Navidad sings carols of no-holds-barred celebration for Latinos. The season of snow, love, wonderment, and family togetherness promises a number of opportunities for Latino families to interact, reconnect and spend time over full plates of roasted pig, tamales, arroz con grandules and tostones. From nation to nation, the celebration is different, but some things remain the same: different items tend to cook on the stove, and different songs are generally sung in rejoice, but the generosity, the spirit, the nourishment and the respect for ritual remain the same. La Parranda, Misa De Gallo, Las Posadas, and Carta al Nino Dios are just four examples of how nations of Latinos celebrate during the holiday season.
Nochebuena (“the Good Night”), more frequently called Christmas Eve, is a night of celebration within Latino households. While most Americans sit in anticipation of Christmas day, Latino celebrate early, gathering family and friends for a big dinner; an evening that also has plenty of music and gifts.
Misa de Gallo (Midnight Mass) occurs on the eve of Christmas to commemorate the birth of Jesus, which took place at midnight. Many mass-goers attend service with a baby Jesus figurine so that it can be blessed before placing it back in their nativity.
World AIDS Day recently celebrated its 25th anniversary on December 1 which helped the entire world reflect on the milestones made in heightening the awareness level of every person and community about the HIV epidemic around the globe.
