The Chilean Christmas is largely a spiritual affair as the country is predominantly Catholic. This doesn’t imply that the Chileans can’t accomplish the festive cheer.
For instance, you’re bound to spot lavishly decorated Xmas trees, stuffed Santa toys and colored lights in town squares and living rooms throughout the country.
Here are more things that render the Chilean Christmas special:
The Arrival of Viejito Pascuero
Also known as Papa Noel, Santa Claus in Chile is called Viejito Pascuero.
Just like the American Santa, Viejito Pascuero dons a red and white suit and rides a sleigh in addition to carrying a big sack of presents for the kids.
Parents will encourage their kids to write Viejito Pascuero indicating what they’d like him to bring them for Christmas.
Unlike in America where Santa enters the house via the chimney, Papa Noel accesses the Chilean homes through the window.
On Christmas morning, you’ll find the kids, flying their kites and riding their new bicycles along the sunny streets.
Decorating the Home
People in Chile relish the task of decorating their houses with Christmas trees, balloons, and lights.
They will set up the Christmas tree a day or two pending the festive day and adorn it with tiny clay figures called ‘pesebre.’
The families will also create elaborate scenes from the nativity.
For instance, wooden or clay figures are used to represent the Holy Family among other religious characters.
Delicacies on Christmas
Christmas in Chile cannot be complete without food and drinks; the natives will create a plethora of delightful dishes and beverages.
Such include the “Azuela de ave,” which denotes a special chicken soup, “Cola de Mono,” also known as Monkey’s tail that’s basically a cooling concoction and “Pan de Pasqua,” which is bread stuffed with crystallized fruit.
Chile residents also share a special dinner with the primary intent to reunite the family or friends.
The diner will include roasted turkey or chicken, Christmas cookies, Punch cherimoya and watermelon among other seasonal fruits as dessert.
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Main Points About Christmas in Chile
- Christmas in Chile is a spiritual affair. Every day of the festive season, church services are held.
- Chilean Christmas falls in the middle of summer and Christmas eve is more important than Christmas day in Chile.
- On Christmas eve, families, relatives and loved ones get together to share a meal at night. After the meal, some people go to a church service.
- The Christmas meal includes chicken, turkey, pork and the Chilean Christmas cake.
- Cola de Mono (Monkey’s tail) is the most popular Christmas drink in Chile. It is made with a blend of coffee, milk, cinnamon, sugar, and liquor.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, Christmas celebrations in Chile carry important religious meaning. Its, therefore, not unusual to see people attending the Christmas Eve mass, also known as “Misa del Gallo.”
Families will also sing traditional carols depicting Chile’s rich farming heritage. This is in addition to reading bible passages as well as enjoying sports and nature.
Word Cloud for Christmas in Chile
The following is a collection of the most used terms in this article on Christmas in Chile. This should help in recalling related terms as used in this article at a later stage for you.
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