Go Beyond

"Tamalada" | Painted by Carmen Lomas Garza

Whenever I hear the word “tradition” I can’t help but think of Tevye, the milkman in Fiddler on the Roof whose struggle to maintain his Jewish traditions was made even more challenging by the choices of his three older daughters. However, in the month of December, the word “tradition” is all about La Tamalada or a tamale-making party. One of my very favorite memories of growing up in South Texas is of the Tamaladas that my beautiful mother would host in our home. The annual Tamalada was a big family and social event when our home was filled with extended family and friends who gathered to make tamales, empanadas, pan de polvo, and other Christmas goodies. It was a great time of the year to be a kid in our home because the house was filled with people we loved, with music, laughter and conversation, and the opportunity to sample lots of food.

This year's first batch of tamales.

Tamales have been around for a long time. Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan friar and ethnographer who came to New Spain (Mexico) in 1529, documented that the Aztecs served tamales to the Spaniards in the mid-1500s. We have traced our ancestry on my Dad’s side of the family to the 16th century, so perhaps our ancestors were among those who sampled Aztec tamales. The word tamale is derived from the word tamalii from the Nahuatl language spoken by the Aztecs. The word means “wrapped food.” However, the Aztecs were not the only people to enjoy tamales. Tamales were also a favorite food of the Mayans in Central America and the Inca in Peru. Warriors from all of these peoples survived on tamales because it was a portable food.

Putting tamales into the steam pot.

My mother taught my wife Cheryl how to make tamales. Making tamales is a time-consuming, labor intensive, messy, and creative process but one that is worth the effort when that first batch of tamales is ready to be sampled. Cheryl started this year’s tamale-making preparations a couple of days ago. I especially enjoy sampling the various fillings and making sure that the masa has the perfect taste. Today, Cheryl hosted a small Tamalada in our home. It takes lots of hands to soak, dry, and sort the corn husks, to prepare and spread the masa on each husk, and then to add the filling, tie and bundle each tamal (singular) and then finally steam all of the tamales. Because the process is so labor intensive, families that keep the Tamalada tradition make as many tamales as possible. And then, the best part — eating and sharing tamales at Christmas.

This will be our third Christmas since my beautiful Mom passed away. Although we all still miss her so much, I am comforted by some really great memories at this time of the year. Cheryl’s little Tamalada transported me back to a simpler and wonderful time in my life when Mom unwittingly created memories that have lasted a lifetime — memories of a happy home filled with family and friends at Christmastime. Traditions are not all bad, especially those that keep us connected and grounded to faith and family. I hope that you will consider your Christmas traditions and help create memories that will bless and comfort your family and friends for years to come.