christmas in ecuador

Nine days before Christmas, we do something called Novena. So we do prayers and we read something about Jesus, like something that helps people to prepare for receiving Jesus coming into our hearts. I really like it. It’s one of my favorites to do. So we get together with many people. And after we’re done, we do hot chocolate. We also have the four candles, and each week, on Sunday, we light one.

On the day of Christmas Eve, we have to eat a little something, just a little bit around our normal dinner time, then we go to mass around 9:30. We eat dinner afterward, around 11 pm, with our friends and family.

Here in Ecuador, we focus a lot about what is the meaning of Christmas, that is Jesus is going to be born. And so we put up the nativity scene. But we don’t put Jesus in there. We put Jesus in there at midnight on Christmas Eve. Someone carries Jesus at midnight to the nativity and everyone else is singing Christmas songs. Afterward, some people will line up to kiss Jesus.

Also, at midnight, we tell each other Merry Christmas and that’s when we exchange the presents for Amigo Secreto… you call it Secret Santa here.

Christmas Day is more calm… we have mass in the morning and lunch with our family. Some people will dance but for Catholics, the day is just more calm. We might give some gifts on that day too, but not the Amigo Secreto ones. At the foundation, Hogar de Belen, the bishop from Portoviejo will come and have mass with us, and he always brings presents.

Here in America, I still go to mass. I still remember my first Christmas here. I was… *laughs*, It was kinda weird for me too. We ate dinner like super early. And it was kinda different too cause my mother, from my mom’s side, they are Swedish. So the food was different. I remember that night I stayed up super late and texted all my friends ‘Merry Christmas’ and one of my friends from here asked me, “Why are you sending Merry Christmas so late?”

This year has been so hard for everyone that we need to not focus just on the bad things but look for the good things that we have. Like during this time, during Christmas, we need to focus on the reason why we celebrate. We need to focus on Jesus. Find hope. Joy, too. And also though, many people will ask Jesus, ‘why did this happen to me’? But everything happens for a reason. We just need to focus on the good things, and pray, because always Jesus is going to give… how do you say it, rewards? It’s not always going to be something bad. There will always be more good things. The more you get closest to Jesus, the more you’re going to feel peaceful.