Posadas, poinsettias, and chilled cider—Christmas traditions in Latin America
At the beginning of October, the Christmas decorations began appearing in the shops and stores of Merida. The behemoth metal Yule tree was erected in the parking lot of the Liverpool Mall, city workers stretched big white stars, garland, and twinkling lights across major thoroughfares, and radio stations began the incessant blasting of loud, frantic commercial announcements to the tune of jingling bells and holiday Muzak.
The holiday frenzy starts early in Latin America, mostly because shopkeepers want to give shoppers as much time as possible to pay off the special gifts they’ve put on layaway. As the days ebb up on Christmas, the faster the pace becomes. More people take to the streets and crowd the mercados, shopping malls, and grocery stores to buy last-minute gifts and the ingredients for those special holiday recipes.
Although I’ve not experienced it firsthand, it’s said that this is the time of year when the traffic police write the most tickets…not because traffic vastly increases at this time of year (which it does), or because people commonly disregard traffic rules here (which they do), but because they often get the violator to pay the fine on the spot. And that money, called the Christmas mordida, goes directly into their pockets. “Everyone needs extra money at Christmas” is the reasoning.
In Latin America, as in much of the Christian world, the Christmas season is family time. Because the region is predominantly Catholic, Christmas and Easter holidays are the most important of the year. And although each country has slight variations on its holiday celebrations, in most of them, Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena, on Dec. 24 is when both religious celebrations and family get-togethers take place.
The Christmas Eve meal is usually served at midnight, after the family has attended a late-night mass, known as Misa de Gallo, or “rooster’s mass,” because Catholic lore has it that the rooster was the first animal to announce the birth of Jesus.
Turkey, though, is the common fare served for Christmas Eve dinner, or sometimes suckling pig or ham, and always with hefty side dishes of local specialties. In some parts of Mexico, this can be romeritos con mole (shrimp patties prepared with a rosemary-like herb, potatoes, and chocolate mole sauce). In Panama, a Christmas meal isn’t complete without arroz con pollo, a succulent rice dish with tomatoes, olives, and chicken. And in Honduras, dessert is usually torrejas, a rich egg bread that is fried and served with syrup and a sprinkling of sugar.
Farther south, Peruvians go all out on Christmas Eve—celebrating with loud, splashy fireworks. In the mountains of the Andes, they sip hot chocolate to ward off the evening chill. In Argentina, where December is the hottest month of the year, the Christmas meal is prepared ahead of time and served cold, with lots of chilled cider.
Christmas Eve is also when families finish assembling their nativity scenes. Over the years, these take on lives of their own and are even more important than the Christmas tree, which isn’t all that common in this part of the world. You’ll see nativities, though, in shop and home windows, restaurant lobbies, and, yes, even in public places and government offices.
These dioramas can be quite large and ornate. On a recent visit to Ecuador, I saw one that filled a room of the house. It was dusty and moth-eaten, but “historical,” according to the home’s owner, who bragged that her great aunt had made it more than 60 years ago.
The tradition of the posada
In many Latin countries, especially Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, posadas are a time-honored tradition. These candlelit processions are often-elaborate reenactments of Joseph and Mary’s search for lodging, with one family selected as the host. In Mexico, the traditional post-posada meal consists of savory tamales (masses of soft ground corn stuffed with spiced meat) and churros (tubes of fried dough topped with sugar and cinnamon). In Honduras, a heady concoction called ponche infernal is served by the host family after the procession ends with “Joseph” and “Mary” finally finding shelter for the night.
Usually, these nativities feature hundreds of handmade pieces, including angels, the three kings (or Magi), shepherds and their flocks, and other animals. Most include scenes from everyday life, like women making tortillas, vendors selling their wares, and children playing. And there’s often a representation of evil, like a serpent or a devil.
In the days leading up to Christmas, you’ll see these miniature nativity pieces for sale everywhere. Local artisans carve them from wood or fashion them out of clay or straw. These days, you can also find bins of plastic pieces (probably made in China) in local bargain stores. Tradition dictates that families not complete the scene until after midnight on Christmas Eve, when a baby Jesus figurine is laid in the manger. And then the partying begins…
Don’t forget Santa!
In Chetumal, a Mexican city on the border with Belize, I once saw Santa riding through the streets in a sleigh pulled by a VW Beetle topped by huge megahorns blaring, “Ho ho ho!” With palm trees swaying in the bright tropical sun and wiping sweat from his brow, he looked a little worse for wear. No doubt he was glad he left those tundra-loving reindeer at home.
Although it is becoming more common in Latin America to open gifts from Santa—called Papa Noel—on Christmas Eve, it is more traditional to wait until Jan. 6, the Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day). On this day, it’s not Santa, but the wise men that bring children gifts.
The color red
That poinsettia that pretties up your house at Christmastime could well be from Latin America, where these plants can grow to be six feet tall. Called Noche Buena here, the story is told that a young boy walking to church to see the nativity scene showing the birth of Jesus realized on the way that he had no gift to offer the Christ child. So as he walked, he gathered some plain green branches. He was laughed at for this when he walked in the church, but as he placed the branches near the manger, a bright red star-shaped flower began to bloom on each branch. (I’m not sure if there is a correlation, but it is considered good luck here in Mexico to wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve.)
Also on this day, the ritual of the Rosca de Reyes is shared with family and friends. Rosca is a type of pastry made with orange blossom water and butter, and decorated with candied fruit. Baked inside is a tiny doll representing the baby Jesus. The person who finds the doll in his piece of rosca must throw a party on Feb. 2, “Candelaria Day,” offering tamales and atole (a hot sweet drink thickened with corn flour) to the guests.
Last year, I was the one who found the baby Jesus doll. The next night at dinner in a restaurant in Merida, I slipped it into the waiter’s bill book, hoping it would entice him to give us our meal for free. But no such luck. That night, dinner was on me.
Wherever you are in the world this year and for whatever holiday you celebrate, we at International Living wish you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful New Year…or as we say here in Latin America, feliz navidad y próspero año nuevo.