Nochebuena is celebrated on December 24th. The significance of this day is more than just exchanging presents and children waiting in anticipation for Santa Claus to come.
In 2021, USAToday accredits the origin of Nochebuena to be, “When Spaniards came to the Americas beginning in the late 1400s, they also brought Catholicism, which sees Christmas as the day Jesus Christ was born. The celebration begins around midnight as that is believed to be the time Christ was born.”
In the years following Spanish colonization, the celebration would blend the rich native culture of the Americas, becoming not only a religious celebration, but one of family. Nochebuena is not only the evening before the birth of Jesus but rather the formation of a family. Mary and Joseph entered the manger they went in as a pair and left as a family.
This holiday is marked with the celebration of family. The image of gathering around a fire and togetherness. Having friends come over to one’s home to eat food and drink. Thoughts of hardship are left at the door for the spirit of the holiday to enter one’s home and the hearts of those there. Representing a hopefulness towards new beginnings and the future to come.
Now, Nochebuena comes in many forms. It is not simply the day before Christmas. It is a celebration that manifests in the homes of so many every year. One based on the coming together of individuals to make one unit. One family. One Nochebuena.
The Wafi Team’s Family Traditions:
We started a recent tradition with our Christmas tree. Every year we choose a celebrity and print out their headshot and place it on top of the tree as the Christmas star, last year it was Selma Hayek. As far as Nochebuena traditions go, every year we cook Pernil with Arroz con Gandules and even though we are all adults now, we watch Charlie brown Christmas as well as other Christmas movie classics.
Christmas time is my favorite time of year. Every Christmas Eve my aunts, uncles, and cousins from my dad’s side come over to the house and we eat empanadas, drink coquito, play games and exchange gifts. This is a tradition that we’ve been doing in our family since I was little. Every year when the holidays come around I get so excited to see my family. I know this tradition is one that I will continue to preserve for the rest of my life, because the holidays remind us that family is the most important thing in the world.
Growing up, Nochebuena was always a time filled with family, food, and fun. Now being away from home for so long studying in college I have gained a new appreciation for the time spent together with my family and friends. I look forward to Nochebuena every holiday season as I get to reconnect with my extended family back home. We dance, play games like dominos, give out gifts and have a great time celebrating all together.
One of the traditions that my family has started doing is making coquito and empanadas. My mother makes her empanadas while I try out new recipes for coquito. We are always open to trying new recipes!
Wafi Team Member 1
My family traditions during the holidays consist of eating lots of tamales and ponche! Most importantly we love a good game of Lotería! It’s family tradition to gather around and play lotería while eating my grandma’s best tamales every year!
Wafi Team Member 2
We don’t celebrate Christmas but we tend to spend the winter break visiting family and spending time with them, talking, listening to Christian music or watching preachings. We often cook with each other helping around the kitchen and taking care of smaller family members while the adults cook and talk. We enjoy being a close family visiting each other when possible and that’s what I think is the best part.
Wafi Team Member 3
My kids and I have started our own tradition where every Christmas morning we pick out a Christmas book to read and the previous year’s book we giveaway with a note to another family. Afterwards, we have a drink called ponche.
