Chileans are known the world over for their reverence for Nativity scenes.
The materials are as varied as the people who create them: some are made of straw and dirt. Sturdier ones are constructed of cardboard and wood. The truly grand ones are made of porcelain.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas in Chile, people devote a great deal of time to crafting pesebres, or Nativity scenes. When they are done, these grand scenes welcome visitors in the front yards of homes while others consume entire rooms indoors.
For many Chileans, the painstaking process of making pesebres is a labor of love and their way of paying homage to their Catholic religion.
Christmas in Chile
As Ornamentshop.com has paid homage to the worldwide traditions of Christmas, we’ve learned that displaying Nativity scenes plays a pivotal role in many people’s lives.
Chileans take it a step further, quite literally, by traveling to Andacollo, a town in northern Chile, to honor the Virgin of Andacollo. In a lively celebration, Chileans carry a statue of her through town on a platform decorated with roses and candles while dancers and people playing drums, whistles and guitars follow closely behind.
Similar celebrations play out right up until La Noche Buena (Christmas Eve), when many families attend Misa del Gallo, or rooster’s Mass.
Christmas in Chile is not entirely focused on religion, however. Since the season takes place during the summer, Chilean families often spend the day at the beach with a mouth-watering assortment of regional foods and desserts.
Certainly, you’ve heard of chili peppers. But they’re just an opening act for the myriad ways that people put spice into the holiday.