My friends here are always surprised when I tell them my family goes to a tree farm every year to cut down our own Christmas tree in Pennsylvania!
And of course, the weather is totally different. Here, Christmas isn’t cold at all. On the coast of Peru, it’s summertime, and in the mountains where I live, it’s the rainy season, which means hot days and lots of rain. My students love it when I show them pictures of snow back home.
While different from what I know back at home, Peru has its own special way of celebrating the holidays. Since living here, I’ve learned about three really fun Christmas traditions:
1. Chocolatadas
All through December, schools, churches, neighborhoods and even businesses host something called a chocolatada. This is a gathering where people serve hot chocolate and panetón, a special sweet bread filled with dried fruits. Panetón is extremely popular in Peru! You can find whole walls of it in stores starting in September. Sometimes the mayor even hosts a chocolatada in the town square and gives toys to the children.
2. Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes)
Here, many groups create big, detailed nativity scenes called nacimientos. Schools, health centers, local governments and families all make their own versions. They often use a special plant from the region to decorate them. A few nights before Christmas, people visit them and vote for their favorite. The nacimiento with the most votes wins a prize!
3. Pastores
Another beautiful tradition is called pastores. Young children dress up in colorful traditional clothing and perform a special dance and song in two lines while holding decorated ropes.
