Christmas Lyn
Christmas in Argentina has a unique appeal, so different from the snowy wonderland we imagine when thinking of winter holidays.
For Argentinians, Christmas is a summer holiday. Hot weather was bound to influence the festive atmosphere and activities.
Argentinians are predominantly Catholic, so Christmas is an important cultural affair. The celebrations are always vibrant and jolly.
Although Argentinians adopted many Christmas traditions from the U.S., Spain, and other countries, most local customs are one-of-a-kind, embracing local culture.
But at the end of the day, Argentinian Christmas, just like American or European, is all about family get-togethers, delicious food, and celebrations of Christ’s birth.
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Christmas in The Summer
Argentina is located in the Southern Hemisphere, so the weather at Christmas time is warm.
Most Argentinians have never experienced a white Christmas unless they’ve traveled to Europe or the U.S., so the festive atmosphere is different from northern countries.
December in Argentina is hot, sunny, and humid. Many locals travel overseas for the summer holidays, so the cities are usually quiet during the holiday season.
If you know anything about Argentinian culture, you know that family means everything, so Argentinians typically spend the holidays with their loved ones.
Many locals spend the time reconnecting with nature, exploring numerous Argentinian waterfalls, forests, and mountains.
Spending winter holidays at the beach may seem odd to people living in the Northern Hemisphere but is standard for Argentinians.
Tourists are often amazed to see people surfing the waves in a Santa suit or making Christmassy sand sculptures (sandmen?).
A lack of Christmas carols, snowmen, and hot chocolate doesn’t prevent Argentinians from embracing the festive mood. There’s nothing better than watching the sunset at the beat with your favorite people on Christmas Day.
Fireworks & Paper Lanterns
Christmas is in no way a quiet celebration in Argentina. On the opposite, Christmas in Argentina is a time of vibrant fireworks, fairy lights twinkling in all rainbow colors, and paper lanterns lighting up the night.
Paper lanterns in Argentina are called globos, derived from the local word for “spherical.”
Globos is essentially Chinese paper lanterns that float up in the sky like small hot air balloons. Although paper lanterns are a fire hazard, they are integral to Argentinian festivities.
Perhaps, that’s a luxury of living in a warm climate since paper lanterns wouldn’t float on a cold day. People in every Argentinian town shoot off fireworks on Christmas Eve, usually around midnight.
However, occasional fireworks can be seen as soon as the sun goes down. Locals love to watch the fireworks from rooftops, hills, or Puente de la Mujer (Women’s Bridge) in Puerto Madero to get a better view and take magical pictures.
While Argentinian kids wish for new toys for Christmas, adults dream of winning the annual Argentinian Christmas lottery, known as El Gordo de Navidad. This tradition is a long-standing one, dating 1893.
That year, the Argentinian government held the Extraordinary Christmas Draw, which locals called Fat Christmas.
Argentinians adopted the custom from Spain. The Spanish government had been organizing the annual Christmas lottery since 1812.
Spanish Christmas lottery is the biggest lottery draw worldwide, with over 165 million participants every year and a total prize amount of over two billion.
However, the Argentinian Christmas draw makes a solid competition for the Spanish lottery.
The draw traditionally takes place between December 22 and December 28. A lottery ticket costs 750 pesos, which is a lot for many Argentinians, so some people share the ticket.
The main prize of the draw is 65 million Argentine pesos, equivalent to about $700,000, but there are numerous smaller prizes. A Christmas lottery may seem odd to people from other countries, but the tradition has a profound meaning.
People spend a moderate amount of money to potentially help someone who really needs it with a more significant sum. Winners usually share the jackpot with family.
Homemade Gifts & Other Gift-Giving Customs
Before the economic boom of 2002, most Argentinians couldn’t afford to buy gifts for Christmas and used to present handmade items. The gift could be anything the giver can craft – jewelry, knitted socks, clay pot, or a drawing.
Nowadays, Argentinians aren’t as poor and can buy gifts for their loved ones. Still, the tradition of giving handmade gifts stays strong – even if they weren’t made by the gift giver but bought from a local artisan at a Christmas market.
