Christmas colors from the Antigua Guatemala’s Market

Red is the most prominent color around Christmas time. You can see it in the many people who dress up like Santa Claus; in all the special offer fliers, in the firecracker wrappers, in the fruits. In the picture above, you can see a single stand that sells apples, pears, grapes along all kinds of fireworks and firecrackers.

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. The meal is usually especially-made tamales colorados (red) or negros (black) served with bread slices and freshly-made fruit punch. There is pine-needles over the floor as carpets and long strings of yellow and sweet fruit called manzanilla here or tejocote in Mexico (it looks like a yellow cherry). Christmas Eve is filled with so many colors, flavors and scents; it almost feels like an overload on the senses. If you have experienced Christmas Eve in Guatemala, at least once, it is impossible to be away and not miss it. Christmas Eve is one of the most important celebrations in Guatemala.

I send my cyberhugs and best wishes for the season to all you. I thank you for visiting Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo. Tomorrow I will bring pictures of Tamales colorados and negros.

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