Anyone who thinks Christmas was a big deal in the United States needs to come experience it here in Mexico. Whereas, back home, Christmas has slowly morphed into the shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas eve, with some obligatory family time and maybe a Christmas dinner thrown in somewhere near the end, in Mexico it is about two things: family and baby Jesus.
On Christmas eve James and I went shopping for a few small gifts to give our hosts since they are allowing us to stay in their house for free, even cooking us meals and cleaning up after us (well, Carlos' mother at least). It was refreshing to go to a store and not be assaulted by Santa, begging me to buy whatever was being hawked by a cardboard cutout in his likeness, with a display of shiny ribbons and bows. Granted, it was not entirely inescapable, some stores still went a little bit over the top, but it was refreshing to see a degree of maturity in the way Christmas was treated in the commerce sector. The one uniquely mexican touch were these enormous, paper mache stars covered in shiny tinsel that have appeared in front of many tiendas here in the city. Most of the shops and taquerias closed early yesterday, which was strange, because the streets are usually bustling but yesterday evening they were strangely quiet and empty. About 10 pm, mass ended, and the entire country poured out into the streets, dressed in their finest clothes with all the women cradling baby Jesus idols in their arms like a real infant. I couldn't help but laugh, it was a bachelors nightmare, to see thousands of women marching towards you, each one carrying a baby in their arms, unsure whether to run or accept life as the father of a million rug-rats...
We were invited to go to Carlos' uncle's house for a family Christmas party, and since I left my family behind (even though I invited them to come) I was honored to be accepted by theirs. We arrived at a beautiful modern mansion, not quite knowing what to expect. We were greeted by Carlos' cousins at the gate and they led us inside to one of the most beautiful homes I have ever seen. According to Carlos' father, the family is tight knit like the Corleones, aka, mafia style...and it showed. Inside were incredible works of art, portraits, still-lifes, landscapes, you name it, adorning every wall, statues in the corners, and the biggest gramophone (original record players) collection in Latin America. There were about 40 people inside all dressed up, mostly middle aged and older, sitting in the living room snacking on hor'dourves and sipping fine tequila and Malbec. I instantly felt a little out of place dressed in my travel gear and being a gringo, but Carlos walked James and I around the room and introduced us to all his aunts, uncles and cousins one at a time. The owner of the house, Salvadore, was incredibly gracious, and was eager to show off his incredible collection of gramophones, phonographs, and other ancient sound producing machines. He must have had millions invested in the collection, I've never seen anything like it.
Dinner was served at midnight, a Mexican tradition on Christmas, and the fare was delicious. A shrimp and vegetable soup to begin, followed by courses of salad, ham, turkey, fettucini (a little out of place, but still good), and then a dish called bacalao from Spain made from cod, shrimp, vegetables and spices that utterly melts in your mouth. After gorging ourselves because we waited until midnight to eat, the dessert trays arrived. Plates of candied fruit, baklava, flan, chocolate mousse, cookies, cake, halva, and chocolates were paraded in front of me, my teeth began to ache immediately. The party really got into full gear after dessert, when all the gifts under the tree were set out on the table, and then passed around until everyone had one. Then, a pair of dice were brought out, and everyone got a chance to roll them. If you rolled an even number, you were allowed to trade your gift with anyone in the room. It became a mad-house as everyone wanted to exchange, nobody kept the gift they started with but I ended up getting mine back in the very last trade. The gifts were all very small things, they were actually called "joke gifts" because the emphasis was not on the gift itself but instead on the act of being selfless and giving up something that you receive.
We hung out and talked for a bit, but since our plan is to head south towards Oaxaca today, and it was already 3 am, we decided to head back and turn in. So here I sit, waiting on the final word about the car and for James to pack so we can hit the road. Christmas in Mexico is quite an experience. The Catholic tradition makes Christmas a more sacred affair. The focus is on being with family, on attending mass, and on sharing a feast. It was humbling to have been accepted with such open arms by the family, and it was a Christmas that I'll probably never forget.
Feliz Navidad.
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