It's Beginning to Look a Lot...

Yes, it looks like Christmas here in Comayagua, Honduras.  Of course, Christmas is celebrated differently here than in the States.  The biggest difference is that Christmas isn't so completely commercialized here (yet).  There is much more emphasis on family and friends, less on gifts and going into deeper debt trying to buy those gifts.

Food... Yes, much of the Christmas celebration centers around food ~~ both the making and the eating.  Two days ago, Sandi and Jenny made 60 or so tamales.  Since I missed out on that because of a dentist's appointment, I made some yesterday, under Sandi's tutelage.  My batch was another 39, so I think we're set on tamales.  Sandi also taught Jenny how to make torrejas.  There are two types of torrejas: the french toast type and the pancake type.  I've had both and they're both good.  Basically, the special bread or special pancake is soaked in a syrup of dulce and spices, then eaten.  I won't go into all the details of making the bread or the pancake, since it's pretty similar to making them anywhere.  It's just that different ingredients are used.

The majority of the Christmas celebration takes place on Christmas Eve.  Most families will have dinner together at 7:00 or 8:00pm.  Then, starting around 9:00 or 10:00pm, people will begin to 'pass from house to house', visiting each other.  You are usually offered food at each house you visit, especially tamales and torrejas.   At midnight, there will be a huge round of fireworks and firecrackers set off.  The firecrackers will last well into the early morning hours, but that's okay because you are still out visiting others.  Generally, you don't get home until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning.  There are still lots of firecrackers going off, but that will continue for days anyway.  Yes, everyone sleeps in on Christmas day.  Christmas day itself is much more low key.

Another tradition here that I really like are the nativity scenes.  Putting up a nativity scene can be a really big deal for families.  Some families will even clear out their entire living room to convert it to a stable, suitable for the birth of Christ.  In addition to the usual nativity figures of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, wise men, shepherds, angels and assorted animals, nativities here also include a slice of daily life.  They're more like a huge diorama.  I've seen nativities that include the cathedral downtown, the mercado, schools, mountain villages, etc. It's very cool to see.

So, with all of that said, I hope that each of you reading this has an incredibly blessed Christmas!  May each of you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, remembering His supreme sacrifice for each of us!