Could you tell us something about Christmas in your country?
‘It is a special time of the year when we gather with our families. We have dinner with them and then we go to sleep early because kids are waiting for Santa Claus to arrive during the night. That’s why we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, so the next morning kids already have their presents under the Christmas tree.’
What is a unique Christmas tradition in your country?
‘We do something called Posadas. You gather with different groups of family and friends. These are celebrated just before Christmas, in a season starting around the beginning of December. Posadas must traditionally include praying, because Posada means shelter, and we try to recreate the moment when Mary and Joseph were asking for shelter while they were expecting Jesus to be born. Afterwards, we can have music, dinner, drinks, and sometimes a piñata.’
What do you expect from a Dutch Christmas?
‘I don’t think it is much about praying. It is an occasion to get together with your family and friends, so that’s similar to Mexico. But I’ve heard that Dutch people celebrate for 3 days or something, that they have celebrations with different people each day, but I don’t know if it’s a family party like in Mexico.’
How are you going to celebrate Christmas this year?
‘I’m going back to Mexico. I find it hard to celebrate it anywhere else because I truly believe that this is a really nice time to be with your family. I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m going to make dinner, even though my parents don’t know yet because it's a surprise.’
