Guatemala Christmas Traditions

Celebrate an Authentic Christmas in Guatemala, no matter where you are!

Christmas, or Navidad, is a big celebration in the Guatemala Christmas season and is based around the Catholic traditions brought by Jesuit priests generations ago. Navidad is much more centered around the religious aspect of the holiday than in North American countries, with the commercial side of things being very low key in general.

Every large town or city has its market with a special section set aside for Christmas vendors. This is where you'll find corderos de tusa, cordones de nance and everything required to create beautiful nacimientos or Nativity scenes.

The actual Navidad celebration is at midnight on December 24th, but that doesnâ€™t stop the entire country from living it up for the entire month of December. It's a time of firecrackers, family and food, shared with everyone.

On the 24th, at midnight, the streets are alive with firecrackers, so many of them being set off that the heavy smoke drifts into the houses as families settle down for their traditional meal of tamales and ponche or hot chocolate.

Visiting family and friends come in for a drink and then drift away and finally, everyone heads to bed around 2-3 in the morning. The actual day of Christmas, the 25th, is usually quite calm and quiet until noon when another barrage of firecrackers is released. Guatemala may be poor, but it is a country that knows how to enjoy its holidays!

Quema del Diablo

Año Nuevo

Procesión del Niño

Las posadas are the traditional processions that start 9 days before Christmas. Every evening, statues of Joseph and Mary (José y María) are carried through the streets on platforms, looking for a place to stay. The group sings a traditional song, requesting entrance at various homes, much like Mary and Joseph did when expecting Jesus.

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After being refused at several doors, they find a place to stay for the night (a home that was previously selected) and everyone in the procession comes in for traditional foods, chuchitos and hot chocolate. This is repeated each night, with the couple staying at a different home every night until Christmas.

Cordones

Corderos de Paja

Nacimientos

In Guatemala, holidays are treasured. Guatemala Christmas Celebrations are particularly popular and involve more than a month of celebrating. Rather than just have fun on the actual day, Guatemalans enjoy December to the fullest, with special foods, a number of festivals, such as Quema del Diablo, El Día de la Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepción, Regreso del Niño and plenty of time spent with family.

Looking to celebrate an authentic Guatemala Christmas? Get in the Christmas spirit with some easy-to-prepare Guatemala Christmas recipes typical of the holiday season in Guatemala, such as plátanos and buñuelos.