New Memories But Same Old Traditions.......

As we rushed out of the house, my mom laid our traditional “money jar” right outside the frontthe door like each New Years Eve. While Dad beeps the car horn as a signal to tell my mom to hurry we reverse out of the garage and await for her on the edge of the curb. Finally in Waipahu, I stepped out of the car shrieking and startling from the loud BOOMS and BANGS of fireworks. Greeting and hugging my family all the kids excite to the coming of the New Year. I could hear babies crying when they heard the fireworks pop and see my little cousins throw their little “Pop Pops” at the ground. Surrounded with all the joy and excitement my cousins and I hurried to finish our food and began lighting up anything in our sight. Since my cousin’s friend lived right across the street we called to challenge them. Endless colors from fountains sparkled and the smell of smoke filled the air creating this very gray fog. My cousin, Alyssa got so caught up with trying to win, that she forgot to throw the firework causing it to pop right in her hand. She quickly ran to me and I called everyone to come out of the house to help her. I wasn’t mad but the adults didn’t allow us to pop anything anymore because of this incident. Bored as ever, my cousin kept crying all night while the adults just sang on the karaoke; it was torture. Leaving Waipahu, we made it home just before New Years. Once it hit twelve, first person to walk through the front door had to close the “money jar” and bring it in the house. Tradition has it that the parents put money into the “money jar” every New Years Eve and by the time the youngest of the children get married(ME) the money jar will be given to them and so on.