Colombia:
Photo: Daytours4u
For nine days before Christmas, families all around Colombia gather and sing Villancicos, which are the equivalent to Christmas carols. They come together and eat buñuelos to celebrate what is called the Novenas.
There are many different New Year traditions in Colombia, one of which is walking through the street at midnight with an empty travel bag in order to manifest a lot of travel for the upcoming year. A more widely used tradition is burning the Año Viejo, or Old Year. This is a small ceremony in which a large doll stuffed with straw named Año Viejo is burned.
Brazil:
Photo: iheartbrazil
An extremely important part of Christmas in Brazil is the building and organizing of nativity sets or "Presepios." Magnificinent depictions of the birth of Jesus are built, and only on December 25th is the figure of baby Jesus placed in the straw bed in the middle of the set.
On New Year's Eve hundreds of citizens of Rio wear white clothes and wait for the clock to strike twelve. In order to welcome the new year the people run into the ocean as a symbol of purity and new starts.
Trinidad and Tobago:
Photo: WhyChristmas
In order to celebrate the birth of Christ and the reunion of families, Trinidad and Tobago hosts a Christmas parade in which people on stilts wear colorful costumes and dance down the streets, instilling Christmas joy on every passerby.
New Years is also a very important day in this wonderful Caribbean country. Religious devotes flock to churches like the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception to give thanks for the year past and receive a blessing for the upcoming year. Furthermore, New Year marks the start of carnival season, so everybody is excited to welcome the year with great joy and national pride.
Mexico:
Photo: Chronic Wanderlust
Christmas in Mexico is a month-long event, starting on December 12th with the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe and ending on February 2nd with the Dia de La Candelaria. On this day, people will take Christ figurines to church to receive a blessing. Another important day is January 6th with the arrival of the Three King's Day, who are the equivalent to the American Santa Claus, but instead of a jolly fat man, they are three "Reyes Magos" who travelled to attend the birth of Christ, bringing gifts with them. Every year, they head to the houses of well-behaved kids and give them money and clothes!
New Year's Eve is an important day in Mexico and one of the most interesting traditions involves cleaning up! Mexicans all around the country open their front doors and start sweeping in order to get rid of bad energy or luck. Another tradition is scattering 12 coins at one's door step and sweeping them inside the house in order to attract wealth and prosperity for the New Year.
Peru:
Photo: Nigel Pavitt/AWL Images/Getty Images
Like in Brazil and many other Latin American countries nativity sets play an important role in the celebrations. Called "pesebres" these nativity sets made of pottery, wood, or huamanga stone are the centerpiece of this important religious celebration. A wonderful Christmas market is set up in Cusco to liven up the holiday season. Also known as Santuranticuy, this quaint market is centered around building the most beautiful pesebres, and it is also a wonderful place where people can purchase hot rum punch, dance, and enjoy the fireworks of Noche Buena, also known as Christmas Eve.
There are many interesting New Year's traditions in Peru, but one of the most interesting ones is that of placing three potatoes under a chair at home. One potato will be peeled, the other will be partially peeled, and the other will have all of its skin. Then, at midnight, the chosen person pulls one of the potatoes from under the chair and based on which potatoes they chose, the family will have a glimpse of the year to come. The potato with skin signifies a year with prosperity and money, the one that is partially peeled signifies a normal year, and the one with no skin means that the year will bring small amounts of money and wealth.
Guatemala:
Photo: Leslie Pappa./Revenue Mag
This extremely religious country in Central America starts celebrating Christmas a week before December 24th which is the date that is most largely celebrated in Latin America. Processions, also known as Posadas take place all around the country to symbolize Mary and Joseph's trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the birth of Baby Jesus. Masses of people follow the nativity sets and pottery sculptures paraded through the city with song, dance, and prayers.
Lively costumes, good food, and lots of music is the customary way to welcome the New Year. Many Guatemalans embrace the tradition of wearing new clothes on New Year's Eve in order to attract wealth and success for the coming year. The night itself is started by the Baile de Moros y Cristianos, or the Dance of Moors and Christians which has its roots deeply embedded in history. This dance has its origins in Hispanic Colonization, and it tells the story of Cristian victory over the Moors, around 800 years ago. The dance and tradition was introduced by Christian missionaries converting Mayans to Catholicism, but is now a festive way to start the New Year's celebrations.
Written By: Carolina Mejia Rodriguez
Commentaires