It's a Tradition!

Natalia opened her eyes wide and and stared at the ceiling fan spinning above her head. She knew she wasn't supposed to get out of bed this early in the morning, but her knees were shaking so much from excitement, that she simply just had to slip out.

She put her feet on the chilly floor and her little toes curled up with excitement as she squeezed her stuffed cat to keep from squealing with joy.

Today was St. Lucy's day and she was going to go to Nonna Bianchi's to make Russian Tea cookies!

She spun in her Christmas night gown and turned to the clock on her dresser. It was seven and she was to go with mama and papa to Nonna's at twelve o'clock.

Natalia counted her fingers. That was five hours from now. She looked at her stuffed cat, Tony, as she called him, and lifted him up to her face.

" We're going to Nonna Bianchi's in five hours, Tony! Ah, I'm so excited!"

Stuffed Tony stared back in silent surprise.

"But you wouldn't know that because only first graders know how to count and you're just a cat!"

Natalia said the last word slightly louder than she had intended to and slapped her hand over her mouth dramatically. Tony stared at her as if he might say something. " And because you're not really alive either," she added under her breath. Tony's head drooped to the side.

Natalia felt bad for saying that and quickly added, " But that's not your fault. I'll still bring you to make the Russian Tea cookies with Nonna," she paused for a second, " as long as you mind your manners and say your prayers!" Natalia laughed at how cleverly she imitated her grandmother's accent and spun around again squeezing Tony in her arms.

Natalia absolutely adored spending time with her Nonna Bianchi and their most cherished tradition together was to bake Russian Tea cookies on the feast of St. Lucy. The tradition spanned back to when Nonna Bianchi's grandmother made the cookies every year with her. No one is really quite sure of how it started, but it has been passed from mother to daughter from grandmother since then.

Natalia stopped spinning for a moment and her green eyes grew in contemplation. She remembered back to last year on St. Lucy's feast day, her first time to go to Nonna's to make the cookies.

Nonna Bianchi had made a special apron just for her and had Natalia's name embroidered at the top in bright red letters that popped out festively against the plaid green.

Nonna tied the apron neatly around her waist.

"Natalia!" Nonna said in her rich accent, "today we are are going to make Russian Tea cookies because it is the feast of St. Lucia."

Natalia pondered her Nonna's words for a moment.

"Are we making the cookies because St. Lucia is going to have some?"

" No, bella, we make the cookies because it is tradition to make them on her feast."

Natalia was silent. Surely, St. Lucy would want cookies too.

" Nonna, why is it tradition?"

Nonna started measuring ingredients and without stopping she said, " Because I did it with my Nonna when I was little, and your mama did it with her Nonna when she was little, and now you bake the cookies with your Nonna because you are little. It's a tradition."

She paused for a moment as she measured the flour, her words echoed in Natalia's brain.

Nonna continued, " There is some tradition that we don't carry on," she waved her hand as she spoke, "but baking the Russian Tea cookies on St. Lucia's feast we keep because it is good."

Natalia looked at her Nonna wide eyed.

" Why is it good?"

" Because the cookies are good eh? haha!"

Nonna did a little dance and her bracelets and earrings jingled merrily. Natalia laughed and stood on the marble countertop barefoot and she danced too, mimicking her grandmother's movements. She stopped suddenly with her eyebrows furrowed.

"Ah mia bella, what is wrong?" her Nonna stopped.

"Can we make cookies for St. Lucy too?"

Nonna laughed, " Of course, St. Lucia shall have cookies too!" Her eyes twinkled and she gave Natalia a wink. Together they made the cookies and left enough for St. Lucia to come eat.

The sound of her bedroom door creaking open brought Natalia back to the present. She held her embroidered apron in her hand with Tony in the other as she turned.

" Mama! Today we're making Russian Tea cookies at Nonna's!" She jumped up and down in excitement trying to suppress her squeals.

Natalia's mother gave her a pained look which immediately concerned the little girl.

" Natalia," her mother said slowly, unsure how to break her daughter's joy, " Nonno called and said Nonna has been sick with the flu all night and can hardly leave the bed. I'm sorry but we won't be able to bake the cookies with her today."

Natalia's lip quivered as she took in the words. She was crestfallen. Tears welled in the corners of her green eyes.

" Ok mama," she said, choking on her words. Natalia looked around the room unsure of what she was supposed to do. It was St. Lucy's day! What was she supposed to do? There was nothing.

She glanced down at her apron and the tears flowed down. She tried her best to keep them in, she was in first grade after all, but they came out against her will. She ran into her mother's arms.

Her mother wiped the tears off her cheeks but they kept pouring.

Natalia took a step back, took a deep breath and looked her mother in the same green eyes she had.

