Per. A - Thurs 12/19 Navidad Padlet by

Raquel Constant- Colombia

2013-12-19 17:43:27 UTC

Christmas- presents are brought by 'El Niño Jesus' or 'Niño Dios' meaning Baby Jesus. The unofficial start of Colombia's Christmas festivals is December 7th 'Día de las Velitas', or Day of the Candles. At night the streets, sidewalks, porches, and driveways are decorated with candles and lanterns. December 16th is the first day of the Christmas Novena, devotions consisting of prayer for 9 days, the last one held on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is the most important day of Christmas in Colombia. Family and friends get together to pray the last Novena and wait until midnight o open presents, having parties that last until sunrise on Christmas Day. Little occurs on Christmas Day because of the day before is the most important. Families go to Christmas mass but it isn't nearly as festive.

Diego Venkataraman - Chile

2013-12-19 17:45:39 UTC

In Chile, Christmas is celebrated with a dinner the night before consisting of a chicken soup called azuela de ave, and a bread filled with fruit named pan de pasqua. Also, Santa's name in Chile is "Viejo Pascuero," or Old Man Christmas. However, in Chile, chimneys are not Santa's way into the house. He settles on sneaking through a window.

Raquel Denney- Spain

2013-12-19 17:45:39 UTC

Christmas carols in Spain are known as villancicos. Most people eat a main Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. The traditional dinner is called "Pavo Trufado de Navidad", and it is a turkey stuffed with truffles (mushrooms). In Spain, there is also another holiday that is celebrated about the Christmas story. It's celebrated on January 6th (12 days after Christmas), and is called "Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Mages", meaning the festival of the three magic kings. It celebrates the day the kings or the wise men brought baby Jesus gifts.

Javier Lane - Argentina

2013-12-19 17:45:47 UTC

Argentinians celebrate Christmas similarly to Americans. They start to prepare in November, they decorate Christmas trees, and they decorate the outsides of their houses with lights and wreaths. However, they have different customs and celebrate in different ways too. For instance, their Christmas is in the summer, because they are in the Southern Hemisphere. As a result, Argentinians never get a "white Christmas". Also, their Christmas trees are up and decorated by December 8th, the date of the feast of the Annunciation. The main Christmas meal is eaten on Christmas Eve, which has many foods, like roasted turkey or pork. Additionally, many citizens of Argentina like to light fireworks at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Inés jones- brazil

2013-12-19 17:48:26 UTC

Their Santa is papai Noel, he is the one to bring children gifts. They welcome the new year with firework displays. A big tradition is to build nativity scenes called presépio. Since it does not snow in Brazil around Christmas they signify the snow with little pieces of cotton on the branches of pine trees. Also since it is hot Santa, or papai Noel, is dressed in a red silk suit and boots to keep him cool. On New Year's Eve everybody wears a completely white outfit to symbolize peace and renewal. They have many traditions specific to ones personal needs for the new year ranging from money to love.

Bernardo Knott

2013-12-19 17:51:22 UTC

In Cuba the families all get together on "Noche Buena" which is Christmas Eve and they all have a big feast. For the feast the men of the family go out and hunt a pig that they bring back and everyone eats, they then leave the pig in a room with the air conditioner on high the entire night and then when they wake up, the roast it and eat it. Former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro got rid of Christmas in 1969 because he thought it was interfering with the country's sugarcane export. Also the children receive presents from the 3 wise men instead of Santa or Baby Jesus

José Reddy-Bolivia

2013-12-19 17:55:21 UTC

Christmas in Bolivia is celebrated from December 24 to January 6. Christmas Eve is the most important day and most families go to a midnight mass often called the rooster mass because they go home when the rooster wakes up. Many families bring a small statue of baby Jesus to the mass and many also bring an offering that reflects their profession. They do not decorate the outside of the house or have a christmas tree instead they have a pesebre, the nativity scene. The children get presents on January 6 from the 3 wise men. During New Years many people stay up till midnight on New Year's Eve to celebrate. They have a large dinner, with the main course as pork meat. Everybody invites their friends and family to parties.

Margarita Hurley- Mexico

2013-12-19 18:02:13 UTC

In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated from December 12 until January 6.

During that time there are many 'Posada' celebrations. This is where there

Are reenactment of the Christmas story of Jesus' birth. There are often games

played at Posadas and a very common one is Piñata. January 6 is called the

Epiphany which is when families exchange presents and eat cake with a

Figure of baby Jesus hidden inside. Whoever gets that piece of cake becomes the godparent of Jesus for that year. On February 2 Mexican Christmas celebrations end.