Needless to say 2020 is an atypical year. But somethings we can still do, such as put Christmas decorations and lights everywhere we can. By the way, Christmas celebrations and New Year’s events are all canceled. How are things in your corner of the world?
Besides the omnipresent fireworks and firecracker street booths, one can also find Christmas decoration street shops when anyone can pick up Christmas lights, decoration, nacimientos, pine needle, pine trees, et cetera. Literally, one-stop pit shops for all your Christmas decoration needs.
This is what the Christmas lighting decoration of Antigua Guatemala’s Parque Central looks like at night. Enjoy the wonderful ambience of the lit main plaza while meeting friend or family or talking to the visitors and the local vendors.
The installation crew for the Christmas lights is hard at work to have all 600 series installed before December 3 and that’s when the all the trees and plants at Parque Central will be lit at night. To see how the main plaza looks like with all the lights on, follow the white rabbit to … Read more
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 … Read more
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 … Read more
Musgo is the Spanish word for moss. Musgo is used for the nacimiento scenes (nativities scenes) in Guatemala. You buy musgo by la medida (the bunch) for Q5; depending in the size of your nacimiento, you may need two or three bunches. Come back tomorrow to learn about the Guatemalan moss known pashte.
Manolo and Carmen were reminiscing just the other day about the smells associated with the Christmas season in Guatemala. Pine needles have a very peculiar smell and indeed its smell its burnt in the Guatemalan collective memory of Christmas and birthdays parties. Flor de Pascua or poinsettias are a visual cue of the upcoming Christmas as well. Shops know this and they use pine needle and poinsettias among other Christmas decorations to reel in the customers; it seems to be working just fine in this shop.
Poinsettias or Flor de Pascua are in full bloom in The Land of the Eternal Spring for the Christmas season. Commercial decorations are beginning to show up in shops and restaurants. Soon enough we will have the Burning of the Devil celebrations, Nacimientos, Posadas and everything else that comes with the Christmas season. Soon, even the trees will dress for the holidays.