" No mama, St. Lucy will get to eat cookies today. Nonna said it's tradition! I will make the cookies myself." She used Tony's plushed paw to dry the remaining tears away and threw her apron on. Her mother looked at her proudly and tied the apron neatly around her waist.

Natalia raised her eyes to her mama, blowing away the loose chocolaty strands.

"Don't worry mama, I will make the cookies."

Natalia's mother stood up.

"Get to it then! There is only one feast of St Lucy."

She watched her daughter as she marched out of the room like a soldier with little Tony dangling in her arms. That little girl was as determined to make her Nonna's cookies as any boxer was determined to win a fight.

As Natalia walked on she turned to her mother seriously and with the authority of a hundred commanding officers she shouted, "It's tradition!"

***

Natalia sat crossed legged on the kitchen counter with her chin resting in both her hands. Her mother was doing chores upstairs while Natalia still stared at the ingredients she'd pulled out ten minutes ago. She was humming and scrutinizing the bag of flour that lay limply before her. She was trying to remember what when in. She's baked regular cookies lots of times with mama, but these were Russian Tea Cookies. It shouldn't be any less hard. She reached for the bag of flour and dumped half into the mixing bowl. Next, she cracked about five eggs, (she couldn't remember if it was four or six so she went with five, but actually none go in) neglecting to take out the pieces of egg shell that fell in too.

With each ingredient Natalia expertly narrated what she was doing to her stuffed cat, reminding him to listen as his head drooped to the side.

" Next Tony, we gotta put in some nuts because I know they have nuts in them."

Tony agreed. She rummaged through the pantry and spotted a large jar of cashews. (cashews do not go in the cookies) She set it on the counter and tried to open it but it was stuck fast. Losing her patience, Natalia struck the top of the jar against the counter and entirely shattered the whole upper half off, with cashews pouring out in an avalanche. Having no time to waste cleaning the spill, she dumped the rest in from the part that was still intact.

" Halfway done," she mumbled, wiping her forehead dramatically.

If Tony could, he'd roll his eyes.

But Natalia continued on thinking of how proud Nonna would be of her for baking the cookies all by herself. She thought of all the warm praises she was going to receive and as she did so she threw in three sticks of cold butter and added a whopping spoonful of salt. She stuck her finger in.

" Hmmm it needs some vanilla."

And with a ceremonial pop, she pulled the cap off and inhaled the intoxicating sweetness. It was too much resist, with one motion she took a swig of the bottle.

" AAh! Bleh, bleh, bleh bleh......yuck!"

Natalia spat the nasty liquid into the bowl and gave it a sour look.

Tony stared limply.

"Oh shut up Tony."

Natalia grabbed the wooden spoon and struck the creation in the bowl. She was still sticking her tongue out trying to get the bitter taste out of her mouth. Oh! she almost forgot the sugar! Natalia grabbed the box and added to the heap.

" Ok Tony now we really got to get to work!" Natalia could feel herself grow sleepy and struck her spoon in the sticky batter harder.

" It's tradition! we have to finish!" She stirred furiously but it was thicker than glue. Tony sat still on the counter with cashews and batter stuck to his velvet coat. Natalia carried on diligently but with every stir, her arm grew heavier and heavier. She wiped her forehead streaking flour and egg across it. The batter was still horribly lumpy and not all like she remembered. She was growing frustrated and tired. Her eyes began to close.

" Come on Tony," she said quietly, " We got to finish the cookies," and raising her hand in true Italian fashion and parroting her Nonna's accent she said, " Itsa tradition."

Natalia slowly stopped and with her legs crossed on the countertop still, she dropped the spoon and tilted her head onto the bowl and closed her eyes.

***

Natalia woke up on the couch to the sweet aroma of cinnamon and butter coming from the kitchen. She immediately jumped up and ran. She stopped dead in her tracks at what she saw. The whole kitchen was immaculately cleaned and there, right before her very eyes were the Russian Tea cookies sitting on a plate, perfectly wrapped in ribbons. Natalia pressed her hand to the cookies gently. They were still warm from the oven. She covered her mouth in surprise. Tony was sitting on the counter too, with not a spot on his velvet coat.

"Oh Tony! How did this happen? Did we actually do it?!" She grabbed her cat and swung him around, shrieking with excitement.

"We made the Russian Tea cookies! Oh Nonna Bianchi will be so proud!" and Natalia laughed.

Her mother walked in.

"Mama! I made the Russian tea cookies! Look!"

Natalia's mother walked over and inspected the cookies with a twinkle in her eye.

"They do look perfect Natalia." She gave a knowing smile.

Natalia gushed.

" Natalia," her mother said, " I heard Nonna Bianchi is feeling just a little bit better. Maybe we should bring some cookies to her."

Natalia squeezed her stuffed cat and all she could do was smile and smile.