How to Celebrate a Nicaraguan Christmas
Nicaraguans today often weave Spanish traditions from days long past into their own Christmas celebrations. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Christmas Gifts
- Nativity Pictures
- Candles
- Flower Bouquets
- Chicken Tamales
- Orange Salad
Instructions
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1
Participate in "Las Posadas," which is a nine-day re-enactment of Mary and Joseph's search for an inn at which to spend the night.
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2
Spend the weeks before Christmas stocking up on gifts, such as Nativity pictures, candles and toys.
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3
Enjoy "La Griteria," which occurs on December 7. On this day, young people go from house to house yelling, laughing and singing for the Virgin Mary. Be prepared to hand out goodies when the crowd arrives.
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4
Expect your children to bring bouquets of flowers to the altar of the Virgin Mary.
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Attend midnight Mass on Christmas Eve when the church bells ring.
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6
Follow Mass with a meal you've prepared yourself. Most people used to kill their own chickens and grow their own rice, although you'll probably opt for a more modern approach.
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Serve favorite foods such as chicken tamales, "ensalada de jicama y naranja" (jicama and orange salad), relleno and homemade sweets.
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8
Open gifts and set off fireworks as part of the celebration.
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9
Celebrate the feast of Epiphany on January 6. This holiday is based on the legend of an old woman who turned down an offer to accompany the three wise men to Bethlehem to see Jesus Christ. Now she wanders the earth looking for Him. The three wise men often bring presents to children on this day.
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Tips & Warnings
Many people who live in Nicaragua come from a background that's a mixture of European and Native American cultures.
"Feliz Navidad" means "Merry Christmas" in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua is a country with several cultural and religious groups, so Christmas traditions can be diverse and cannot be generalized. The preceding steps represent a few examples of local traditions that may or may not be appropriate for your personal celebration of Christmas.
