Page 52 - 2024-2025 Creative Writing

A Family Home During

Tsagaan Sar

It all starts from wiping a single speck of dust from the top of my shelves to mopping

the floor until it looks so spotless that I can see my face in it. It is a tradition in my

family to start cleaning our home weeks before Tsagaan Sar. I’ve always hated this

part from the bottom of my heart.

My parents are so insistent that every corner of the house needs to be spotless, even

the grand chandelier must be wiped piece by piece every single year. After all this

cleaning, we still have one big task left: preparing the food. I don’t usually play a big

role in this part.

I’m not an exceptional cook, but I am an expert at washing the dishes. I wash dishes

almost 24/7 during Tsagaan Sar. Normal people would say, “It feels like hell

standing for so many hours,” but I embrace it. When plates and cups come my way, I

make them look brand new, as if even the tags would crawl back onto them.

Different types of salads, buuz, and the traditional, beautifully baked kheviin boov

are laid out on the snowy white tablecloth. It’s so mouthwatering that I envy the

people sitting on the oak chairs eating them. I also hate for a moment standing by my

work partner which is the sink, because everything looks so appetizing that I could

finish it all in one gulp. I can even hear my stomach growling.

The atmosphere in my family during Tsagaan Sar is a mood that can only be

compared to coworkers in a restaurant. My brother and I are like the waiters, and my

parents are the head chefs. The guests are the customers who come to try our five-

star, Michelin-worthy cuisine.

All these moments make me feel so welcomed. Even though I hate certain parts of

it, Tsagaan Sar is still the most enjoyable holiday for me.

10b Enkhluun Batkhishig