Christmas Day: 95 degrees and humid
With the weather boiling hot, I celebrated my first Christmas away from Washington in the traditional Paraguayan style. I spent my Christmas with the family of one of my community contacts that lives directly across the street from me. After lunch on Christmas Eve we began preparing all the food for the big traditional dinner that happens later that night. The traditional food is asado (bbq beef ribs), chorizo (pork sausage), sopa Paraguay (traditional corn bread), mandioca (the center of the Paraguayan diet, it is a root like a potato, all they do is skin it and then boil it), ensalada de poroto (red bean salad), ensalada de arroz (white rice and vegetable salad), and clerico (fruit and wine drink). I cut up most of the fruit for the clerico and helped with the salads. After a few hours of sitting around with the family taking about what traditions we have in the United States with Christmas, everyone returned to their houses to get ready for the evening (shower and put on your nicest outfit).
All the family gathered back around 8 or 8:30pm to go to the church for the evening mass and the baptism of Maria Paz, the 6 month old baby of my contact, at 9:30pm. Unfortunately it started to down pour a little before 9pm. We all huddled inside the house hoping the rain would stop for us to make the walk to church and for the rest of the evening so we could eat outside which is traditional. Luckily the rain did stop and we were able to walk to the church right on time. Not many people were at the church, since most of the city leaves for the holidays to visit family out in the country, but it was nice to go to church on Christmas Eve like my family always does in the states. Maria Paz was baptized during the service and she didn’t even cry. After church we all returned to the house and began setting up the table for dinner.
There were 20 of us that shared Christmas Eve dinner together. As we ate stories were told and lots of Guarani was spoken. I couldn’t understand most of it. But then when midnight came, the evening air filled with the sound of fireworks and everyone got up for the table and shared congratulations with each others. Saying “felicidades” and kissing each other on the cheeks. It had the feeling of New Years, but the congratulations were said in regards to the birth of Jesus, very Catholic country. We then returned to our food and drinks.
As everyone started ending their meals I was pressured into bringing over my guitar for some entertainment. Luckily I was able to pass off the guitar after singing only one song. Paraguayans love music. The rest of the night was spent singing and playing traditional Paraguayan songs between a few of the family members who know how to play guitar. I returned to my house around 2:30am and quickly went to sleep.
So what do Paraguayans do on Christmas day?
The answer: all whole bunch of nothing. Christmas day definitely the hardest day away from home I have had here in Paraguay. The same is true for the rest of my EE volunteer friends. With all the activity during the night before, and nothing to do on Christmas day, all of us got bitten by the homesick bug. Lots of phone calls were made between us volunteers to try to help pass the hours. I didn’t think that I would get as homesick as I did, but I definitely missed the comfort of home the whole day. Luckily I received a few packages and letters before I came down to Ayolas in Asuncion, and I passed a few hours responding. Also in a care package I got the new Wolverine movie that I saved to watch until Christmas morning. It definitely made my morning. Thanks Scott!
A Christmas Miracle
One absolutely amzing event that took place on Christmas day here was the birth of my future puppy! My volunteer neighbor Brenda in Guarambare had a small dog named Blanqi that got pregnant during training. We both fell in love with her and decided that we want to each adopt one of her babies after we got settled into site. Before we left she was getting really fat and they said she was going to give birth in the next few weeks. And it just so happened that she gave birth on Christmas day to 6 puppies. I hope to visit the family in January to pick out my dog and then take home the puppy at the end of February. I can´t wait! I always wanted a dog and now I will have one in Paraguay that I can teach tricks to in Spanish and Guarani.
So all in all I did have a great time spending my first Christmas in Paraguay; however it was challenging to spend the time away from all of you reading this blog right now. I hope that you all had an amazing Christmas with family and friends, and I would love to hear about it in a letter (wink, wink). I am keeping the same mailing address for right now, so just sit down this holiday season and tell me about all the delicious foods you are eating and what you have been doing these past three months. Miss you all!
Things I missed this Christmas-
Christmas carols
The 7pm Christmas Eve Service at my church
Baking Christmas cookies with my mom
Making gingerbread houses with Cara and Megan
Eggnog
The smell of a pine tree in the house
Christmas lights on houses
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