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Christmas in Honduras - by Sophia Anderson
For someone accustomed to a more temperate climate, Christmas on the north coast of Honduras might seem a little out of season. In downtown La Ceiba, a salsa arrangement of "Feliz Navidad " blares from the speakers outside a swarming tienda while shoppers making last-minute purchases push their way through crowded streets, a young man rides through the city selling poinsettias from a basket on his bicycle, homes decorated with flashing lights display reindeer, snowmen, and Santas on their front lawns, and all the while the palm trees dance gently in the breeze as they bask in the hot tropical sun. Indeed, many of the Christmas customs here are not unlike those of the United States, but Hondurans enjoy a number of their own traditions as well.
A reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, the elaborate nacimientos, or nativity scenes, that are commonly displayed in people's homes and public areas take hours, or even days to assemble. Their size and level of detail are limited only by their creator's imagination but usually reflect the number of years he or she has spent collecting the pieces that compose them. At the center is obviously a stable where Mary and Joseph, surrounded by farm animals, admire baby Jesus swaddled in a manger, but beyond that exists a world of possibilities. A choir of angels on a hillside, a beach with straw huts resembling a Garifuna village, Santa Claus riding a reindeer, a forest of snow-covered pine trees, a barnyard scene, a stream complete with flowing water, churches with newlyweds standing in front, snowmen and a marching band are only a few of the settings that enchant children and adults alike.
Christmas carols are lively and rhythmic - a reflection of the Latin American music style, and their lyrics describe the various elements that make up the true Christmas story. For example, El Burrito Sabanero tells the story of a little donkey making the journey to Bethlehem, and Campana sobre Campana describes the bells played by angels in Bethlehem in honor of Christ's birth.
The main celebration is held on Christmas Eve. Families attend mass in the evening and gather together for a late meal with a pierna de cerdo, or pork leg, at the center and nacatamales, a corn flour-based dough filled with meat and vegetables and cooked in banana leaves, on the side. Torrejas, a corn-based pudding sweetened with rapadura, or cane syrup, are enjoyed for dessert. Children struggle to stay awake so as not to miss the gift-opening celebration that follows, and finally at midnight the air comes alive with firecrackers.
The Christmas season officially closes on January 6 th , on the Dia de los Reyes Magos, or Day of the Three Kings. Children hang stockings outside before leaving for school in the morning, and they rush home in the afternoon to find them full of candy.
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