Argentinians put a lot of effort into gift wrapping. However, the receiver usually tears the wrap apart right away. The gift wrap design can be any, but Argentinians never use purple color because it stands for mourning.
Argentinians never gift knives and may perceive imported wine as a present offensive because locals are proud of their wine. Argentinians rarely exchange gifts with colleagues because a woman giving a gift to a man may be seen as flirting.
Argentinian kids open their gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve unless the family attends the Midnight Mass – in this case, they open the presents in the morning.
They usually receive gifts under the Christmas tree from Papa Noel or El Niño Diós, baby Jesus. Argentinian Santa Claus is similar to American but often wears a sleeveless T-shirt and swim shorts.
Nativity Scenes
Nativity scenes depicting Mary, Joseph, shepherds, the Magi, a donkey, and an ox surrounding Jesus in his crib have been widespread in Europe since the 13th century. But in Latin America, they aren’t just an optional decoration.
Every Argentinian home has at least one nativity scene set up in a visible place, often handmade. Some Argentinians buy nativity scenes at local Christmas markets and decorate them with natural moss or straw.
Public places, including schools, churches, shopping malls, and restaurants, set up life-sized or live nativity scenes performed by actors.
Traditional Tango Show
Tango is the most Argentinian thing ever, and one who hasn’t been to Argentina can’t know the real beauty of this dance. Since most Argentinians are active, passionate people, tango is integral to any celebration, including Christmas.
Restaurants, bars, stores, and other public places close for Christmas, but tango shows keep entertaining locals and amazing tourists. Argentina’s best Christmas tango shows can be seen in the La Ventana concert hall in Buenos Aires.
Midnight Mass
Most Argentinians are religious are attend the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, the tradition is seeing a steep decline in popularity in urban areas and is prevalent in smaller towns and rural regions.
Still, the bells of every Argentinian church ring at midnight. People who want to honor Christ’s birth at church but don’t want to miss the festive dinner go to a mass earlier in the day or on Christmas Day morning.
The largest Christmas Mass in Argentina takes place in Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral. In this cathedral, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known worldwide as Pope Francis, used to lead the mass for years until he moved to Rome.
However, most people prefer to celebrate Christmas at home and watch Pope Francis lead the mass in the Vatican on TV.
Christmas Food in Argentina
Argentinian Christmas dinner takes place on December 24 and involves plenty of cold appetizers and dishes because of the heat. Typically, the feast begins with cured meat cuts, cheese platters, finger-sized sandwiches, dried fruit, and nuts.
Fancier starters include tomatoes stuffed with tuna salad or rice and herbs. Argentinians also have a unique twist on deviled eggs, made with pate whipped with mayo and garnished with olives.
Pionono, a savory pastry with a delicious beef filling, is a must at every Argentinian Christmas feast, just like bizcochuelo, a sponge cake with tuna or chicken, sliced cheese, tomatoes, mayo, and artichokes.
Another unique Argentinian Christmas dish is a crepe roll filled with ham, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, olives, and mayo. People in some regions serve pancake towers with various toppings, from honey and fruits to cheese and meat.
One of the strangest from a foreigner’s point of view dishes is sliced cow tongue sprinkled with vinegar and herbs. A fine steak cut rolled in eggs, artichokes, olives, and carrots is a popular-year round dish, including Christmas time.
People in Argentina’s Western provinces commonly cook chicken wrapped in grape leaves and served with wine sauce. Argentinians of Italian descent often serve veal in tuna sauce containing mayo, cream, egg yolks, white wine, anchovies, and capers.
The main entree is usually roasted lamb, chicken, or pork. The meat is traditionally prepared outdoors on a grill with chimichurri seasoning containing garlic, chili pepper, oregano, vinegar, and parsley.
Perhaps, the most surprising dish at the Argentinian Christmas table is the Russian salad made with potatoes, carrots, eggs, green peas, meat, and mayo. How a staple Slavic salad became an Argentinian Christmas tradition is unknown.
Argentinians usually eat fruit salad with ice cream, frozen biscuit cake, or candied almonds for dessert. The traditional Argentinian Christmas drink is ananá fizz, a cocktail from cider and pineapple juice.
