Feliz Navidad
A Different Carolina Christmas

With the large influx of Hispanics moving into the Carolinas, celebrating Christmas is taking on a decidedly different flavor. There are 18 countries in Latin America, and each one is represented here in our state in increasing numbers. Each country celebrates this holy holiday, commemorating in slightly different ways. A Latin American Christmas is different from a North American one from the beginning straight through to the end of the twelve days of Christmas.

For Latinos, the Christmas festivities start when la familia begins to gather early on Christmas Eve. Along with gifts, every one brings a favorite food. A fabulous meal is the focus of any important fiesta. Soon, the home is filled with laughter, music, and the most delicious aromas imaginable.

Christmas is a time when the family’s señoras and señoritas prepare the most exquisite dishes. The dinner table will be filled with little meat pies called empanadas. The empanada stuffing, which can be either beef or chicken, is rich with flavor. Tamales are also a featured attraction on the holiday table. For the tamales, bits of meat and spices are combined with masa, a type of corn meal, and stuffed into a corn husk. Wrapped like a Christmas gift in the corn husk, each tamale is steamed until moist, tender, and delicious. In addition to the meats, a typical table will also include rice, some type of beans, chorizo sausages, and sweet, fried tostones made from bananas called plátanos. Deserts can include a creamy custard called a flan, an array of fresh tropical fruits, or sweet potato candy called camote.

After the sumptuous meal, the niños or children will begin eyeing the gifts, but they aren’t allowed to open them just yet. They will play together, sing Christmas carols, or burst a brightly-colored piñata. As candy showers the floor, everyone laughs with glee and jumps in to get a share. Meanwhile, over strong coffee often flavored with chocolate and cinnamon, the adults talk, enjoy each other’s company or listen to música.

Usually after dinner, the men move off into another room or go outside to share a glass of Christmas cheer. The ladies form their own group and often gather in the kitchen. Later on the family returns to the living room to wait for the stroke of midnight or heads off to church to take part in services that herald the beginning of Christmas Day.

Midnight on Christmas Eve or Nochebuena is the true beginning of the twelve days of Christmas. That’s when the first round of gifts is opened. Often the gifts opened on Christmas Eve are small, simple tokens. Many countries don’t exchange gifts on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. In a Latin American home the feeling is that nothing should detract from the true meaning of the holiday: the birth of the Christ child.

The second and most important round of gift-giving occurs at the end of the twelve days of Christmas on January 6th. This is the day that commemorates the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that Los Tres Reyes Magos (the Three Wisemen) presented to the baby Jesus. In many countries including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico this is the day when holiday gifts are exchanged and the Christmas holiday truly ends.

All of us celebrate Christmas with special, time-honored traditions that could be considered different and unusual when viewed through the eyes of another culture. But at Christmas, our cultural differences don’t seem to matter quite so much. No matter what day we celebrate or what language we speak, we all have the same spirit of joy for our families and friends in our hearts. Enjoy this warm and delicious drink this holiday season.

Chocolate Cinnamon Coffee
Café de chocolate con canela

Ingredients:
3 Cups coffee brewed double strength
4 Squares semisweet baking chocolate
3 Cups hot milk
2 Teaspoons powdered cinnamon

Preparation:
Over low heat on the stove top put the coffee into a large pot and add the chocolate. Stir approximately 5 minutes until the chocolate melts. Next, add the milk and cinnamon stirring until well blended and thoroughly hot.

Pour into cups and serve immediately.

Serves 8