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| My house all dressed up for Christmas! |
As the afternoon sun beat down on my back I couldn’t help but think, “Wow I’m going to get ugly tan lines in December.” Then I took a step back from my superficial though and realized “Wow, I can’t believe I am hanging up Christmas lights on a palm tree in 90 degree weather.” Ah, Christmastime in Paraguay. Mosquitos buzz around while families sit outside drinking terere and chatting. The streets in el centro are uncommonly vacant because of the nearly unbearable heat as has everyone taken refuge in the air conditioned supermarkets or more upscale shops. But the main difference between these two very distinct cultures is that Christmas in Paraguay is not a commercial holiday. In the US we spotting Christmas in early/mid November and once Thanksgiving comes it is fullfledged Christmas marketing: commercials for myriad holiday offers, sparkling Christmas trees in public centers, Santa Clauses, candy canes, stockings, elves and the endless stream of Christmas jingles. Perhaps it is because is there is no chance of a white Christmas and Papa Noel can’t afford to bring presents to many of Paraguay’s youth but the holiday spirit is driven much more by the excitement of seeing family from faraway places and eating fruit salad on Christmas day. Live Christmas trees aren’t an option so those who choose have plastic trees to admire. My family has a miniature tree with blue lights that lights up the little coffee table it sits on.
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| My host sister Betsabe ready to get her party on. |
My mom is getting decorated flip flops as a little present for all the women of the family and I think that is as far as presents go. Traditional foods for this time period are pan dulce, fruit salad with wine(similar to Sangria), sopa paraguaya, and pig. My abuela told me that we will have an entire pig to feed the whole family who will be dining at our house. A lot of my family lives on the same block as us so their travel time will be short but we also have family coming in from Buenos Aires, Argentina coming in. Their visit is much anticipated and I have to say I’m starting to get excited to meet them too.
Christmastime here is also known as fiesta time. Because the seasons are reversed, so is the school calander. In Paraguay the senior classes throw a huge party called a colacion. It is like prom on steriods. Each graduating class has a party so it's the season of all sorts of festivities and there is never a boring weekend! My host sister starts her weekend on Thursdays, sometimes even Wednesdays, and ends Sunday, actually early Monday morning by the time she comes home, and somehow still has the energy to go out with friends the next morning! Oh the joys of adolescence! I, however, cannot keep up with this Paraguayan partying lifestyle and stick to one party, possibly two, a weekend. I know, I'm getting old.
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| Our beautiful arbolito de navidid. |
We were told that the holiday season would be one of the hardest times in our stay but without the constant jolly holiday music and winter jackets it doesn't feel much like Christmas. Without the reminders I'm taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to observe a completely different celebration of an international holiday and starting to find a different Christmas spirit; one that doesn't include colorful presents under a real live tree. So for now I think I'll be ok with the palm trees and fruit salad. May everyone have a wonderful, blessed Christmas and a New Year full of promise and joy wherever you may be!
Con mucho amor y besos,
Ana
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