping Beauty’s fairy godmothers are debating on what color dress she should be wearing (red, blue, or green). While she is dancing, her godmothers start changing the color of her dress. One day, my father got me an ornament showing that very scene. It shows Sleeping Beauty and her Prince dancing on a cloud and when you press the button her dress changes color playing one of the most famous songs from that movie (“Once Upon a Dream”, the song was sung during their first encounter). When my father handed the ornament to me I put it down, played the song and danced with him. It has since become one of my family’s traditions. After my father and I hang the ornament on the tree, I turn it on and we dance to the song, just like in the movie. This is just one of the traditions we have created. My father is Guyanese and his religion is Hindu. Hindu’s don’t really celebrate Christmas, but as any traditions (old or new) change, that is okay because when they change you make a new tradition and you just might like that one better.

– Sunita Singh

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant