Christmas Traditions

It’s hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone. We thought we would update you on some Peruvian traditions and also how we celebrated.

Peruvians celebrate Christmas on the 24th at midnight (which I guess is Christmas!). When the clock strikes 12, they all light fireworks and go out to watch their neighbors’ displays. Then, they greet all their family members with ‘Feliz Navidad’ and eat their big Christmas meal. This consists of turkey, other festive foods and paneton (Christmas bread–see pic). After dinner, they open gifts with their families and then to bed. Many of them go to the beach on the 25th or they just rest up from the late night festivities.

This year we went over to a fellow missionary’s house to celebrate Christmas. We had brunch and then spent some time reflecting on Christ’s birth and sacrifice for us. We sang carols, prayed, and read the Christmas story. After that, it was time to cool off in their pool. Remember, our seasons are opposite…it’s hot here at Christmas! Jon and I also spent the long weekend putting together a puzzle.

Overall, we had a very blessed Christmas and it was a special time to be ‘great with child.’ We hope that you and your family were able to reflect on Christ’s birth and the eternal impact it has had on your life.

Christmas Celebration at The Oasis

The Oasis is a facility where extremely impoverished children can come each school day and receive preschool type education, homework help, and/or learn about God and His Word. There are also classes available for the parents of these children. The Christmas celebration is a way to celebrate the birth of our Savior, but also a great way to present the Gospel to the extended families of the children that we work with. Here are some photos of the day.

Thanks to a generous donor we were able to provide a gift basket to all of the mothers whose children attend the Oasis. Each basket consisted of a kilogram of rice, sugar, and beans along with traditional paneton, chocolate, and condensed milk for Christmas. The children began summer break and many of these mothers would have struggled to feed their children for that extra meal each day without these simple gifts.

Christmas Celebration at the Children’s Home

Every year the Children’s Home has a Christmas celebration where the families of the children are invited to spend time with their children, eat paneton (a traditional Christmas bread) and drink hot chocolate, sing Christmas songs, and then hear the Gospel message. Enjoy some of the sights and sounds.
Pictures
Sounds
Worshiping together. Singing a Christmas song.
Video