Christmas in South America

Throughout South America Christmas is celebrated in a deeply religious way. The main focus of the season throughout the continent is the presepio ("the manger"). Often a whole room is devoted to the presepio display, complete with landscape and tiny figures made to scale. Though the central feature is the manger at Bethlehem, elaborate scens will include hills full of shepherds gazing upon the heavenly host, the Wise Men crossing the desert on their camels, water mills, grottos, electric trains, and even sailboats on the sea.

Brazil
Father Christmas is called Papai Noel. Many Christmas customs are similar to USA or UK. For those who have enough money, a special Christmas meal will be chicken, turkey, ham, rice, salad, pork, fresh and dried fruits, often with beer. Poorer people will just have chicken and rice.

Chile
Chile is located in Southwestern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, between Argentina and Peru. As in most Latin American nations, Chile's Christmas celebrations center on the church and the family. The nation's Catholics observe the novena, nine days of prayer and fasting before Christmas.

The chimneys on the homes are quite small in this warm climate, therefore Viejo Pascuero, the Santa Clause can climbs through the window with his gifts. Christmas Eve dinner is eaten very late, most often after Midnight Mass or Misa del Gallo, and consists of turkey and an array of salads, seafood, and olives, accompanied by the local wine, for which Chile is well known. Deserts always include Pan de Pascua, a sweet Christmas bread, along with fruit, cake and cookies.

Argentina
People go to the church with family, then come back to a family gathering. At midnight after eating they toast, then the adults' dance while younger people go out to see the fireworks. After this they go to sleep, but before opening the presents under the Christmas tree. That day is very special for because they are Christian and celebrate Jesus' birth on the 24th of December.

The dinner food is pork, turkey, and a great variety of meals. Then the table is covered with sweet things, cider, beer, and juice for consuming while waiting for the time of the toast. After the toast all the family chat, others play.

Venezuela
In Venezuela on December 16th families bring out their pesebres which is a specially designed and thought out depiction of the nativity scene. It is a custom to attend at one of nine carol services is observed by most Venezuelans. Firecrackers explode and bells ring to call worshippers from bed in the predawn hours. Families attend a mass on this night and then return home to a huge and fancy dinner.

On January 6th when the children awaken they will discover that the straw that they had left beside theie bed the night before has gone and in its place are gifts the children know that the Magi and their camels have been and when they go to look in the mirror if they have a black smudge on their cheek they know that Balthasar, King of the Ethiopians has kissed them whilst they slept.