This is part of a sponsored collaboration with Latina Mom Bloggers
and JCPenney. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just a week away! Well, for us, because we celebrate it on the 24th. In Latin-American culture, Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) is the big day! This is when we gather together, staying up all night to eat, dance, sing, tell stories, and eat some more. In Mexico, dinner usually consists of tamales, a turkey, and lots of sweets. The nacimiento (nativity scene) is the center of it all! My aunt in Mexico creates a super elaborate one with lakes and bridges that takes up an entire table top. The thing is – baby Jesus doesn’t show up until he is ‘born’ on Christmas Eve. I love that!
After baby Jesus is born – and we pray and sing some songs – we take turns exchanging gifts, with everyone having picked names out of a hat in the weeks before Christmas. With more than 30 cousins and 9 aunts and uncles (and their significant others) la familia is just too big to buy for everyone! The kids exchange gifts; the adults, too, saying a little something about their surprise recipient before handing over the gift, leaving everyone guessing as to who it might be.
Being Mexican-American, our traditions when I was little were somewhat confusing, which is also the case now, with my Mexican-Bolivian-American daughters! We have a nativity scene, but it’s a simple one. The girls believe in Santa, but they also believe in the three Kings that visit us in January. On Christmas Eve, they run up to bed at just past midnight, afraid that Santa won’t stop by if they’re not snug in their beds. Christmas Day, they wake us up early, open presents, and the rest of the day is spent at home, just a quiet day, playing with new toys and relaxing.
My Mexican side of the family finds our newest tradition – Elf on the Shelf – hilarious, and doesn’t quite understand it! I share pictures on Facebook and have to explain it every time.
If you want to learn more about how Latino families celebrate the holidays, watch the JCPenney “Real Holidays by Real Families” video series!
JCPenney wants to share the spirit of Christmas – the real spirit that lives in Latino homes in the US, a celebration of real-life holiday traditions. With so many reasonably-priced gifts to choose from – and cute outfits for holiday parties! – JCPenney is a one stop shop, making it easier for me during this busy time of year.
We have a Christmas tree, nativity, elf, and we recognize that Christ is the reason for the season.
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I love hearing how different traditions are shared
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We don’t have any special traditions in our Spanish-Estonian family but I hope that traditions come over the time.
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My son just did a project for school on Mexican Christmas traditions. We are not Mexican and it was a great learning experience for both of us.
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That Elf on the Shelf selfie is cracking me up! Oh and your tree looks absolutely gorgeous!
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It is nice to learn about your tradition. I keep it basic with a tree and the usual things. I do a Christmas Eve box on the 24th but that is about it.
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Christmas to us is a very special religious holiday.
We attend Christmas eve mass and we celebrate with friends and family.
No elf, no Santa but we do have a Christmas tree, garland and all the trimmings.
I love learning about different holiday traditions 🙂
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Thanks for sharing; we have German and American Traditions at Christmas and try to keep them all well alive…. My family in Germany loves our Elf tradition yet they don’t quit understand either.. in Germany the Christmas Angel brings the gifts so I guess that’s what confuses them with the elf..lol.. but they get a kick out of it, too.. thanks for sharing
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I love your description of the Nativity scene and how your aunt doesn’t present Jesus until he is born! That is so sweet 🙂 I have never done Elf on the Shelf and my kids have outgrown it – but what a conglomeration of culture you celebrate!
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My husbands family is polish and they have their big meal on Christmas Eve, we have fish, babka, homemade sauerkraut and 3 types of pierogies (I joke that that’s why I married him lol). My family has a big meal of lasagna on Christmas day
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We have German heritage so we have a couple of old traditions. My girls still love the hidden pickle tradition. I have never heard of the Three Kings. I will have to check it out. Thanks for sharing.
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Your Christmas tree is beautiful! Thanks for sharing your family traditions. We spend Christmas with extended family and I would love to incorporate more traditions!
Thank you for sharing this. Your tree is so elegant, classy, and beautiful. It exudes warmth.
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It’s nice to hear about everyone’s traditions! Your tree is beautiful!
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we have lots of traditions. christmas eve service, jubilee roll from friendlys (just tradition, no reason), 1 gift christmas eve which is always pajamas…
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Those traditions sound like so much fun. We have Santa but we also do the Christmas story on Christmas Eve too.
I am so glad I read this post! I learned something new. I had no idea that in Latin culture the big celebration happens on Christmas Eve.
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Love this (and your gorgeous tree)! I always enjoy reading about how other cultures celebrate holidays. Our family is a little like yours … we have so much fun on Christmas Eve.
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I love hearing what other traditions do for the holidays! We’re pretty typical around here, but I love every second of it!
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I love hearing about how others celebrate! We have a family gathering on Christmas Eve. Santa leaves gifts and fills the girls stockings which they find on Christmas morning. Like you, we have a relaxing Christmas day at home. Our main celebration is on Christmas Eve.
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sounds like wonderful traditions!
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I really enjoy hearing about all the many traditions everyone has. So glad you shared that JCP series too.
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Your tree is absolutely gorgeous! I love all of the Elf on a Shelf posts I am seeing. I need to get me one of those menacing buggers. 😉
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I celebrate the Winter Solstice, but since it’s all so close together, I just go along with Christmas. It’s mostly about family for us, and lots of great food!
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I am 1/2 German and we celebrate on the 24th also. I lived in the southwest for many years and loved to eat tamales at Christmas. Your story has included a little of everything and sounds perfect for your family.
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I love that tree. It is so pretty.
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That tree is gorgeous! It just gives the room a perfect glow
This is really interesting. I had no idea that the 24th was more celebrated than the 25th for Latino families.
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I didn’t know that the 24th was celebrated more either… and growing up we celebrated the 24th too. Not sure why though. I guess for no reason.
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It’s so nice to learn about different holiday traditions!
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