Navidad Around the World

Latinos are renowned for their capacity to festejar, but how do they celebrate Navidad? We took a look at a few countries’ Christmas traditions and found that, despite some important regional differences, what characterizes most countries and cultures is a focus on food made by and shared with family in ultra-festive celebrations. Join us as we highlight the Christmas holidays in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. 

Puerto Rico

Back when I lived in Puerto Rico, I found it hard to get into the Christmas spirit during my first year on-island. It was 80-something degrees, with no snow or Christmas tree farm in sight. Old San Juan’s Papa Noel was wearing Bermuda shorts and a guayabera!

It didn’t take long, though, to get excited about the holiday. First of all, Navidad in Puerto Rico seemed to last forever, starting right around Thanksgiving and running straight into January, when Boricuas celebrate Día de los Reyes on the 5th and 6th. Though Christians around the world recognize the same date as the Epiphany, it’s definitely not celebrated with the same kind of gusto.

But before Reyes, there are December’s parrandas (traveling Christmas caroling where every house visited joins the party, a party that ends at dawn over breakfast and songs) and pigs–specifically, lechon asado, roasted on a spit—and pasteles (like Mexican tamales but made with a root vegetable dough), typically made by someone’s mom or abuela or tia, preferably by the dozens.

And definitely don’t forget the coquito, says Jesús Ayala, a Boricua by birth and tour leader for EF Explore America, which offers guided trips around the island. The holiday drink, made in Ayala’s family by his wife, Gladys Rosas, is often referred to as Puerto Rican eggnog and is distinguished from traditional eggnog by the addition of a generous pour of rum—Puerto Rican, of course.

It’s all festive and family-focused and when life finally resumes its normal schedule in mid-January, you’ll either sigh in relief and head to the gym or wonder what you did with your free time before the holidays.

Next up, Mexico and Nicaragua…

Nicaragua

Like Puerto Rico, Nicaragua’s holiday celebrations seem to go on for nearly two months, offering many opportunities to indulge in special dishes. One of those is nacatamales (similar to Puerto Rican pasteles and Mexican tamales); without them, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas for many Nicaraguans. Though made year-round, most tables set for the holiday aren’t considered complete without the nacatamal: nixtamalized corn masa seasoned with achiote and a host of other ingredients before being wrapped in plantain leaves and steamed. Each family’s recipe is carefully guarded and passed down, though they’re all variations on a single theme.

Managua-based photographer Néstor Jaen, whose family is from the island of Ometepe, says that the local tamal there is called the henchido, a rice-based tamal stuffed with chicken, pork, and spices. In the capital, tamales are often replaced by gallina rellena, usually paired with rum or wine.

“Nicaraguans are extremely attached to their families,” said Jaen, “so we typically spend holidays in the home of our grandparents or parents and cook recipes from their hometowns.”

Mexico 

“The kitchen is the heart of Christmas celebrations,” said Arely Meza, a resident of Mexicali whose parents are from Guadalajara and Michoacan. “Mexicans celebrate Christmas, New Year, and Reyes Magos and Christmas is the biggest of these.”

Though everyone plays a part in getting ready for the Christmas fiesta, Meza’s family tradition involves the women getting together early in the day on Christmas Eve to prepare  a turkey. In the afternoon, they make buñuelos, cookies made of deep fried tortillas. By 9:00 pm, everyone is at the table, ready to eat. After dinner, “many families like to to dance all night,” Meza said, though she and her family prefer to sit around the table, talking and enjoying each others’ company.

Los Reyes Magos involve cherished food traditions, too. “We get together and drink hot chocolate with rosca de reyes,” she said, before they bid farewell to another year of celebrations.

Next up, Panama…

Panama

The tamal also enjoys pride of place on tables in Panama during Christmas celebrations, said Martha Dupes, a Spanish teacher from Panama who lives in South Carolina. “Panamanians celebrate Christmas with a family dinner served close to midnight,” she says, and along with roast pork and arroz de guandú, everyone eats a tamal… or two. Though traditionally made by the women of the family, Dupes said men have begun helping out in the kitchen during holiday feast prep.

As in Puerto Rico, Panama has a rum-based eggnog-type drink called ron ponche that’s a typical Christmas trago. Mix 1.5 cups of sugar with a can of evaporated milk, a can of condensed milk, a tablespoon of maicena, a teaspoon of vanilla, and three cups of water; bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and slowly add 12 egg yolks, stirring quickly so the yolks don’t cook. When all the eggs are added, put the mix in the fridge to cool and then add one cup of rum before serving.