Grab your GORP! We're Headed Further South!

It did a funky snow, sleet, rain thing here today while the sun was shining and I decided that I'm going to stay on my tour of Christmas Around the World as long as I can! And because of all that nastiness I'm going to head a little further south - to Costa Rica!

**The info I am about to share comes from Michael Smith by way of the Cocori (Complete Costa Rica) site.**

This was a really fun article to read! And the stuff I learned! Just wait until I get to the part about New Years!

How many of you have your tree up? And I am absolutely sure you used a cypress branch and painted it white right? How neat is that! They decorate them with bright paper and mini lights (talk about easy decorating!) and under them they place their portal - Nativity. According to Smith every year they add to and elaborate on their Nativity to make it grander and more impressive until it can actually out grow the space under the tree. One site (and I've lost it now) noted that people actually tour from home to home to admire los portales much like we would for the lights.

And one more thing before I move on - if you don't own your home, you use a portal that has been given to you in faith that the portal will bring you a home of your own. Now THAT is a gift!

Then you have the topes. Originally a procession of horses that were used to cut prize bulls out for the bull fights, the tope has evolved into a full blown parade much like I think of Carnival. Still with plenty of horses and proud owners and riders, but expanded with floats, brightly painted carriages and ox carts and even clowns and bands.

And what would a Latin American celebration be without a bullfight? Maybe I slept through too much history but when I think bullfight I think of Spain before I think of Central America so this was a new one to me. Part of the fight is (and forgive me as I laugh at men!) a swarm of men who rush the bull and scare him into fighting. Wait for the other shoe now! They don't harm the bull but the men get their tails kicked!

Now here is a tradition that I am all in favor of the U.S. adopting. There is a manadory Christmas bonus distributed to all laborers with a national lottery drawn on Christmas! And it's not just a bonus - it is a full months wages!

Like Mexico, Costa Rica celebrates on January 6th to close the holiday season. It is a more solemn event with family and friends gathering to pray and take down the portal. Then they have a formal meal together to close the season.

Before some one calls me on it - I didn't miss New Years! It is a custom for the women in Costa Rica to sweep their ENTIRE homes on New Year's Day. They start in the back and sweep to the front to get all the dust and dirt of the year out. It is symbolic of starting new and is intended to bring good luck in the coming year.

It gives a whole new twist to your spring cleaning doesn't it? So there you have it! Christmas in Costa Rica! So pass the tamales and the super spiked eggnog (rompope)! Feliz Navidad!

Christmas Around the World South of the Border!

Welcome to Christmas Around the World! In an effort to add some new traditions to our family I thought I might do a little exploring and see how other cultures and nations celebrate Christmas. So strap on your backpacks and let's take a little trip together around the globe!

I thought we would just take a little stretch of our legs today and head south to some warmer climes in Mexico! If you are a little weary of the commercialism and gimmee attitude of "American" Christmas, this might just be the place for you. In my digging I learned that Christmas is treated very religiously in Mexico which makes sense considering the Catholic faith base in the country.

Nine days before Christmas (the 16th) families begin Posadas - mini parades to celebrate the Nativity. Children acting as Mary and Joseph pass through a village and knock on three doors. At the first two they are turned away and told that there is no room. At the third door they are welcomed in and the family and friends gathered join in praying the Rosary together which is followed by a formal meal.

Since opening the borders with NAFTA Mexico has adopted many of the American traditions such as Santa and gifts on Christmas but traditionally the 25th passed without very much ado. Instead families celebrated Dia de los Reyes (Day of the Kings) on January 6th. The children leave their shoes (versus stockings) out for their gifts. Of course there is a family meal like ours but one particular part of the meal is very interesting.

The Rosca del Reyes (described as an oversized egg bread wreath - a big bagel if you will) is shared with the family. If you are familiar with the king cake of Mardis Gras this popped into my head. There is a ceramic Baby Jesus baked into the bread (try to to think too hard about that!) and the person who receives the piece of bread with jesus is named the His godparent. They go about preparing a "christening" of sorts which is celebrated February 2nd at the Day of the Candle. The Day of the Candle is when the Nativity is put away and the "closing ceremony" if you will of the holiday season.

Did you follow all of that? They kick it off on December 16th with Las Posadas and don't wrap up until February 2nd! I don't know about you but that seems like a very long holiday season to me. What I love about the traditions of Mexico is how little they focus on the gifts (traditionally at least!) and how much they focus on the reason behind the season - The birth of the Savior!

If there is one thing I can take from the traditions of Mexico it is to keep the Christ Child at the center of my holiday celebration. Have you ever thought about the traditional arrangement of a Nativity scene? The Wise Men and their gifts are not set up in the middle. Keep that in mind as you head into this holiday season. And may the peace heralded by the star be in your heart all year!