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Christmas is such a quite and relax day in Guatemala, except for the burning of fireworks and firecrackers at noon and 6 p.m., most Guatemalans stay home watching movies, sleeping, eating and spending time with the family.

How does your family celebrate Christmas?

Christmas Eve or Noche Buena in La Antigua Guatemala is celebrated by staying up all night burning firecrackers and fireworks, eating tamales, turkey, or roasted pork leg, and drinking real fruit punch or hot real chocolate, visiting family, friends and neighbors for the respective abrazo de Noche Buena and buenos deseos (Christmas Eve hugs and best wishes); many even go to midnight mass. At midnight the presents under the Christmas tree, around the nacimiento (nativity scene), are opened and everyone laughs and hugs indiscriminately everyone around.

These celebrations rate the highest on the nostalgic memory scale; everyone who is living abroad wishes to be in Guatemala for this season and for this night in particular.

A todos los chapines en el extranjero, y en especial a mi familia, les envío mis más sinceros abrazos de Noche Buena y mis mejores deseos. Les prometo que por ustedes, este día no haré dieta alguna. ¡Qué tengan unas felices fiestas!

Best wishes and Noche Buena hugs to all the visitors to La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo.

Believe it or not Santa Claus paid a surprise visit to La Antigua Guatemala two days before Christmas. No wonder we have been experiencing unusual weather and really low temperatures (almost 45F) in La Antigua Guatemala.

It is uncertain if the snow seen over Volcán Tajumulco just the other day fell off Santa’s new sleigh.

What we do know is that Santa Claus has new more attractive personnel and now brings a spectacle of Ranchero music dancers and mobile DJ to entertain adults while his team hands plastic balls to children.

¡Feliz Navidad!

What characteristics or traits can be extrapolated from a culture by looking at a simple kiosk? I’ll start and then you share with the rest us your thoughts.

First, I see that Guatemala is country of pyromaniacs who love color and loud sounds.

Guatemalans do not like gray, easy, mellow, avoid-the-extremes-sort of lifestyles. Everything is Guatemala has to be rich, colorful, and extreme (often dangerous); life is too short and everyday has to stand on its own.

Guatemala is a mystical country with deep religious and spiritual rituals that blur and often crisscross the boundaries of culture, tradition and religion.

I also see that Guatemala is a country of creative people who come up the ingenious names for the most diverse fireworks. Here are some of the fireworks names: cohetes, fosforitos, toritos, arbolitos, volcancitos, tanque, metralladora, chiltepitos, bombas, batería de luces, ametralladoras, pistolitas, estrellitas, abejitas, canchinflines, silvadores, etc.

Guatemala is country that loves chaos and randomness. This is more apparent during celebrations like Burning of the Devil, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve where people burn firecrackers and fireworks EVERYWHERE. There’s not a single place, organized by single entity to burn the pyrotechnics.

Okay, that’s what I can extract from the photograph above. What about you? What traits or peculiarities can you draw out from the image above?

Blowing Up Christmas– “It’s Bomba Time” Music Video

Thanks to my close friends Brad and Kara from NewMaya.Org for allowing to share with you this video clip of the shopping and burning fireworks in Chiquimula, Guatemala.

Fireworks are a must for Christmas in Chiquimula, Guatemala! Director: Kara Andrade. Music: “Keep It Hott (BradElectro Remix) by The Middle Agent, feat. Garth Culti-Vader & Tech N9NE.

During early December, in Guatemala people begin putting up their Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes); a tradition that was brought to Guatemala by Santo Hermano Pedro de Betancourt and then spread to the rest of American continent.

One important aspect of nacimientos is that baby Jesus is missing from the scene since his actual birthday is on December 25th. In the mean time, Marí­a and José begin asking posada, the quest of shelter; these celebrations are known in Guatemala as Posadas.

In Guatemala you learn to live not knowing what’s around the corner. As we headed home last night we were about to turn on the corner of Seventh Street when we saw the ethereal glow of the statues of Mary and Joseph surrounded by floating candles and propped up on the shoulders of four young boys in the center of a large group moving as one large unit of candlelight, soft chatter and anxious children bursting out in song before they approached the door of a neighbor. It was our first posada in Antigua and quickly I rushed out of the car with my camera… continue reading this wonderful post by dear friend Kara Andrade from HablaGuate.com

Don’t you wish you can have one these adorable Guatemalan nacimientos in your own home for Christmas?

Ho ho! not the Christmas shopping you were hoping for… merely some Guatemalan Christmas decorations (follow if you dare; I will not be held responsible if you end up doing Christmas shopping all over again ).

It was only last week that I told you that often during December or the Christmas season, there are several free concerts around La Antigua Guatemala. La Antigua Guatemala’s cathedral is use as backdrop for concerts and recitals. By looking at the larger version of that day’s photo one can agree at the excellent choice.

Well, it seems like the Palacio de los Capitanes building is also often used as backdrop for concerts and recitals. Remember for World Aids Day, Palacio de los Capitanes was used as backdrop for the marimba concert.

Wow, I wonder how many free concerts and recitals there have been already since December 1. I love all the Free Culture available in La Antigua Guatemala year round, don’t you?

