I spent most of the month of December reminding myself that it was in fact December and Christmas was around the corner. I played Christmas music while sweating and imagining decorations around me. Slowly but surely, the decorations began to appear. Unlike in the States, people don’t start decorating right after Thanksgiving (though the stores begin carrying products November 1). Many in my town waited until the week before to decorate, if at all. Since my family was leaving town, we didn’t decorate at all.
The weeks and days leading up to Christmas, I somehow missed out on all the Chocolatadas, the traditional pre-Christmas celebration where you eat Panetone and drink hot chocolate (yes, despite the heat). These are typically done in coordination with the last week of school as the students prepare for summer vacation and I was usually busy with something or had already left town.
No, my December didn’t much feel like Christmas. That was until I walked into my host brother-in-law’s parents’ house. There were Santas everywhere, two Christmas trees decorated with standard ornaments, and a giant nativity scene. The table were covered with Christmas themed cloth and the house was full of red, green and gold.
The nativity scene, though grand, was missing one important person—the baby Jesus. I quickly learned that at midnight on Christmas Eve, it’s tradition to place him in the nativity. Midnight is really the most important hour—at midnight, everyone hugs and kisses while wishing the others a Feliz Navidad. At midnight, we feasted on chicken, turkey and ham. At midnight, the children all rushed to the Christmas trees to open their presents (which really was quite chaotic). And after midnight, the festivities really begin.
While it was my first time to meet 99% of the people at the Christmas Eve celebration, they all made me feel welcomed and included—something I’ve come to love about Peruvians.
As for Christmas day, it was much more relaxed as people napped and lazed about. In fact, Christmas day felt like any old day to me, which I was very much okay with. Christmas can be a difficult time for volunteers, and I was no exception. But, with the right attitude, and little reminders from family and friends (Christmas cards), I learned to appreciate where I was and what I was learning about the culture.
Brittany McGee 