December is a month of joy and celebrations related to the birth of Jesus, all around the world. Now, how do Hispanics celebrate Christmas?
Well, each region has its own unique traditions and special celebrations, which invite everyone to enjoy and share.
Do you want to discover them? Then stay to read this article to learn how Hispanics celebrate Christmas, their uniqueness, and charm.
Table of contents
How do Hispanics celebrate Christmas in Mexico?
The Christmas season holds a very special meaning in the Aztec nation. How do Hispanics celebrate Christmas here? Extensively. Here’s a list of their famous traditions.
Christmas Piñata
Mexicans use figures wrapped in crepe paper and filled with sweets, toys, or fruits not only at children’s birthday parties.
They also break the piñata to celebrate Christmas, making it a part of the Christmas Eve festivities every year.
The classic shape of the Christmas piñata is a star with seven points, each representing a vice or deadly sin.
According to tradition, the only way to destroy them is blindfolded, based on the belief that faith does not require sight.
This custom was promoted by Augustinian friars in 1586, with the consent of Pope Sixtus V.
Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe
This date is a major event in Mexico and is often used to kick off Christmas festivities early.
From December 12th, when the last appearance of the “brown-skinned” Virgin is celebrated, the joyful celebration begins.
Pilgrimages are made to the Sanctuary of this patroness, with dances and songs in her honor, preceded by the traditional “Mañanitas” the night before.
It is an impressive and colorful spectacle that gathers not only believers but also tourists and curious onlookers.
This celebration sets the tone for the most heartwarming time of the year: Christmas.
Mexican Posadas
The reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging on the night Jesus was born is another important typical custom.
It is celebrated from December 16th to 24th, with groups of people going from house to house seeking shelter.
During the procession, they sing litanies and light their way with small candles held in their hands.
It ends at the place where they are offered shelter, and they are welcomed with a variety of food and drinks.
These include delicious tamales, buñuelos, punch, hot chocolate, and coffee. Additionally, traditional Christmas carols are sung to celebrate that they were granted shelter.
Christmas
The arrival of this day is celebrated with cozy family gatherings and among friends, including dinner on December 24th.
Typical dishes are usually turkey, romeritos, and tamales, although each family has its own traditions when it comes to food.
At midnight, gifts are exchanged, and in many homes, the Baby Jesus is taken out of the nativity scene to be cradled and sung to.
Some even dress Him in beautiful outfits and walk Him around the neighborhood, making for a charming moment.
On the 25th, lunches and dinners are also held with leftovers from the day before.
New Year’s
This date is celebrated with various traditions and rituals as part of the cultural diversity.
It’s common to light fireworks, have family dinners, make toasts, enjoy music, and share hugs with loved ones.
On New Year’s Eve, people also eat 12 grapes, lentils, and walk around with suitcases, while wearing red or yellow underwear.
In some places, it’s customary to make a doll out of old clothes and fireworks to represent the ending year.
This figure is burned at midnight on December 31st. It’s also common to clean the house to welcome the new.
How is Christmas celebrated in Venezuela?
For Venezuelans, this period is truly special as it brings an atmosphere of peace, joy, hope, and togetherness. How do Hispanics celebrate Christmas here?
Christmas decorations, nativity scene, and Christmas tree
This tradition involves giving homes a festive touch by decorating them with items characteristic of the season.
Most homes come alive with charming decorations that include the nativity scene and the Christmas tree.
Families usually place the nativity scene in visible spaces to remember Baby Jesus and create a festive atmosphere.
The Christmas tree also occupies a prominent place and is decorated with lights, colorful ornaments, stars, and other elements.
Underneath, the gifts to be exchanged on Christmas Eve are placed. Doors are also decorated, and red Christmas flowers are placed in common areas.
Aguinaldos, Gaitas, and Christmas Parrandas
Venezuelans also celebrate Christmas with various musical expressions and dances full of joy.
Among these are the aguinaldos, songs accompanied by the cuatro, which reference praises or humorous events.
Gaitas are another popular form of celebration that spread cheer. They are played to the rhythm of drums, the furruco, and the charrasca.
Though they originate from the state of Zulia, they resonate throughout the country from November or even earlier.
The parrandas visit neighbors’ homes at night, surprising them with joyful moments of music using maracas, furruco, and tambora.
Gift exchange
This tradition strengthens emotional bonds with loved ones, with whom gifts are exchanged.
It is known by various names such as “Secret Santa,” “Invisible Friend,” or “Angelito.”
It’s a game where a draw is held to choose the person to whom you will give an anonymous gift.
On the chosen day, a party is held, and all participants bring their beautifully wrapped gifts.
These are placed on a table or under the Christmas tree. Then, one by one, people are called to receive their gifts with surprise and excitement.
