Una Navidad Hondureña

Christmas in Honduras isn’t much like Christmas in the US.  Well ok, families get together to eat and celebrate, but that’s about the only similarity I noticed.

Most big Christmas celebrations here happen on Christmas Eve.  Leading up to the big holiday I wasn’t asked what I was doing for Christmas but rather the 24^th.  It was most annoying having to tell multiple people, that no, I wasn’t going home for the holidays and explained that yes, the other two volunteers who live nearby were indeed in the States.  Oh well, 2012 I’ll be home for Christmas!

I left my site on the 23^rd because I wasn’t sure that the buses would run on the 24^th and people had told me it’s better to get there early.  Arriving to my first host family’s house is always exciting because we’re all super excited to see each other.  (They’re the only family I ever had a real bond with.)  Waking up the morning of the 24^th everyone gets down to work.  There’s the house to clean and all the typical Christmas dishes to be made: tamales, torejas and rompopo.

Rompopo is eggnog and torejas are very similar to French toast, so I won’t go into detail on the elaboration of those things.  However, Honduran tamales are much different (and better, in my opinion) than Mexican tamales that many may be familiar with.  The first step of the process begins with the mixing of the masa.  This is a mixture of a corn meal like substance, spices and seasonings and water.

The masa with water, pre-cooked.

The masa with seasonings and spices.  This would be the green masa.

The masa fully cooked and ready. 

As the masa is cooking the banana leaves, used to encase the tamales, are boiled so that they are malleable and clean.

Banana leaves boiling away - note the small stove which is wood burning.

Whilst the masa is cooking and the leaves are boiling, they prep the meat – in this case pork.  (They are sometimes made with other meat or chicken, but pork is special for Christmas.)

My host dad, Victor, cleaning and prepping the meat in the same pila where dishes and clothes are washed and also where teeth are brushed.

After the masa is cooked, it’s time to prepare the rice and potato mixture.

Rice and potatoes cooking next to the chicharrones (pig skin).

After thoroughly and meticulously wiping down each banana leaf (done by yours truly), it’s time to assemble the tamales.  First place a generous dollop each of the red masa on the cleaned banana leaf.  Followed by a spoonful of the rice and potato mixture.  Plop down a piece of the pork.  Sprinkle on a few raisins and finish it off with a dollop of the green masa. Voila, you now have a raw tamale!

My host mom, Merlin, showing off her yummy creations.

With the raw tamale you fold the banana leaf so that it’s well covered.  Then tie it up so it doesn’t come undone while cooking.  Throw them in a huge pot to boil.  To what extent I didn’t find out.  

All the pots boiling away on the stove top.

Once they are done cooking you can unwrap the banana leaf, add some hot shot if you so choose and enjoy!

Christmas tamale - ready to eat!

 

After all the food is prepped everyone has time to shower and get ready for the family to come over.  The big tradition here is to stay up ‘til midnight and run around hugging and kissing everyone as you wish them Merry Christmas a la New Year’s Eve.

Until the clock strikes 12:00 there is eating and, of course, dancing.  No Honduran party is complete without dancing!  Put on the reggaeton hits of 2010 and you’re ready.  Now, the music is not my favorite and I really miss having good conversation and playing games at parties, but you know when in Tegucigalpa…

To the littlest girls...

To the grown ladies...and the awkward gringa dancing solo.  Haha!

And that’s about it.  The point is to stay up as late as you can and just dance.  I think we made it to about 3:00AM. 

December 25 no one wakes up to presents.  There really aren’t presents here.  Everyone just buys what they need for themselves or their families and use it in the month of December.  I gotta say, the not gifting thing is kinda sad. 

So, that’s about it – my Honduran Christmas.  Surrounding myself with the people I love here helped take away the sting of not being able to spend the holiday at home with my own family.  It was also nice to call Christmas Day to the States and talk with everyone who was gathered for Christmas. 

I’m not sure what next Christmas will be like, but if I have to be here in Honduras again, it won’t be so bad.  At least, now I know the ropes!

Hasta la proxima vez…