19
Dec '20
Christmas Traditions in Honduras!
19
Dec '20
Very few of us ever have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in another country, so we thought we would give you a little taste of what it might be like if you were able to be here in Honduras with the Jubilee family! Obviously, traditions vary from family to family, but when we chatted with a few of our staff members, several common themes stood out: faith, family, food, and fun!
As Ms. Claudia Valladares, our 5th grade teacher, said, “For my family, the most important thing is to spend time together. We attend church to worship our Savior and celebrate His birth because this is the most important reason for the Christmas season.” Our 1st grade teacher, Ms. Karol Soto, agreed with that and added that on Christmas Eve, after church and before sitting down to a big meal together at midnight, she and her family take time to pray and give thanks to God for the many blessings of the year.
Ms. Claudia Velasquez, our Kindergarten teacher, shared that the first thing her family does to get ready for Christmas is to decorate the Christmas tree and put up nativity scenes around the house.
This happens weeks–maybe even months!–before Christmas to help get the kids excited. “It’s not like they need help getting excited, though,” she said, “especially for their gifts!”
Several of our teachers also mentioned the foods that are often served for the midnight meal including ribs, stuffed chicken, salads, and nacatamales. “We absolutely can’t go without nacatamales,” exclaimed Ms. Velasquez!
Just as in the United States, in Honduras, there are certain traditional Christmas desserts. Ms. Laura Osorio, our Academic Coordinator, was nearly drooling with anticipation as she talked about the torrejas baked with milk and honey (similar to bread pudding or French
toast), ayote con miel (like acorn squash cooked with brown sugar and cinnamon), and rosquillas con miel (think of a cornmeal doughnut soaked in a cinnamon and clove infused syrup). Is your mouth watering yet?! Of course, the main joy in the eating of this delicious food is getting to share it with family and the opportunity for conversation while preparing, serving, and cleaning up after it! Once the work is done, it is time for some fun! Ms. Valladares said that her family enjoys watching movies and singing karaoke while Ms. Osorio’s family enjoys staying up late playing board games. After such a grand fiesta, we might suppose we’ll be ready for a siesta!
Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!
