Dear Rooster (A Haiku)
Cockadoodledoo!
It’s not morning, it’s MIDNIGHT.
Shut it, por favor.
So, my first Christmas away from home. Like all other things here in Guatemala, Christmas was full of new experiences. I got to my host family’s house on Thursday, and spent the entire day playing with Wilson. Just after being gone two months he already talks so much more (like saying “Ale, Esperame” (wait for me) and holding up his hand for me to wait while he goes to get toys, or “No miedo” (I’m not scared) when a firework goes off). That night he, Brenda and I went to the Posada, which is a nine-night tradition before Christmas, reenacting Joseph and Mary looking for a place to stay. Each night, Mary and Joseph statues are carted to a new house, followed by a procession of townspeople. When the procession gets to the house, the people inside the house and the people in the procession sing to each other (something along the lines of “let us in” – “no, there’s no room” – “Please let us in” – “Oh, okay”) and the figures are taken into the house and placed in a big manger scene. Then the hosts give everyone tamales or chuchitos and ponche, and sometimes there’s a piñata and/or the Guatemalan equivalent of door prizes.
Here, Christmas day is not such a big holiday, but instead Christmas Eve (Noche Buena) is the big celebration. We spent a good part of the day making 80 or so tamales and just hanging around. There was a “baile”- sort of like a parade, where kids dress up and dance in the street, and, of course, plenty of fireworks. At night we went to the barrio, where my host dad’s parents live. We had hot chocolate and pan dulce and sat around the fire sharing stories about the US and Guatemala. Eventually we headed back down to the house (packing all 10 of us in a pickup for the ride) and started a huge bonfire in the house, which we sat around waiting for midnight, when EVERYONE in the neighborhood sets off firecrackers for Jesus’ birthday. Then, after prayers, at about 1 in the morning, we had a Christmas dinner of champagne, tamales, and rice and enjoyed all of the fireworks. I went to bed shortly after (I’m an old woman here in Guatemala; I can’t remember the last time I saw midnight!) but the fireworks continued throughout the night, and my host brothers were apparently out celebrating until all hours.
Christmas morning I woke up bright and early with my second bout of violent illness since coming to Guatemala (Merry Christmas to you, too, bathroom floor!), which thankfully passed quickly and I cuddled back into bed almost until lunch. I spent the rest of the day being lazy and opening presents mailed from home. I missed my family like crazy, of course, but couldn’t think of a better place to be if I couldn’t be at home. My host brother Tono asked me this morning if all was well, and I told him yes. He then asked me “But, are you okay? I mean, are you happy?” to which I replied yes, I was, and he said “Well, that’s all that’s important. Thank you for spending Christmas with us.”- as if I had done them some sort of favor by being here. So, while the traditions and practices were completely different from my usual Christmases, I did not lack the holiday love and care that you get from being with family, and (besides the presents, of course) that’s really the best part of Christmas anyway, isn’t it?
ps- merry christmas and happy new year to all of my friends and family- and thank you for all of the love and support this year and always <3
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