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Feliz Navidad A Todos
That’s “Merry Christmas To Everyone” for those of us North of the Border. This month, we’re taking a look at Christmas traditions throughout Latin America.
The region spans from the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego and hosts speakers of Spanish, Portuguese and a myriad of indigenous languages.
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Mexico
Christmas in Mexico: What’s it like? | Life in Mexico
In Mexico, Christmas is extra-festive. They really get into the holiday spirit and begin celebrating in earnest on Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe) on the 12th of December and continue straight through Epiphany or Dia de los tres Reyes (Three Kings Day).
Posada
Starting on the 16th of December, a celebration that’s part caroling and part potluck Christmas party begins. Literally translated, ‘posada’ is an inn and represents the Holy Family’s journey to Bethlehem and their search for a place to rest and give birth to the baby Jesus.
Another holiday treat is the Christmas piñata. It looks rather like a star but it has seven points to represent the Seven Deadly Sins. Beating on this piñata is symbolic of beating down one’s sinful urges and being rewarded with the delights of being virtuous. In this case, the delight is when the piñata is finally broken open and all the candy spills out.
Poinsettia
Poinsettias originally come from Mexico where they are known as Nochebuena (Holy Night or Christmas Eve). The story is that a poor girl wished to bring a gift to the Christ Child at the Christmas Eve service in her church. She gathered some humble greens on her way to church as a heartfelt offering and when she laid them on the altar, they blossomed into the world-famous red flower we’re all familiar with.
Another Christmas decoration that you will find everywhere during the holiday season is the Nacimiento (Nativity Scene). The culmination of Las Posadas on Nochebuena is when the children process into the church for Midnight Mass and place el Niño Dios (Baby Jesus) in the manger.
Pozoles
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It seems like no matter where you are in the world, Christmas isn’t Christmas without its special variety of food. From sumptuous turkey dinners to Rosca de Reyes (Three Kings Cake that has a tiny figurine of Baby Jesus baked in, much like a Mardi Gras King Cake), Mexican holiday fare is a guaranteed treat.
Pozole is a stew of corn with beef or pork and a variety of herbs and cheeses that serves as an appetizer to get the holiday feast started right and Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without some homemade tamales.
Ponche Caliente
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If you’re going to eat marvelous holiday food, you’re going to want a seasonal beverage to wash it down
Atole is a smooth drink make from cornmeal but flavored with holiday spices and flavors such as cinnamon, chocolate and more. They enjoy a cup of Atole the way we savor the holiday richness of egg nog.
Ponche Caliente (hot punch) also known as Ponche Navideño (Christmas Punch) is a sort of mulled cider with diced fruit and a cinnamon stick. Everyone has their own recipe but the heartwarming aroma always reminds people of the joy of the holidays.
Christmas in Mexico vs in the USA [Cultural Differences] | Vlogmas 21
Central America
Like their neighbor to the North, the people of Central America enjoy tamales, ponche caliente and their own spin on egg nog known as rompope. Christmas is a time for warm flavors and warm feelings to celebrate the arrival of the Christ child.
Christmas in Central America
A deeply religious people, their holiday festivals center around key dates in the liturgical calendar.
In Guatemala, they celebrate La Quema del Diablo (The Burning of the Devil) on December 7th as a way to purify their house before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th. The Nacimiento is known as a Belen and typically uses more indigenous materials to spruce up the Nativity Scene.
In Costa Rica, Christmas Eve is known as Misa de Gallo (Mass of the Rooster) just as it is in Spain.
In many Central American countries, the person who brings the Christmas presents is not Santa, it’s baby Jesus. They take full advantage of the tropical flowers and natural materials to help in creating their holiday decor.
As with their neighbors in Mexico, fireworks play a big part in celebrating Christmas throughout Central America. Whether it’s professional pyrotechnics or kids with firecrackers, the midnight celebration of the arrival of Jesus into the world is every bit as loud and flashy as the angelic choir that roused the shepherds from their sleep.
South America
South America is a wonderfully diverse continent with dizzying mountain heights, dense jungles, broad grasslands and deep river basins. The Christmas traditions of these riotously varied lands reflect the cultures and climes while still universally celebrating the miracle of Christ’s birth.
Celebrating Christmas in 5 Spanish-speaking Countries
🎄(ft. AndyGM & Español con María)
North Coast
Christmas in the Caribbean coastlands of South America is an exuberant celebration. Fireworks, food and fun are the heart of the season.
Christmas in Colombia | Beautiful And Chaotic!
The children write Cartas al Niño Dios (letters to the baby Jesus) for the presents they’d like to receive. These are placed in the Pesebre (literally ‘stable’ but functionally, a Nativity Scene).
From the 16th of December, families join in sacred Novenas de Aguinaldos (Christmas Novenas) to prepare for the true joy of Christmas with scripture readings and religious carols. After midnight mass on Christmas Eve, it’s time for fireworks and feasting.
West Coast
Christmas in the Pacific coastlands is a very religious and community-oriented celebration. There are a variety of specialty beverages such as the Peruvian Chocolatadas (Hot Chocolate) and the Chilean Cola de Mono (Monkey’s Tail, a spiked coffee with holiday spices).
Peruvian Christmas Traditions & Facts
Pamela Arana
Depending on where you are, the big family meal will be right before or right after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas comes in the summertime and they’ll enjoy barbeque or other summer foods. For dessert, a variation of the Italian Panettone known as panetón in Peru or Pan de Pascua (Easter Bread, still a Jesus-oriented holiday so, fair enough) in Chile.
East Coast
The Atlantic coastlands host the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America. Naturally, Brazillians have their own twist on the holidays. Like other Latin countries, they have Presépios (Nativity Scenes) as a centerpiece of their holiday decor and Missa do Galo (Christmas Eve Midnight Mass) as the culmination of their Advent preparations.
On the secular side of things, the people of Brazil know Santa as Papai Noel and have amigo secreto (secret friend, like our Secret Santa) parties to exchange gifts with friends and coworkers. Their Christmas bonus is referred to as Décimo terceiro salário (13th Salary, their pay in December is doubled).
How do Brazilian People Celebrate Christmas?
As you continue southward toward Antarctica, the pastoral expanse of Argentina has a more European feel at Christmastime. They enjoy the full Advent through Epiphany holiday season, much like myself.
Pesebres (Nativity Scenes), wreaths and Christmas trees bring some serious bling to the season. Always fashionable, Argentinians love to put on a spectacular display for the holidays. They also love to light globos (balloons, actually floating lanterns that are lit and released to the midnight sky) after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
Children are as likely to receive Christmas presents from Papá Noel (Santa Claus) as they are to receive them from El Niño Diós (The Baby Jesus). They also look forward to treats such as mantecol (literally butter, but it’s a peanut butter nougat) and turrón (a nougat candy made from almonds, egg whites and raw honey) during the holidays.
How to Celebrate Christmas in Argentina
As you can see, the people of Latin America enjoy the holiday season for both its sacred blessings and its secular treats.