Christmas in Uruguay

First of all, there is no such a thing as white Christmas in Uruguay, for two reasons. The first one is that in this hemisphere is summer time, the second being that it never snows in Uruguay. 

Santa Claus here is called Papa Noel, and his associates here deliver all the Christmas presents at 12’ o clock sharp. Children want to reach 12 in the night to get their presents and have fun. Yes, yes, HoHoHO! 
There are no Christmas vacations, school period goes from March till December. 

Preparations for Christmas’ eve and Christmas day include setting up your own Christmas tree.  Another thing to do is to make one little holy manger usually within the fireplace, with ceramic figures, and rock paper. Some families also leave the little Jesus spot empty in the manger until Christmas day arrives.



Christmas is celebrated typically in the following manner: families gather on a Christmas’s eve dinner, spend the evening together, until the clock ticks twelve. When Christmas day finally does arrive, everyone hugs each other, parents put up a children’s deceiving show telling them to look at some nonexistent star in the sky. While the children look to the sky hoping to see Santa Claus, parents try to put some gifts under the Christmas tree without being seen, relatives with children are looking at the stars trying to distract the kids so parents are not seen, throwing rockets entertain them or making them games.



After all of this in Montevideo the two more interesting spots to be are “La Rambla” where people usually park their cars and put music real loud, dancing and drinking by the beach, or in ciudad vieja where there are a lot of pubs to hang out.

By the way... HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!! FELIZ NAVIDAD!!