Among the most popular foods found for dinner in Christmas Eve and during Christmas are tamales colorados (red tamales), tamales negros (black tamales), pierna, pavo (turkey) for main dishes. Also, apples and grapes are almost always found at the table. For drinks the most popular is ponche (fresh or dried fruit punch), but you can also find chocolate (cocoa), coffee, sodas, sparkling wine (champagne we call it), wine and/or rum.

By the way, I came across this interesting article on NPR entitled: Pride And Prejudice: For Latinos, Tamales Offer Up A Delicious Serving Of Both about tamales which has a especial section about Guatemalan tamales:

Trust me, I understand the pride and prejudice that tamales can engender. Recently, I had to hold myself from snarling back at a commenter on a blog post who called Guatemalan tamales “lousy.” (Yup, I’m Guatemalan.) Many years ago, I briefly considered breaking off relations with a dear Mexican-American friend after she dismissed the bite of Guatemalan-style tamale I offered her with a sour grimace. Perhaps she hadn’t realized that we Guatemalans put our tamales on a green-leaf-lined pedestal. 
 
Like their Mexican counterparts, Guatemalan tamales come in many variations. But the archetypal Guatemalan tamale is made with creamy smooth masa that’s cooked prior to boiling, and stuffed with chicken or pork in a red tomato sauce, with bell peppers, olives and capers. Each is savored slowly as the true luxury that it is — scooping more than one tamale onto your plate at a time is considered bad form. 
 
The taste is amazing – but it’s also quite a departure from that of the Mexican-style, cornhusk-wrapped concoctions that are most frequently encountered in the U.S.  
 
Follow the white rabbit to read the entire article: Pride And Prejudice: For Latinos, Tamales Offer Up A Delicious Serving Of Both

Here’s a simple Nacimiento made from corn husks to celebrate Navidad. As I have described before, with the Feast for the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th, 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 America (the 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, the quest of shelter by Marí­a and José begins; these celebrations are known in Guatemala as Posadas.

Feliz Navidad a tod@s!

Poinsettias or Flor de Pascua are in full bloom in The Land of the Eternal Spring for the Christmas season. 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 gifts quite often.

An archived article at Prensa Libre entitled: Pascuas que cambian de colores (Poinsettias of different colors) I read that, 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.

I believe life should be about giving instead of receiving, especially so around Christmas, thus here are my first offerings for the season. First a video clip from my favorite Guatemalan artist Gaby Moreno singing about Christmas time. Next you will find a link to download a wallpaper for your computer, iPad, tablet or mobile device. Enjoy!

If you would like to have a yellow poinsettias wallpaper for you computer, download it from here.

The market in Antigua was a bit mad last night. There’s a whole little enclave of Xmas kitsch at the rear that I’ve never witnessed before: flashing lights, coloured sawdust, statues of magi bearing frankincense, ovejas de tusa, pine needles etc. Of course I’d left my camera behind. Might go back this evening after picking up the stuffed birds. —Guy

Blame it on Guy for alerting me about the Guatemalan Christmas Kitsch. That’s right, I have done a Guatemalan Christmas Decorations series before which included chicuyas, pino, manzanilla, pascuas, gallitos, corderos de tusa, pajilla, cordones de pino, musgo, pashte, aserrín, corderos de pashte, and nacimientos, but it was only until Guy mentioned it that I realized how kitsch the whole Guatemalan Christmas decoration affair really is. As always, follow the white rabbit to see and learn about the Christmas decoration elements used in Guatemala.

What do you think?

Guatemala’s a pyromaniac hell or paradise, what is it?

I remember reading earlier this year a tweet from Xeni Jardin, one of BoingBoing’s editors, that she was not impressed with the 4th of July fireworks display in unknown city in the U.S. because after having witnessed the non-stop burning of firecrackers, fireworks and every piece of a pyromaniac’s fetish in Central America she was spoiled.