I taped a little clip of the Christmas Carol of this afternoon. Enjoy!

Pascuas (Guatemala) and Flor de Noche Buena (Mexico) are how poinsettias are known in Spanish. Poinsettias are native to Guatemala and Mexico and in general can be found in the wild or in gardens as undocumented aliens.

Pascuas are in full bloom in The Land of the Eternal Spring from late October through March. The most common color is red, but now you can find yellow, white, pink and mixed at your local nursery and shops. Pascuas are an integral part of the Guatemalan decoration for the Christmas season and beyond. They are also given as present quite often.

The crimson of poinsettias is now an integral part of the Guatemalan Christmas rainbow. Pascuas are often found in businesses and homes along with pine needle as Christmas decorations. According to industry statistics, Guatemala is the top grower of poinsettias in the world. Guatemala produces 60 million poinsettias which represents 80% of the production in the world (source: Prensa Libre).

In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the plant is called Cuetlaxochitl meaning “skin flower.” The Aztecs used the plant to produce red dye and as an antipyretic medication.

The plants’ association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday. The tale goes that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson “blossoms” sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Christmas season in Guatemala brings along a complete feast to the senses; especially aromas, colors and flavors. Which sense do you prefer I focus on for the upcoming entries?

Unlike other Spanish-speaking countries, Guatemala does not make a big deal of the arrival of the Tres Reyes Magos (Three Wise Kings) known as Epiphany in English; a Christian holiday celebrated on January 6th. Except, of course, for burning firecrackers and ringing bells of the churches right at noon, which seems to be Guatemalans’ favorite way of announcing or marking a holiday or event.

In Christian tradition the Magi (Greek: μάγοι, magoi), Three Wise Men, Three Kings or Kings from the East are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts. They are mentioned only in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 2) , which says that they came “from the east to Jerusalem” to worship the Christ, “born King of the Jews”. (Source: Wikipedia.org)

In other Spanish-speaking countries, Christmas gifts and presents are given on Dí­a de los Reyes and not on Christmas Eve or even Christmas. In some countries, children receive presents on both occasions, but in Guatemala Christmas Eve is the designated date for children to receive their presents.

Also, for many people, Dí­a de los Reyes marks the end of the Christmas season, although around Antigua Guatemala, many people keep their Nacimientos and Christmas decorations until February 2nd, Dí­a de la Candelaria (Candlemas), which incidentally is Groundhog Day in the United States. The day after February 2nd the Christmas lights around Antigua’s Main Plaza will be pick up and put away.

Oh please, please, can somebody explain to me where did these tacky dancing Disney figures come from and how they became such a rage during the Christmas season? I want to know, really.

What ever happened to the authentic Guatemalan traditional dances? to the Guatemalan authentic Christmas traditions?

¡Que alguien me lo explique!

You saw the lambs made from dried corn husks just a few days ago. Then you saw the Spanish moss or pashte as it’s known in Guatemala. Finally, you saw the pashte being used as a carpet for the Nativity scenes known as Nacimientos in Guatemala. Last but not least, I bring to you the corderos de pashte (lambs made from Spanish moss) as the conclusion for the Guatemalan Christmas Decorations series.

I certainly hope that you have enjoyed the series and that it brought sweet forgotten memories to all Guatemalans living abroad.

Please leave your comments and feedback to let me know what I could have done better or things I should have done a different way.

Aserrí­n (sawdust) is used often in Guatemala for decorations, especially the world famous Holy Week carpets. Sawdust is dyed with bright colors to provide the color and contrast of the different designs. This photo and the next are the last in the Guatemalan Christmas Decorations series.

Christmas Day is a very quiet and easy-going day in Guatemala. But, it does not begins like that. On the contrary, right at midnight and for what seems like forever, Guatemalans burn firecrackers, fire whistlers, fireworks and every kind of pyrotechnic stuff; the list is long. This pyromaniac act repeats again at noon and at 6 p.m.; other than that, it is a quiet day.

As a matter of fact, let’s compile a list of all the cohetes, canchinflines, estrellitas, volcancitos, ametralladoras, et-cetera and their English translations to have an idea how pyromaniac Guatemalans really are. Everyone is invited to participate.

Right at midnight on December 24th/25th, baby Jesus is put in the Nacimiento scene set up on December 8th (do you remember?). Right at midnight the joy and happiness of Guatemalans celebrating Navidad (Christmas) literally explodes into firecrackers, bell rings, songs, hugs, and sharing of lots of great Guatemalan Christmas cuisine, like tamales especially made for the occasion.

Merry Christmas Everyone! My best wishes of Love and Peace for All!

Tomorrow I will try to post photos and videos of the Christmas celebrations in Guatemala as they occur right at midnight. Stay tune!

On December 23rd the quest for lodging or the act of pedir posada ends and marks the beginning of preparations for Christmas or the birth of baby Jesus.

Here you can see a typical anda (float) with the figures of Mary and Joseph as they wondered around town looking for lodging (posada) and the final place where they found it. You can all see the ensemble of the Guatemalan Christmas decorations.

Tomorrow, you will see a Nativity scene with baby Jesus being put in its nacimiento.