Their family traditions heavily leaned on their Italian roots.There is perhaps no happier time in a child’s life than Christmas day. As an adult, whenever I think of Christmas, I am reminded of Christmas memories from long ago. from Colli, a village of the Frosinone province in Italy. Just a few years before Bruni was born, her parents immigrated to the U.S. She and her brother would walk around the city to see the lit-up trees and to get some of the family's holiday shopping done. "Those are my memories of the great community that we live in, and, of course, being with big brother and doing all the Christmas things," Bruni said.īruni's father worked downtown, as a tailor at what was Greens Department Store on North Street. But she still remembers well when her older brother would take her every year to sit on Santa's lap so she could tell him what she wished for most for Christmas. Now, she's the Middletown economic and community development director. They told him they had seen his trap and sneakily worked around the camera's view, just in case his plan actually worked.Īs a young girl, Maria Bruni, 54, of Middletown, remembers the magic of the season right downtown at the landing of a grand staircase in the old Tompkins Department Store on North Street. Nothing was recorded, but his belief in Santa's existence was preserved for about four more years.Ī few years after the botched camera operation, and after he'd learned the truth about Santa, Mejia's parents let him in on a secret. Plan B: When sleep inevitably wins, fall back on a camera. Plan A: Stay up all night to catch the elusive, magic man with his own two eyes. When Rene Mejia Jr., 27, of Newburgh, was 8, he hatched a fool-proof plan to catch Santa dropping Christmas presents under the tree. He hopes they can find a way to continue the tradition this year over Zoom. When that song comes on, Riss said, "I bother everyone around and say, 'You know, I arranged that.' Of course, I have to say that ever year." Riss' favorite song on the tape is his own arrangement of "O Holy Night," sung by two women. ![]() ![]() So, he reworked it to be an octave lower, which stood out among all the other voices with "normal range," Riss said. Riss' solo was in the fourth verse, but he couldn't sing high enough for his mother's arrangement. He recalled how his mother arranged for Riss and his brothers to sing "We Three Kings." The first verse was a three-part harmony, with Riss singing the bass line. "It's especially meaningful because several people on the tape are no longer with us. The tape consists of several songs arranged and performed by Riss, a few friends and his family, including his kids, his brothers, Riss' Juilliard-educated mother and soloist father. Tim Riss, 66, of Newburgh, and his family have a tradition where they gather to listen to a 35-year-old cassette tape of popular Christmas songs - but it's not your typical holiday compilation. "Son, it's six o'clock in the morning! Come back to bed."Īnd, as he climbed back into bed, he told them all "I did hear Santa Claus's sleigh bells on the rooftop." To which his mother replied: "Sure you did, honey."
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