'Silent Night' on Christmas Guatemlan Style - by Emlyn Lee

12/25/200912:31:33 PM Link 0 comments | Add comment

Feliz Navidad desde Guatemala! I’m currently curled up in bed, on a chilly Christmas morning in Antigua, listening to one of my favorite classic Christmas song, “Silent Night,” and thought this would be a perfect theme for a blog. I’m celebrating my first Guatemalan Christmas, which began last night.

Guatemala is a Christian dominated country, with ~50-60% Catholics and ~40% Protestants, so Christmas is celebrated throughout the nation. Although it doesn't feel like Christmas, without the "White Christmas” that most of you in North America are experiencing, I have been reminded of Christmas through the singing lights, daily evening processions around town, Santas that walk around Parque Centrale, and…the bombas!

Families, particularly the kids, light firecrackers and firework to celebrate the holiday season (I’m still trying to figure out what day it starts, but more importantly, when it will end!) I thought I was a veteran with pyromaniacs setting off loud and fearsome firecrackers during my travels in China during Lunar New Year 1997, but last night’s Christmas Eve in Guatemala 2009 topped the charts.

Most businesses close early on Christmas Eve and all day on Christmas, so employees are able to spend the holidays with their friends and families, while churches offer several services throughout the day and night. I thought it was going to be a 'silent' and mellow night being away from home and family, so I joined my new foreign friends as we wandered around town, found the sparse restaurants, bars and cafes that were open, and attended a 10pm mass at the main Cathedral.

It was a beautiful service, even though we couldn’t understand 98% of it, due to language barrier and unfamiliarity of Catholicism, but the spirit of the mass, people, and the occasion filled the overflowing cathedral. After church service, we ended up walking around a park that still had street vendors, and enjoyed their poncho--a hot drink, that is traditionally made and served at Christmas. It is filled with all different types of fruit (pineapple, coconut, papaya, apples, grapes, oranges, plums, etc) cooked and simmered for several hours to bring a natural and delicious sweet and fruity taste. Guatemalans often spike it with rum to make a delicious Christmas cocktail.

We were sitting on a park bench, talking about life and solving world’s problems, when suddenly every street was filled with torpedo sounding, fireworks spraying, bee buzzin’, bomba blasting away! It was midnight and that’s when everyone lit firecrackers together… and that was just the beginning of their celebration! Midnight is when the families get together, eat a festive meal (usually tamales, ham, and lots of other yummy goodness), open their presents, sing, dance, and celebrate the birth of Jesus!

The streets and town were filled with clouds of smoke from the firecrackers, and I could hear cheers, music, and laughter. Although it may have been the antithesis of a “Silent Night,” but definitely a MERRY Christmas!!

I wish this blog finds you with a day full of peace, love, happiness, generosity, kindness and goodwill.

PS: While typing this blog up, the streets of Antigua were filled with yet another set of bomba blasts! It's noon...so let the festivities begin each time both hands reaches to the top of the clock!! :-D