Christmas in Nicaragua
The culture of Nicaragua is rich with ancient traditions. In fact, the Nicaragua culture relies heavily on older Spanish traditions when celebrating many holidays. One of those holidays are Christmas. If one wants to visit Nicaragua for Christmas, they may want to take advantage of Nicaragua culture to celebrate the holiday in a different way. The residents of Nicaragua have many Christmas traditions.
• The culture of Nicaragua derives from many Spanish countries. One activity that occurs in the culture of Nicaragua when celebrating Christmas includes participating in the celebration that is known as Las Posadas. In Nicaragua culture, Las Posadas is a reenactment of the birth of Jesus Christ that lasts nine days. Within the nine days, the story of Mary and Joseph looking for an inn to have the baby is performed. This piece of Nicaragua culture is one of the oldest Spanish traditions that are practiced.
• Giving away small gifts like little toys and candy is also part of the Christmas culture of Nicaragua. Religious items are also popular gifts to give at Christmas per Nicaragua culture. These small gifts are opened on Christmas, while fireworks are shot off. In Nicaragua culture, Christmas Eve is the evening of an important midnight mass. After mass, a homemade meal is an important part of the Christmas culture of Nicaragua. Nicaragua culture, like other countries, relies on particular foods. In the United States, turkey or goose are popular Christmas dinners. In Nicaragua, chicken tamales and homemade desserts and candies is the meal of choice for Nicaraguan residents.
• However, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is not the only important dates in Christmas Nicaragua culture. Other important dates are December 7th, which is La Griteria and January 6th, which is called the feast of Epiphany. On La Griteria, children go from house to house in the quest for candy and small toys, much like the United States’ Halloween tradition. The feast of Epiphany is a piece of Nicaragua culture that is based on a legend. In the legend, an elderly woman refused to travel with the three wise men to bring gifts to baby Jesus. It is said that she now travels the world in search of him. Local children also flock to the altar of the Virgin Mary, bringing flower bouquets as a form of worship.
A Nicaraguan Christmas is filled with traditional activities and is a time of great celebration for its residents. Americans visiting for the holiday will find a different world of Nicaragua culture then what they are used to in the United States.
