We spent Christmas 2023 on the road – in the middle of a big trip through Latin America. Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, like all the countries we visited later, are Christian, so long before Christmas we started seeing festive decorations in the towns: Christmas trees, nativity scenes, inflatable figures, artificial snowmen, fairy lights and stockings for presents. But Christmas feels different in places where many people have never seen snow – the climate is completely different, yet every effort has been made so that, despite the sunshine and heat, nobody forgets what time of year it is.
Table of contents
- Christmas trees under palm trees – Mexico and Belize
- Christmas Eve in Antigua Guatemala
- Christmas Day – out in the streets
- “Quema de toritos” – the burning bulls
Christmas trees under palm trees – Mexico and Belize
In the Mexican town of Chetumal, the last town before the border with Belize, we came across a Christmas village with little huts and a Christmas tree with a clock, a children’s concert and also an “ice rink” – only without ice.
Illuminated reindeer and Santa’s sleigh also stood in Tulum, and on the island of Caye Caulker in Belize a Christmas tree sprang up on the sand by the beach, next to the Lazy Lizard bar.
Huge Christmas trees and Santa figures were set up on the seaside promenades, nativity scenes had life-size figures, and in the evenings houses hung with colourful lights glowed just like back home.
Christmas Eve in Antigua Guatemala
The day before Christmas Eve, in Lanquín, we heard well-known Christmas carols being sung loudly. We spent Christmas Eve itself on the road – we only reached Antigua Guatemala, where we stayed for more than a month for a Spanish course, on the evening of 24 December. We had no way of preparing even a modest version of the traditional Polish Christmas Eve supper, but we still ended up – if only briefly – at the same table as the Guatemalan family we were staying with.
Most Guatemalans are Catholics, followed by Protestants. Christmas Eve is spent with loved ones, but differently than in Poland: at our hosts’ there was no table laden with food – every now and then each person was simply handed a plate of food. There was, however, a Christmas tree and presents.
Christmas Day – out in the streets
Christmas Day looks completely different from Poland – it is spent outdoors. Antigua was full of food stalls, and local bands were playing in the main square, including on the marimba.
In front of the cathedral giant puppets in colourful costumes strolled about, and in the evening a procession with a statue of the Virgin Mary passed through the streets, led by men carrying crosses.
“Quema de toritos” – the burning bulls
Every so often the procession stopped for the “burning of the bull” – Quema de toritos. The custom comes from Spanish culture: someone puts on a specially prepared frame wrapped in fireworks, with a bull’s mask on top. Once it is lit, the costumed person runs through the crowd and people scatter. When the fireworks start to burn out, the bravest run up to butt heads with the bull. First came the burning bull, behind it the statue of Mary was carried, and then followed the rest of the procession.
The fun goes on late into the night, and in the meantime big fireworks are set off – especially many near the main square. Whole streets were so full of smoke that it was hard to breathe. We had a great time and felt like we were at a village fair.
Christmas, the street food, the start of our Spanish course and New Year’s Eve in Antigua are also shown in this video:
10:15Photo gallery
