Christmas Day 1952

Photo by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash

by Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi

[based on actual events that occurred over three holiday seasons in Puerto Rico]

Snow arrived on the island by way of industrial magic trick. Such a publicity stunt could only originate from minds that created words like monocrop and commonwealth. Puerto Rican authorities thought this prize of icy purity on sand would curry favor with their American benefactors overlords. Robbers always call from inside the house, distracting tenants with big talk and, this time, photographers capturing rust on salsa snow angels and tropical sun laughter. Grand gestures the tactic to divert attention from the real business of choking resistance and burying dreams. Same as it was then, everything melts by New Year’s Day.

━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━
Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi is a biracial Puerto Rican writer and professor living in Aurora, Colorado. She is the winner of Fragmentation Magazine's 2025 micro fiction contest.