In
Guatemala, the folklore relating
to the Christmas celebration
is very rich and full of details.
One will find many families
building manger scenes, representing
the town of Bethlehem. These
manger scenes sometimes are
so large they occupy a whole
room of the home. Mountains,
rivers, desserts, lakes, and
valleys, along with figures
of the holy family, wise men,
shepherds, and animals are
created out of natural materials
like moss, colored wooddust,
sand, pebbles and tropical
leaves called "pacaya."
It
is the tradition of the Guatemalan
people to go to church on
Christmas Eve and then visit
family and friends. At the
exact stroke of midnight,
when everyone has returned
home, much like the New Year's
celebration in the U.S., the "Christmas
Embrace" is
shared and young people set
off firecrackers. Traditionally,
everyone eats a dinner of
delicious "tamal," made
of corn and rice, filled with
turkey, prunes, raisins and
a sauce made with local spices,
which has been cooked for
at least eight hours. Tamal
is packed in banana leaves
and tied with a dried weed.
It is served with white bread
and a slice of lemon, accompanied
with a cup of hot chocolate
or coffee.
The
Christmas celebration in Guatemala
continues well into the early
morning hours of Christmas
day. At midday on the 25th,
people will again set off
firecrackers and attend church.
Children are very much an
important part of this special
celebration.
In
Guatemala, the folklore relating
to the Christmas celebration
is very rich and full of details.
One will find many families
building manger scenes, representing
the town of Bethlehem. These
manger scenes sometimes are
so large they occupy a whole
room of the home. Mountains,
rivers, desserts, lakes, and
valleys, along with figures
of the holy family, wise men,
shepherds, and animals are
created out of natural materials
like moss, colored wooddust,
sand, pebbles and tropical
leaves called "pacaya."
It
is the tradition of the Guatemalan
people to go to church on
Christmas Eve and then visit
family and friends. At the
exact stroke of midnight,
when everyone has returned
home, much like the New Year's
celebration in the U.S., the "Christmas
Embrace" is
shared and young people set
off firecrackers. Traditionally,
everyone eats a dinner of
delicious "tamal," made
of corn and rice, filled with
turkey, prunes, raisins and
a sauce made with local spices,
which has been cooked for
at least eight hours. Tamal
is packed in banana leaves
and tied with a dried weed.
It is served with white bread
and a slice of lemon, accompanied
with a cup of hot chocolate
or coffee.
The
Christmas celebration in Guatemala
continues well into the early
morning hours of Christmas
day. At midday on the 25th,
people will again set off
firecrackers and attend church.
Children are very much an
important part of this special
celebration.
