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Christmas is coming to Baltimore in 20 days! However, it comes differently in my home country of Ecuador since we have a different way of celebrating Christmas.
The most noticeable difference is the weather; our seasons are just spring and winter. Also our winter is rainy and cold, but not as cold as in Americas. There is snow on the mountaintops of the Andes Mountain Chain, but nowhere else. Since Ecuador is closest to the sun, the snow melts right away.
Another difference between both countries is the use of symbolic figure heads. Icons, like Santa Claus, his reindeer, elves, and the whole gift-making crew, are in the spotlight in America. But back at home, Christmas has more religious-oriented symbols. Since Ecuador is predominantly Catholic, the baby Jesus is our Christmas symbol.
In Ecuador, the Christmas season begins on the last Sunday of November with the Feast of Christ the King which, was instituted by Pope Pius XI in December 1925 in order to celebrate and recognize Jesus' royalty. In my hometown of Quito, there is a big procession and a parade with Christ's image all over the city. People will join in praying and singing for Jesus' blessings. In America, Christmas decorations, music, and sales start right after Thanksgiving, while back home, the feast of Christ the King is the official day when people put their Christmas decorations out.
The following Sunday, we celebrate Advent, which usually lasts four weeks. It begins with waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. This holiday is not celebrated in every family, but in my family it is tradition to celebrate every Sunday the "Lighting of the Candles of the Wreath," which is where we get together to say a little prayer that prepares our hearts for remembering Christ's birth.
December, to Ecuadorians, is a month when there are several family reunions, especially within the Novenas, which is Spanish for the nine days before Christmas. Our friends and family get together to read parts of the Bible that reference Jesus' birth. Every night has a theme such as the Annunciation or Virgin Mary and Joseph's trip to Bethlehem. Aside from the religious side of these reunions, there is also bonding time with family and friends.
Here in America, families celebrate Christmas Day with lunch that traditionally has ham with cranberry sauce and plum pudding. We instead celebrate Christmas Eve on the last day of the Novenas by having turkey along with a lot of other delicacies. Our potlucks are delicious and are much like Thanksgiving in the U.S. The typical dishes we have are turkey, prepared with a family recipe, mashed potatoes, rice, and different kinds of salads. We also have a big assortment of desserts ranging from ice cream to pastries.
In Ecuador, we open our Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve at midnight, while in the U.S., gifts are opened early on Christmas morning. Also back home, family members, not Santa Claus, are the ones who give gifts. Sometimes Ecuadorians will say that it was Jesus who gave the gifts meaning that it was God who helped family members to have the means to provide for loved ones.
This year, I'm not staying here for the holidays, but instead I'm going home to celebrate Christmas the Ecuadorian way. But I hope to learn more American traditions to celebrate Christmas while I am at the CND for the next four years.
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