General Celebrations
Traditional Celebrations
In El Salvador, as in the rest of the world, Christmas is traditionally celebrated on December 25, although it is also especially celebrated the eve of this holiday: a day when the family usually gathers to have dinner and spend time together. In the spiritual sense, Christmas reminds Salvadorans of the birth of Baby Jesus. Many parishioners take part in the religious events that take place in the Catholic Church, both on December 24 and 25. The usual celebrations are the Holy Mass of Christmas Eve and the Holy Mass of the Nativity of the Lord.
Salvadorans celebrate Christmas Eve because they can all get together as a family, since there are those who are separated because they live far away, in different parts of the country or outside of it, so they take advantage of this time to return to their homes and meet again in the joy of this holiday. On this day it is also customary to exchange gifts and wear new clothes, which are the famous ‘‘estrenos’’. Likewise, all families prepare typical foods like: bread with chicken/hen (panes con pollo/gallina), baked chicken/hen or tamales. On the other hand, there are many other traditions that accompany the Christmas season; such as the celebration of the Posadas, carol concerts, Christmas villages and festivals, and other Catholic celebrations that are also celebrated during the month of December, such as the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (December 12) and the day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (December 8).
Specifically, the ‘Posadas’ are a tradition taken from Mexico, which are celebrated for nine days from December 16 to 24. Each day has a different meaning: humility, strength, detachment, charity, trust, justice, purity, joy and generosity. And they are characterized by alluding to the pilgrimage that Mary and Joseph made before the birth of Jesus (the nine days it took them to get to Bethlehem). During their trip, they looked for a place to stay and spend the night, hence the term ‘ask for lodging’, which later gave its name to the celebration. In El Salvador, they are celebrated under the same ideology, only changing the process a little. In the country, the Posadas are usually held from December 1st to 23rd; different communities organize and meet every day in a different home; there they reflect on the Word of God, sing Christmas carols and share a snack. However, it is a tradition that has been losing popularity among younger generations and not all sectors of the country carry them out.
On the other hand, approximately at the end of November (trying to coincide with the beginning of Advent), houses begin to be decorated with Christmas lights, Christmas trees and representative Nativity scenes. This decoration is maintained until the Day of the Three Wise Men.
How does NPH celebrate Christmas?
Christmas celebrations at home are held according to the country’s traditional celebrations. On December 24, different activities are carried out with the children from the morning onwards. They are given their gifts, including their “premieres” (that is, the new clothes they will wear for that day), along with other gifts for personal use, toys and candy. At dusk, the children prepare to experience Christmas Eve Mass in the home’s chapel. Generally, they receive a visit from Father Raymundo Webb, who celebrates the mass; although on other occasions, if he cannot attend, another local priest arrives.
Also, in recent years, the children have begun a new tradition of going to Santa Ana to attend Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve Mass, and then taking a tour of the city to see the parks and decorated streets. At the end, everyone shares dinner at Casa Juvenil (in Santa Ana) or Casa Sagrada Familia (in Texistepeque). And together they wait for the clock to strike 12:00 midnight to “welcome” Christmas or New Year.
December 25th (like January 1st) is a little quieter since on this day children can spend a more relaxed time after celebrating until late on Christmas Eve. The aunts and uncles allow them to get up a little later and do different activities like watching movies and playing in inflatable pools all day.
On another note, a unique celebration during this Christmas season is our founder’s birthday (December 21st). Usually that same day is used to hold a posada with Older Brothers since everyone gets together to remember Father Wasson and celebrate Christmas values like love and reconciliation.