Typical Venezuelan Christmas food
The traditional dishes of this season are true culinary delights that are enjoyed mostly during this special time of the year.
The most iconic dish is the hallaca, a dough made from corn flour, enhanced with a delicious chicken broth and annatto color.
Although similar to tamales, it is a different dish. It is filled with a stew made of beef, pork, or chicken, and wrapped in plantain leaves.
Other typical dishes of Venezuelan Christmas celebrations include ham bread, pork leg, and chicken salad.
The undeniable dessert for this occasion is the black cake.
Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinner
Undoubtedly, one of the most enjoyable traditions in Venezuela is the Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dinner. Why?
It is the time when families and friends gather around the table to savor the delicious food these special dates bring.
The flavors shared are mainly those of the hallaca, whose preparation also brings together relatives and close friends.
The dish served at both celebrations also includes a chicken or shredded chicken salad with potatoes and carrots.
Additionally, slices of pork leg and ham bread are served.
How do Hispanics celebrate Christmas in Colombia?
Here, the festivities reflect the deep Catholic devotion of families. Let’s see how Hispanics celebrate Christmas in this country and the most prominent traditions.
Novenas of Aguinaldos
This custom of gathering for nine consecutive days before Christmas is much more than just prayers.
While the novenas are gatherings for special prayers, they also include singing aguinaldos and enjoying traditional dishes.
They are celebrated from December 16th to the 24th with relatives, close friends, and coworkers.
Anyone can organize or be invited to dedicate prayers to Baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and other sacred figures from the nativity scene.
It’s a unique and deeply meaningful experience that believers partake in every year, leading up to other Christmas traditions.
Day of the Little Candles
This celebration takes place on the night of December 7th, transforming the streets into charming, illuminated pathways.
In every corner, Colombians light up countless candles and handmade lanterns to welcome the Immaculate Conception.
With this beautiful ritual, they ask the Virgin Mary to protect and bless their homes, marking the start of the festivities.
It’s the most beautiful, magical, and original decoration of the season, which also adorns doors and windows.
The presentation varies by city, with many closing streets for fun activities.
Christmas food in Colombia
During this season, Colombian homes also enjoy the flavors of spectacular traditional dishes.
Among them are buñuelos, rich little balls made from cheese and flour, which are always present on the table.
Natilla is another traditional dish served as a dessert, made with cornstarch, milk, cinnamon, aguardiente, and panela.
What else do they eat at Christmas? The list includes lechona, a savory pork dish accompanied by vegetables and rice.
It is also traditional to eat tamales tolimenses, rice pudding, hojaldras, and achiras from Huila, among other dishes.
Christmas Eve
As in many other Hispanic countries, people in Colombia celebrate Christmas Eve, on the night of December 24th.
The fascinating Christmas dinner makes it an unmissable evening, filled with love, joy, and delicious food.
Star dishes are enjoyed along with other exquisite options like turkey, ham, and the comforting chicken soup from Bogotá known as Ajiaco.
After eating, many families attend Midnight Mass to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas.
Fireworks also light up the night magically, and some people stay up until dawn enjoying the spectacle, singing, and dancing to Christmas carols.
Christmas lights decorations
This type of decoration creates a wonderful atmosphere across the country, with Medellín shining the brightest during the celebrations.
Thanks to its extravagant light display, the river glows, and nearly a hundred parks are beautifully illuminated.
Every year, more than four million people are amazed by this spectacular Colombian Christmas tradition.
It captivates not only the locals but also visitors, becoming Medellín’s most prominent tourist attraction during the season.
Even National Geographic recognizes this place as one of the best in the world to enjoy the magic of Christmas lights.
How is Christmas celebrated in Peru?
Now, discover how Hispanics celebrate Christmas in this region. The festivities begin long before the arrival of Baby Jesus and differ from those on other continents.
Santurantikuy Popular Art Fair
This is a Cusco tradition that brings together hundreds of talented artisans for an exhibition on December 24th.
These well-known and emerging masters present impressive works inspired by the birth of Jesus.
The “Niño Manuelito,” as they affectionately call him, is the star of this Christmas celebration.
The artisanal works on display are created using different techniques and materials such as silverwork, ceramics, tin, etc.
These pieces accompany and enhance the typical nativity scenes of Cusco, which are decorated with native natural flowers.
This fair is so popular and fascinating that it has been officially recognized as a Cultural Heritage of Peru.
Christmas baskets
This charming Christmas tradition has been embraced by many Peruvian companies, who practice it every year.
It involves giving Christmas baskets to their employees as an expression of gratitude for their hard work throughout the year.
It’s a gesture that not only communicates appreciation but also strengthens bonds in the workplace.
Additionally, this tradition celebrates the Christmas spirit and creates an atmosphere of camaraderie and contagious joy.
