No matter which country you are in, in Latin America December is one of the most special months. It is usually celebrated with family and there are traditions that we could never forget. Keep in mind that Christmas is a religious Holiday and Latin American population is Catholic. That said, most countries start celebrating Christmas a long way before the 25th and actually celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December.
Day of the Little candles
The day of the Little candles or “día de las velitas” in Spanish is celebrated in Colombia and Venezuela on the 7th of December, when kids and adults light candles with their families and neighbors. Traditionally, this day was a religious holiday to remember the day when the Holy Spirit paid a visit to Virgin Mary and told her that she would give birth to the son of God; but with time it has become more of a family holiday centered in children who love lighting the candles every year.
Aguinaldos
Tradtionally played in Colombia and Panama, aguinaldos are games or challenges that end on Christmas Eve. They are usually accompanied by a bet which is won after completing a challenge such as “three feet” (tres pies) where you have to avoid your opponent placing their foot between yours, “straw in the mouth” (pajita en boca) which involves keeping a straw in your mouth all day and the "yes or no" in which you need to avoid saying either of these words, whoever lasts longer without saying them wins the bet. There is also“stolen kiss” (beso robado) which doesn't really need an explanation. These games can get out of hand. You have been warned.
Posadas vs. Novenas
Most Latin American countries start a celelbration on the 16th of December (9 days before Christmas) - The same time it took for Joseph and Mary to get to Belehem. The long path they had to follow before getting there is remembered in different ways but celebrated in most Latin countires. In Mexico and Honduras, they throw big parties with typical drinks, candles and piñatas, these parties are called osads. While other countries like Ecuador and Colombia pray and sing for 9 days in the build up for Cristmas. These celebrations are called Novenas because they last 9 days and are usually hosted in a different house each night and are often accompanied by buñuelos and natilla, the typical food for this time of the year.
Villancicos
These traditional songs are sang in Ecuador, Colombia and Panama and can be compared to Christmas carols. However they tend to be less about the beauty of a White Christmas and why it's celebrated. These songs usually tell the story of Joseph and Mary’s journey to Belehem or talk about the joy of people to be recieving baby Jesus in the world, they also tend to mention animals a lot, since Jesus was born in a stable and how Here is a piece of a traditional villancico:
“Con mi burrito sabanero voy camino de Belén
Con mi burrito sabanero boy camino de Belén
Si me ven, si me ven voy camino de Belén
…
Apurate mi burrito que ya vamos a llegar.”
Wich is a song about a donkey that someone is riding to Bethlehem.
Grilled meat after new Year’s eve
After the big party on the 31st of December saying goodbye to the year that has gone by, we tend to have a hangover which has different translations in each country. It has been named “guayabo”, “cruda” or “resaca” but they all mean the same thing. The gross feeling of having drank too much the night before. Of course, after all the names we have for it, we’ve also come up with a way to cure it. On the 1st of January it is traditional in Honuras and Colombia to have a barbeque with family and Friends to fix what was broken the night before. Surprisingly, grilled meat and feeling your loved ones close to you can cure the feeling almost instantly. I’ll leave that piece of information here for the next time you get too drunk.
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