I say that you have live it to believe Xeni’s declaration. In the meantime, I share with you two video clips of the fireworks burnt in one section of Guatemala. Remember, to get an idea of the magnitude of the burning of the fireworks, you have to multiply by 360° in every street of every colonia, village, town and city in Guatemala. So, if you decide to witness the burning of firecrackers and fireworks in Guatemala, make sure you bring earplugs; these are not included.

Merry Christmas Eve!

In Guatemala, Christmas Eve is as important as Christmas. People stay up all night waiting for midnight to have tamales with the family and to open up their presents underneath the Christmas tree. People also burn many different types of firecrackers and fireworks. Kids run around the neighborhood given hugs and wishing a Merry Christmas. Right at midnight people burn so many firecrackers and fireworks that you might think it is the third world war.

Also, by midnight baby Jesus is placed in the nacimiento (Nativity scene) and religious people go to church for the Christmas mass service.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and I thank you for visiting AntiguaDailyPhoto and for your wonderful feedback and comments thus far.

My friend Christian “@cvander” shared this video of marimba Christmas music medley: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & Jingle Bells. Enjoy!

In Guatemala poinsettias are known as Flor de Pascua, Flor de Noche Buena or simply Pascuas. Poinsettias are native to Guatemala and Mesoamerica and in general can be found in the wild or in gardens as undocumented aliens. Poinsettias or Flor de Pascua are in full bloom in The Land of the Eternal Spring for the Christmas season. 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 gifts quite often.

If you would like to have a yellow poinsettias wallpaper for you computer, download it from here.

In an article from Prensa Libre entitled: Pascuas que cambian de colores (Poinsettias of different colors) I read that, 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. How about that?

Other interesting reads about Poinsettias in Spanish/Google-translated.

• Pascuas y pinabetes, negocios de fin de año / Poinsettias and Pine trees, an end-of-the-year business
• Estrella de Nochebuena; pascua florece con la Navidad / Star of Christmas Eve, Poinsettias blossom with Christmas
• Pascuas que cambian de colores / Poinsettias of different colors

We interrupt our regularly scheduled December comfort foods series to bring you the following special bulletin.

Since yesterday night, December 15, there have been sightings of Joseph and Mary’s quest for shelter around the streets of La Antigua Guatemala. María and José are walking around Antigua Guatemala, knocking on people’s doors to ask for posada. Our eye witness reporter has been able to gather the following information regarding the quest for lodging:

Every home has a nativity scene and the hosts of the Posada act as the innkeepers. The neighborhood children and adults are the pilgrims (peregrinos), who have to request lodging by going house to house singing a traditional song about the pilgrims. All the pilgrims carry small lit candles in their hands, and four people carry small statues of Joseph leading a donkey, on which Mary is riding. The head of the procession will have a candle inside a paper lamp shade. At each house, the resident responds by refusing lodging (also in song), until the weary travelers reach the designated site for the party, where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Once the “innkeepers” let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray (typically, the Rosary)… This according to Mrs. Wikipedia Enciclopedia de Quiensabe.

We will update you with new information as soon as our on-site reporters finish their ponche and tamales…

#$%&/()”!¡?¿… We just received this video feed from our diligent multimedia reporter Kara Andrade.

Even though you may seem Christmas decorations as early as September in Guatemala, the official Christmas season celebrations begins with the Burning of the Devil on December 7. Check out the Burnig of the Devil slide show if you need a photographic overview of this authentic Guatemalan celebration. Once the air is cleansed from evil spirits through the Burning of the Devil, then the Christmas celebrations commence with the Feast for the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th when 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 America (the continent).

Tomorrow I will publish the photos of the Burning of the Devil at the end of the day since the event occurs at 6 p.m. in the Barrio de La Concepción. Stay tune for burning coverage.

I want to publicly thank Arturo Godoy for taking care of AntiguaDailyPhoto while I was in vacation and for sharing with us his always amazing sunset and sunrise photographs.

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.

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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.

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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.

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 ).

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