Get a Peek at how Christmas is celebrated in Honduras. It just may not be as different as you may think!
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
Honduras, just as Latin America, has a strong Catholic influence. Because of this, Christmas is one of the most important national holidays. Many families travel to their hometowns to celebrate Christmas with their families.
There are several different peculiarities that take place when celebrating Christmas in Honduras. One of them is a tradition that everyone in the family should have their “estreno” on this day. This means, everyone should have new clothes to wear. This tradition can also be interchangeable with New Year’s Eve. It is a good omen when everyone in the family has their “estreno”.
Hondurans celebrate Christmas on the eve of the 24th (although the holiday is on the 25th). Many families cook all day, then go to church on the evening of the 24th & return home for a late Christmas dinner that often does not start until 10PM or later. Santa usually stops by earlier on this day with children opening gifts at night.
Beginning on Dec. 16th through the 24th, children lead a procession where they go from home to home “looking for shelter” in a reenactment of the difficult journey Mary & Joseph traveled to Bethlehem. This tradition called “Las Posadas” is in preparation for the holiday & acts as a reminder that though it is a joyful celebration, the road was not easy.
WHAT’S ON THE MENU?
One of the important aspects of Christmas in Honduras is preparing the Christmas dinner. Turkey is not on the menu. The local tradition leans more to preparing pork & perhaps roasting a chicken for families with a more modest income.
Tamales or “Nacatamles” are another important food element in every Christmas meal. These are usually made with pork or chicken, rice, olives, potatoes, peas, raisins & are always wrapped in a banana leaf. The banana leaves provide moisture, making the tamales far less dry than the traditional Mexican Tamales wrapped in a corn tusk.
Dessert usually consists of Rosquillas en Miel or Torrejas. The Rosquillas en Miel are small hard-crust corn donuts soaked in honey & Torrejas are fried egg whites also soaked in honey. ¡Muy delicioso!