When Jackie Campos’ family Christmas kicks off on Dec. 24, there’s not the faintest hint of daylight coming through the window.

The celebration – or at least the preparation - starts early. Jackie’s mom, hours before sunrise, steps into her kitchen to begin prepping vegetables, pulling out pots and pans, and organizing her thoughts for the day’s feast. It isn’t long before Jackie has arrived, ready to help. It’s important, Jackie says, to be present, so she can observe, and hopefully remember, the intricate steps in creating food that’s been prepared for generations, from a place that exists, for all intents and purposes, in her past.

Of course, nothing’s written down for these El Salvadorian dishes. Jackie’s mom works mostly by memory and feel. Nevertheless, Jackie does what she can to observe and ultimately preserve these food traditions – ones that go far beyond taste and represent a rich tradition.

“We like to stick to our roots (at Christmas),” Jackie said. “I’m from California, but both of my parents are from El Salvador. So we let my mom do the traditional El Salvadorian dishes to try to honor their history.”

Family Feast

The holiday feast, hours in the making and with several helping hands (including Jackie and her four sisters), includes El Salvadorian-style tamales, Panes de Pollo (a traditional chicken sandwich), champurrados (a chocolate-based warm and thick Mexican beverage), and empanadas, which are made out of plantains.

Slowly prepared and lovingly shared, it’s more than just a welcome transition from the American-style food Jackie’s grown accustomed to. It’s food that takes the family back, in all the best ways.

“The last time I was in El Salvador, I was probably around 21, before I got married,” Jackie said. “I know that I’m not going to go back to visit anytime soon, so I want to keep that heritage going. Eating this meal with my family (both at Thanksgiving and Christmas) does just that.”

Family Heritage

Jackie’s parents, both from El Salvador, moved to California decades ago and in 2004, the family came to visit Texas over the summer. Her dad fell in love with it instantly. The school systems, the weather, the opportunities – all of it made sense for the future of their children. So that’s where they moved.
Most of Jackie’s extended family remains in the South American country.

Previous trips back to El Salvador give Jackie unique perspective on her current good fortunes. The poverty stricken neighborhoods she remembers vividly from her parents’ home country may have lacked air conditioning or a hot shower, but they never lacked generosity. These tangible memories offer Jackie gratitude for her current lot in life, but also a warmer understanding and sentiment for her family roots.

“Seeing the conditions that my parents grew up in, not having much, and just seeing how far that they’ve come. I have so much respect for how happy they are today, even with the little that they have. It’s an eye opener for being grateful for everything you have in life,” Jackie said. “The people in El Salvador have this willingness to offer whatever you ask from them, whether it’s their bed or a hot meal, no matter how simple it is.”

Family Togetherness

Jackie’s family is tight-knit group, both figuratively and geographically.

She, her four sisters, and her parents all live within about a 10-minute range of one another. It might be making a pot of coffee on the weekends, or texting with her sisters regularly, but the quality time is not lost on the family. Christmas is no exception.

On Christmas Eve, after the meal, no one rushes out. Whether it’s Christmas movies, a trip to the Gaylord, or just relishing in the plethora of leftovers, the holidays are a special time of family togetherness.
But perhaps Jackie’s favorite moment every year happens on Christmas eve night. By rule, mom and dad don’t give out gifts any longer. Instead, they sit down while their five kids surround them with presents and open them one by one to a captive audience.

“We make it a point not to let them buy us anything. It’s time for us to offer our thank you. While we can never repay what they’ve done for us, it’s a small way of trying to give back,” Jackie said.

Family Traditions

This year – for the first time that anyone in the family can remember – is going to be different.

Jackie and husband Isai just purchased their first house and will host the holidays for the first time. They’ve also decided to invite her husband’s family, so there will be new guests around the family table.

Nevertheless, Jackie’s more than excited. Between decorating, divvying up what everyone will bring, and all the hustle in the weeks leading up to Christmas, she knows who will be the first to show up.

In a space that represents Jackie’s past, present and future – inside that kitchen - her mom will likely arrive early. Watching her mom prepare the meal, she’ll ask a ton of questions, pay close attention to a cooking methodology devoted only to memory, and write everything down she can. It’s important for her to remember, to keep a piece of El Salvador with her in a very tangible way.

“Every year, it’s so special to be there in the kitchen with mom to learn those recipes, keep those family roots alive so that, one day, I can pass this heritage down. I can teach my own children.”

Life changes, the world evolves, and time moves forward. But the tradition remains alive and well.

Speaking of Feasts: Hear what Thomas Hederman in St. Louis Has to Say About His Food Transformation

For most of his life, St. Louis born-and-raised Thomas Hederman pretty much stuck to typical American fare. Sometimes Mexican, sometimes a burger – and anything Asian was relegated to takeout Chinese.

But then the St. Louis Leasing Administrator met his significant other, Jasy.

As a native Filipino, living with Jasy has helped transform both his everyday diet and the holiday traditional feast that he looks forward to later this month.

“Ever since we’ve been together, there’s been large changes,” Thomas says, brimming with excitement as he shares his newly-found love for Asian cuisine. “A lot more rice. I’ve also become proficient in preparing tofu, in a variety of different ways. I haven’t had red meat in weeks.”

Home food classics have moved to marinated tofu, tofu balls, and a plethora of steamed veggies. For the holidays, he’ll be preparing lechon kawali, a decadent slice of skin-on pork belly, air fried and served with his made-from-scratch dipping sauce. They’ll also likely throw together a pork, tofu, or entirely vegan dish as they celebrate the holidays together.

The sharing of this cuisine has helped the couple grow and learn from one another. And when Thomas thinks about the typical American fare of his past, he knows these dishes will be the exception, and not the rule.

“In the past, it was just sticking to the old reliables,” Thomas says. “But when you live with someone who has a different diet than you, it made me more willing to go out and try new things. Some of them I haven’t been crazy about, but a lot of them have become new-found favorites.”