Merry Christmas

Christmas in Colombia

To celebrate Christmas with our students we invited the parents to the classroom after school to have a party. There was lots of food and games and a lot of stress on our part but in the end we know it makes a big difference to make these connections with the parents. I attempted to take photos but I was so busy and stressed I only managed one video.

Student Gifts

Being a teacher in this school is different in many ways one of which is the Christmas Presents you receive. If you are a teacher or know a teacher you know what the norm is in the states- magnets and ornaments adorned with apples and cute little sayings like “#1 Teacher! Maybe a homemade gift of unbaked cookies in a jar and at best a gift card to Dunkin Donuts. But here you get well, in Aaron’s case a case of beer, a bottle of wine, a gold plated watch, a button down shirt, an awesome coffee table book of the Amazon, and a belt.

In my case lots of jewelry, a leather wallet, bath and body products, chocolates and another great photography book of Colombia.

Aaron with his favorite Student Christmas Gift

And well what can I say, he picked them out himself and you should have seen the look on his face when he said "Meeeseees do you love them?" and of course I do, whats not to love about big pink rhinestones....I mean they go with everything!

Our students taught us about how they celebrate Christmas in Colombia and here are the highlights:

• December 16^th starts the Novena and I believe being the catholic school alumni is like advent. They celebrate by going to a family members house each night from the 16^th to the 24^th. Here the read from the bible, sing Novena songs and eat food such as bunuelos (deep fried balls of dough), “Natilla.” (cinnamon, corn starch, milk, “panela” a hard sweetener from sugar cane, and cloves.) "Arroz con Leche" (rice pudding with coconut), Arequipa (carmel in a coconut), and pickeled sweetened figs.

• December 24^th is their big holiday not the 25^th.
  

• On the 24^th they gather with their family have food and drinks, put the kids to bed early (age depending) and the kids are then awoken at midnight to open the gifts that Nino Dios (yes, baby Jesus) brought for them. They do have many decorations that involve Santa but Santa is not part of their Christmas tradition, rather they believe that when baby Jesus is born he somehow brings you a bunch of wrapped gifts. Hard to believe but I guess a fat man riding around in sleigh with reindeer and then squishing down your chimney isn’t that easy of a sell. However when one of my friends asked her niece what she was going to ask Nino Dios for Christmas she replied I am not asking Nino Dios I am asking my dad, Nino dios is nailed to the cross so he can’t bring me anything….well she has a point!

• So the 25^th is just for resting since your kids have been up playing with their new toys till 2 or 3 in the morning.

• December 31^st- New Years Eve, I am told is their biggest day of the season. It is a holiday that you spend with your neighbors and family. You pass midnight with your family and have a big dinner and my favorite thing is all of the crazy superstitions and traditions which include:

Eating 12 grapes as the church bell rings twelve times before midnight and making a wish for each grape, if you swallow all your grapes before the last bell rings your wishes will come true

there is grabbing your luggage and running around four blocks in your neighborhood; this will ensure that you will be traveling in the new year.

And if you are wearing yellow underwear when the new year arrives you will have a year filled with wealth.

Ano Viejo is a dummy man that is stuffed with things like gunpowder than clothed and then torched at midnight- there is more that goes along with this but I can’t recall. I will have to wait and see!

Merry Christmas to everyone- we wish everyone a very happy new year!

Much Love Amanda and Aaron