CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

IN LATIN

AMERICA

The Christmas holiday season is extremely important in Latin

American countries, where up to 90 % of the

population practices Christianity.

Christmas in Latin America is

known as Las Posadas

or Navidad.

It is celebrated throughout the region with special

customs, holiday cuisine, religious services, and family

gatherings.

Many traditional ways of celebrating this religious holiday come from Spain, as well as from influences from the United States.

Let’s take a trip through

Latin America at the Christmas

season.

Can you find similarities in

traditions from country

to country?

CHRISTMAS IN

PUERTO RICO

Puerto Ricans celebrate Christmas in a very

unique way.  

Christmas begins right after Thanksgiving, starting to put up

our trees on the Friday

after Thanksgiving. 

“We light our trees and decorate our houses and

prepare scenes of the Nativity.”

“After December 1st,

we go house to house giving ‘trullas’ with music.” 

“This is done for food and beverages. 

It is like having a party from house to house. 

Once it begins it may last till the morning of the next

day.” 

“Our Three Kings Day celebration is the most

traditional.” 

Children put boxes with grass under their beds on the night of January 5th.  (The grass is for the Three King's camels.)

  The Three King's bring gifts or presents which they leave under the children’s bed.

“After Three King's Day, we celebrate the "octavitas“ which made up a total of 24 additional days to Christmas.

  Christmas used to last till

February, except now parents have to go back to work and

children back to school.”

CHRISTMAS IN CUBA

The most festive time during the holidays is nochebuena ("good night") or Christmas

Eve

A traditional meal consists of roast pork, black beans

served over rice, fried mashed plantains.

The extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins,

grandparents, and seemingly every imaginable living

relative, gets together to feast and

dance to Cuban music.

This is followed by everyone

attending midnight mass together.

Midnight Mass or “Missa do Galo” (a “galo” is a rooster) takes its name because the

rooster announces the coming of the day.

Missa do Galo finishes at 1 AM

on Christmas morning!

CHRISTMAS IN

NICARGUA

Like many Latin American countries, Nicaragua retains

many of its customs from Spain.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas people stroll the

streets where there are many things to buy:

candles, Nativity pictures, toys and foods.

Tables are decorated with poinsettias, (named after the

former United States ambassador to Mexico,

Joel Roberto Poinsett.)

The flower was discovered in Mexico and has become the

symbol of Christmas throughout the world.

On Christmas Eve, church bells beckon the people to

Midnight Mass.

Often the Holiday season concludes with a brilliant

display of fireworks.

CHRISTMAS IN EL

SALVADOR

A tradition in El Salvador is to place the baby Jesus figure in the Nativity Scene only on Christmas Eve, even when the Nativity Scene may be set under the tree a month before.

At about 7 PM, friends and family

members start showing up at each

other’s houses. By this time your ears are already used to the many

BOOMs and BANGs from the noisy fireworks, that children start

lighting up in the evening.

At midnight all the families count the

seconds down to 12 when they hug and wish each

other a “Merry Christmas.”

Also some families practice a Spanish tradition of eating

12 grapes at each second before midnight, making a wish for every grape

eaten.

CHRISTMAS IN

COLOMBIA

The Christmas season in Colombia starts on December

7th when families light candles in honor of the Christ’s mother,

Mary.

December 8th is a Colombian

National Holiday, celebrated with a display

of lights as each home will light hundreds of candles on the curb and sidewalk

area.City streets and parks are illuminated with lights as

well.

Christmas Eve is filled with a spirit of cheering

and rejoicing.

Family, friends and neighbors, gather to dance

and eat the traditional Colombian “Natilla,”

a corn pie.

CHRISTMAS IN

VENEZUELA

The Christmas season begins in Venezuela on December

16th when families bring out their presebres (manger

scenes) and display them in the most prominent

part of the living room.

Venezuelan presebres range from the traditional

depictions of the nativity scene to some bigger displays that combine

modern-day electric trains and boats on the sea, along with the shepherds, kings,

and the Christ child.

Traditionally, "El Niño Jesus", the Christ Child is the one who brings gifts.

Children get up on Christmas morning and find gifts at the foot of their beds.

CHRISTMAS IN

ECUADAOR

Processions, accompanied by musicians, work their way

through the streets in the days before Christmas.

On the last Sunday, food is delivered to the elderly as a way to honor the Magi who brought gifts to the Infant

Jesus.

People who live in the mountains dress in their finest

clothes and ride brightly arrayed llamas down to the

ranches and villages…

Families bring gifts of fruit and breads

to the village presebre and

children often make speeches to the

Christ Child, asking for blessings

upon their family and their livestock.

A huge outdoor fiesta will take

place (remember, it's summertime in

December in Ecuador).

CHRISTMAS IN PERU

Manger scenes in Peru are often carved from wood by members of the Quechua

tribe.

The figures are usually wearing clothing styles

from the time of the conquistadors,

however…

Christmas Day festivities in the capital, Lima, are

highlighted by a bullfight and a huge procession through the streets…

CHRISTMAS IN CHILE

In Chile, the children keep a watch for Viejo Pascuero,

or “Old Man Christmas.”

He looks very much like Santa Claus and he also arrives with a team of reindeer

(which is quite unusual…)

The chimneys on the homes

are quite small in this

warm climate, therefore

Viejo Pascuero

climbs through a window

with his gifts.

CHRISTMAS IN

ARGENTINA

During the month of December, Argentineans drink iced beverages and stay in air-conditioned spaces o help keep cool. In some homes evergreen trees are decorated with cotton to simulate the snow found on the trees in the forests of the Northern Hemisphere.

Christmas dinner is usually a suckling pig or even a

roasted peacock, decorated with some of its own brilliant

plumage, served in the center of the dining table.

On the eve of January 6th, children in Argentina place their shoes underneath the Christmas tree or beside their beds.

They also leave hay and water outside their house for the horses of the Magi who bring them their gifts.

CHRISTMAS IN

BRAZIL

Brazilians are a mix of people from many parts of the world, and as a former

Portuguese colony, they have many Christmas customs

which originate from this heritage.

One tradition they share in common with their Spanish-

speaking neighbors is to create a nativity scene or “Presépio.”

(The word comes from the Hebrew word "presepium"

which means a “bed of straw” for animals

to sleep upon.)

Papai Noel (Father Noel) is the gift-bringer in Brazil.

According to legend, he lives in Greenland and

travels around the earth to deliver gifts to children.

The Journey’s Over! We’re back home

again! Did you find any

similarities between Latin American traditions?

Any common customs to how some people in the United States celebrate

this holiday?

Created for:

Edmond Public

Schools