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December is a month that plays host to various types of holidays celebrated throughout cultural groups around the world. Several have been previously discussed on this blog, including but not limited to Mari Lwyd, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa, just to name a few. Today’s blog post is an extension of this theme of exploring December holiday traditions. The Latinx holiday of Nochebuena is the topic of this post, which will be explained further throughout this text.
Nochebuena is celebrated on December 24 throughout Spain, Latinx countries, and the Philippines. The Spanish term translates to “the Good Night”, and it is one that holds great importance among Latinx people. This is in part because it is one of two to three holidays wherein extended family members are expected to come together to celebrate. This holiday thereby helps Latinx people commemorate one of their core cultural values, which revolves the importance of the family unit.
Nochebuena caps off a series of diverse celebrations observed throughout Spain, Latinx countries, and the Philippines. The variations in festivities are due to their purpose and origins, which stem back to Spanish colonization of the region. Spaniards were keen on converting Indigenous populations to Catholicism, and to support and achieve this goal the Spanish missionaries opted to merge various Indigenous holidays with the Catholic traditions. This created and fostered a near month long series of events that encouraged and, in many ways, forced non-Catholics to convert.
Nochebuena is commemorated in ways that meet the specific cultural values of the people celebrating it, but there remain core themes that are consistently observed. These include a great feast wherein pork is a central dish, gift exchanges, dancing, singing Christmas carols called Villancicos, and sometimes an older family member donning a Santa Claus costume. The night’s events are often capped off by attending a late-night Catholic mass known as La Misa del Gallo (Rooster’s Mass). Oftentimes the family continues their late-night revelries even after mass, followed by a fairly relaxed Christmas Day holiday wherein leftovers are eaten before families say their goodbyes until the next big family holiday.
Nochebuena remains an important holiday among Latinx communities. Many non-religious individuals celebrate these holidays because of how ingrained these traditions are within their cultures, and because it brings families and communities together. It exemplifies various cultural values of great importance to Latinx people.
Works Cited
Admin. The Origin of Nochebuena and Other Hispanic Holiday Festivities and Traditions. 18 December 2019. Electronic. 13 November 2022.
Earley, Brigitt. "Noche Buena Celebrations and Traditions Around the World." 24 November 2020. Oprah Daily. Electronic. 13 November 2022.
Mendoza, Jordan. "Nochebuena: Why many Hispanic, Latinx and Filipino families celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve." USA Today 23 December 2021. Electronic.
Rodriquez, Jeremiah. "Why 'Nochebuena' is a bigger deal than Christmas for Latinos." CTV 24 December 2019. Electronic.
6 comments:
December is the month a lot of different cultures group come to celebrate. Nochebuena is one of the holidays. It's celebrated on December 24, by Spain and Latinx countries. They celebrate by dancing, singing Christmas songs, and have a big feast.
By Kerriauna Johnson
Nochebuena sounds like an incredibly meaningful holiday that helps to bring families together and celebrate their shared cultural values. It's interesting to see how the holiday has evolved over time and been influenced by the various cultural and historical factors that have shaped it. It's fascinating to see how different cultures have developed their own unique ways of celebrating and coming together to honor their traditions and beliefs.
-alondia Gray
What stuck out to me the most was other cultures celebrating Nochebuena. Specified as a way to be involved in the “festivities” even outside of the religion. It’s warming to see others, even unlinked to a specific faith or culture, celebrate. Singing, dancing, even having pork as a traditional feast is electrifyingly euphoric. - Kennedi W.
This blog post offers a captivating exploration of the Latinx holiday Nochebuena, shedding light on its cultural significance and historical roots. I also love how Nochebuena brings together extended family members to celebrate underscores the importance of family unity in Latinx culture.
-Ahmesha Johnson
Never really heard of a holiday called Nochebuena I like that there holidays like this that brings families and friends together .
Reading about the Nochebuena tradition gave me a deeper understanding of Latino culture and values, and I was impressed by the fact that Nochebuena reflects the cultural value of family bonding. It brings to mind the warm scene of families gathering together on Christmas Eve to enjoy a feast together in Spain, Latin American countries, and the Philippines.
I also find it interesting that this holiday is associated with Catholic missionary work during the Spanish colonial period. The historical background of the blending of diverse traditions to form the way Nochebuena is celebrated today seems to symbolize the multi-layered aspects of Latin culture.
I felt that holidays like Nochebuena, which serve to connect families and communities regardless of religion, are similar to family events like New Year's in Japan.
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