The Christmas baskets contain a delightful selection of authentic seasonal flavors, including irresistible panettone, wines, chocolates, and delicious cookies to sweeten the holidays.
Black Christmas
This unique celebration in the province of Chincha, in the El Carmen District, highlights Afro-Peruvian culture.
It spectacularly merges customs and traditions to warmly welcome Baby Jesus.
It includes captivating dances, such as Las Pallitas and Hatajos de Negritos, as well as zapateo (Afro-Peruvian tap dancing) and melodious songs.
The dances represent the moment when the shepherds and the Wise Men arrived to pay homage to the newborn.
The celebration takes place in public squares, churches, and homes, symbolizing true religious devotion.
It is also recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Christmas dinner with turkey and panettone
A festive feast filled with unique flavors makes this celebration an extraordinary experience.
Oven-roasted turkey is the star of the table, and Peruvians prepare it with passion starting early on December 24th.
Panettone, filled with raisins and fruit, is also consumed on this special date, being the favorite dessert for most people.
Other delicious dishes that make up the Christmas dinner include glazed ham with mustard, sweet potato puree, and onion soufflé.
After these meals, Peruvian families usually serve a cup of rich hot chocolate.
Birth of Baby Jesus
This is the most meaningful moment of the Christmas celebration, and Peruvian families eagerly await it.
When the clock strikes the magical hour of birth on December 24th, they make a toast and exchange hugs and kisses.
Moreover, to honor the holy Baby, the youngest member of the family is given the responsibility of placing the figure in the nativity scene.
After fulfilling this beautiful tradition, the Christmas dinner begins, where they share delicious food and good wishes.
And after satisfying their palates, both young and old open their gifts.
How do Hispanics celebrate Christmas in Argentina?
It’s time to see how Hispanics celebrate Christmas in this country. Despite being summer, they do so with the same warmth and joy as winter countries.
Setting up the Christmas tree on December 8th
Argentinians traditionally decorate their homes with Christmas trees, but they don’t do it just any day like in other parts of the world.
They have a specific date, which is the Day of the Immaculate Conception, a national holiday due to its deep Christian significance.
No one sets it up earlier, and when the time comes, it is done with great enthusiasm and festive spirit.
At the base of the tree, gifts are carefully placed, waiting for Santa to deliver them on Christmas Eve.
And when do they take it down? There’s another special moment for this: the Day of the Three Kings, a tradition repeated annually.
Christmas Eve barbecue (Asado de Nochebuena)
The Christmas dinner in this country typically features an irresistible barbecue of beef, chicken, or lamb.
During its preparation, roasted vegetables like sweet onions, potatoes, and colorful peppers are added.
It is also accompanied by fresh potato salad with eggs, and optionally, cold cuts and cheese boards.
On Christmas Eve, traditional small appetizers (picadas) are served before the feast in small quantities.
But the Christmas indulgence doesn’t end there. The next day, Argentinians usually gather outdoors to continue the feast.
It’s common for them to head to the beaches to enjoy it.
Gift exchange
This splendid tradition takes place on Christmas Eve, after enjoying the succulent dinner.
It’s a fundamental part of the Argentine celebration, and the timing depends on the children’s ability to stay awake.
For this reason, some households exchange gifts earlier than others, as the little ones are the main recipients.
They receive their presents from Santa Claus, while the adults exchange gifts through “Secret Santa.”
It’s a much-anticipated occasion where everyone draws a name at random and searches for the perfect gift for that person.
Public events and performances
In Argentina, there are always shows or public exhibitions that bring magic and joy to the December season.
For example, if you take a stroll through Plaza de Mayo, you’ll come across the impressive Christmas tree that is erected each year.
It’s majestic, making it a great opportunity to capture that moment with a photo.
You can also enjoy unique cultural experiences at Teatro Colón, one of the capital’s iconic venues.
There, various theater performances, dances, and spectacular Christmas stories like The Nutcracker are presented.
The Mataderos Market is another option for buying gifts.
New Year’s Eve
On New Year’s Eve, there are many places to gather, celebrate, and watch fireworks.
People often head to the Puente de la Mujer to watch the lights and capture stunning scenes that resemble midnight in Paris.
Numerous nightclubs, including bars and restaurants, remain open, offering fun, live shows, and good food.
On January 1st, Argentinians seek to recharge in peaceful environments, like the green spaces of the cities.
It’s the perfect opportunity to rest after the noise of the previous night, take great photos, and reflect on the goals for the new year.
Now you know how do Hispanics celebrate Christmas!
If you’ve made it this far, it’s because you care about learning how do Hispanics celebrate Christmas, right?
As you’ve seen, each country does it in its own way, although they all share the religious fervor and joy of this holiday.
Did you know about these traditions? Imagine visiting these countries to experience how do Hispanics celebrate Christmas!