Christmas in Chile

Christmas here basically starts off the summer complete with big family reunions and feasts.  You don't see houses decorated on the outside but inside there are Christmas trees and nativity scenes.  There are a few apartment balconies with lights in our neighborhood.

The supermarkets are filling up with fake evergreen trees, a lot of faux snow, toys, Christmas muzak (some actually translated into Spanish) and, of course, Cola de Mono (Monkey's Tail).  It is a traditional Christmas-time Chilean drink that does not contain egg but does contain rum (thank goodness, I could never really get into eggnog but this stuff is yummy). It is similar to a White Russian with coffee, milk, aguardiente (a 90 proof alcohol), other various spices and is served cold.

For more than enough about this drink you can check out:  http://urbatorium.blogspot.com/2008/12/el-cola-de-mono-la-tradicional-y.html

Cola de Mono

Santa Claus is known as Viejito Pascuero here.  I was in Chile 15 years ago and definitely do not remember it being as commercialized (or should I say "Coca-Cola"ized) as it is now but perhaps I was just not as observant.  What I do remember is that everybody went to midnight mass or the Misa de Gallo (Rooster's Mass?).  Ellen, correct me if I am wrong, but we were in Frutillar in the south and were staying in a room in somebody's house and they invited us to go to mass with them.  We went and, besides being two Jewish girls who were clueless about a Christmas mass to begin with, we had the language issue thrown in.  I do recall everybody kissing each other and saying "La Paz."  It took me a while to figure out that they were not all blessing the capital of Bolivia.  Dinner is served after the mass and many people stay up most of the night - not for me!!

Same gig at the mall, just a different language and some very non-southern hemisphere-esque Santa helpers.  Couldn't that have vincuna helping him out?

Pan de Pascua is being sold everywhere and they claim that it is much better than the U.S. fruitcake.  I'll wait for somebody to serve it to me rather than buy one though.

Christmas Day is spent like everywhere else enjoying presents but then families often head to the beach or pool.  Perhaps Florida and California etc. have the same traditions but not where I grew up!

A sweating Santa in Plaza de Armas