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Christmas In Argentina
Christmas Celebrations In Argentina, Christmas Traditions in Argentina
Christmas is one of the occasions that are celebrated globally. A festival of joy and happiness, it is celebrated across the world with immense fervor and enthusiasm. Christmas celebrations in Argentina are varied, owing to its cultural diversity. Different traditions in the country have contributed to the versatile celebrations. There, the festival is celebrated in summers, as the month of December is a part of the hot season. ‘Feliz Navidad’ is the Argentine way of greeting Christmas, meaning Merry Christmas. Read on to know more about the extensive Christmas celebrations in the country.
Christmas Celebrations In Argentina
Since Argentineans celebrate Christmas in the warm weather, elaborate preparations for the festival start much earlier than in any other part of the world. People bedeck their homes with lights and flowers. Wreaths of green, gold, red and white flowers adorn the homes. Garlands in red and white colors are hung at the doors. Christmas trees, artificial or live, are embellished with laces, balls, Santa Clause figures, candles, colored lights, ornaments, small gifts and even “Papai Noels”. An important part of Christmas celebrations in Argentina is the Nativity scene or “pesebre”. Many Argentineans set up a creche in their home, along with the Christ’s manger. The ‘pesebre’ is kept in close proximity of the Christmas tree.
A beautiful custom practiced by the locals is to apply cotton balls on the branches of the Christmas tree. This is done to simulate snow on the trees during summers and have a beautiful view through out the nativity. Yet another Christmas custom is to get along with the members of the extended family. After attending religious services in local churches, people visit their friends and relatives to give them Christmas wishes. The festival is marked with joyous family unions. Families enjoy the grand Christmas meal in each other’s company and this is followed by raising a toast in the households. The traditional Argentine Christmas dinner is served in the garden area and the delicacies may include roasted turkey, roasted pork, stuffed tomatoes, mince pies, Christmas’s bread and pudding.
In Argentina, kids enjoy indulging fireworks after the meal and adults are more than happy to join them. Fire crackers are burnt at midnight, which makes the whole sky look illuminated. Traditional “globos”, paper balloons taking off to the sky when lit from inside, are also lighted by children. The “globos”, as they venture together into the Argentine sky, look very beautiful and glorious. Since family interactions are considered very important in the country, in many homes, all the members sit together and chat or play games for the entire night. Adults are also seen dancing with the younger lot and enjoying their way to glory. Little children are seen waiting for Santa Claus to receive their gifts. All in all, celebrating Christmas is a grand affair in Argentina.
