Christmas in Venezuela! Christmas in Venezuela is one of the most colourful in Latin America and the whole world! Firework shows are very popular. Some traditional Christmas music in Venezuela is Gaita music. This is a type of folk music from the Zulia state. Its played on several instruments including the Cuatro (a guitar with four strings) a Tambora (a Venezuelan drum), the Furro (a type of drum but it has a stick coming up through the middle of the skin of the drum - this can make it have some different sounds) and the Charrasca (a ribbed tube that you rub a stick up and down). The singers are known as Gaiteros. Another type of music in Venezuela is called Aguinaldos y Parrandas. This style is also popular at Christmas as the songs are like carols. Main presents are given at the midnight on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus (hes also sometimes known as Papa Noel or San Nicolas in Venezuela) and the Baby Jesus bring the gifts to children. Some homes will have a Christmas Tree, but theyre normally artificial ones as pine and fir trees arent common in Venezuela. Nativity Scenes (Nacimiento) are very popular and in some regions they are more common than Christmas Trees. Going to Midnight Mass (Misas de Aguinaldo) is very popular and there many other masses and church services in the days before Christmas. In Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, theres a tradition of people rollerskating to the early morning church services from 16th to 24th December. The roads are often closed to traffic by 8.00am to make it safe for people to skate! Traditional Venezuelan Christmas foods include Hallacas - a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, capers, raisins, and olives that is wrapped in maize and plantain leaves and tied up with string into a parcel and then boiled or steamed afterwards; the Pan de Jamón - a type of bread thats made with puff pastry, filled up with ham, raisins, olives and bacon and shaped like a swiss roll! Chicken Salad and Pernil (a leg of pork). Some people also celebrate Santa Barbaras day on December 4th. The real Christmas celebrations start on December 21st. Another important day, is Epiphany or El Dia de los Reyes Magos (the day of The Three Kings) on January 6th. In Venezuela presents are brought by San Nicolás (St. Nicholas) & Niño Jesús (Baby Jesus). It was also a tradition for people to paint their houses two to four weeks before Christmas, so it was all nice and smart and ready to be decorated for Christmas. Many people have new clothes for Christmas and New Years Eve. Many people believe that if you wear yellow on New Years Eve you will have good luck next year. To check out more Christmas traditions from around the world follow the hashtag #ChristmasAroundtheWorld #Jana
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 06:00:05 +0000
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