Holidays in Paraguay!

At the beginning of December, I felt like everywhere I looked I saw red and green, red and green, red and green. Christmas was coming. In December in the United States, you also see red and green everywhere you look whether it's on houses, trees, or wrapping paper. Here in Paraguay, the red and green you see everywhere is sandia! Watermelon! Since the seasons are reversed, Christmas in Paraguay is celebrated in the summer. It's very hot, and people spend most afternoons sitting in front of their houses eating watermelon. We tend to cut watermelon into slices, but Paraguayans slice it down the middle, put the half in their laps, and scoop out the fruit with a spoon. I have to admit it's delicious with a spoon! Next summer, you should try it.
Most Paraguayans are Christian so pretty much the entire country celebrates Christmas. I have always celebrated Christmas too, and I was a little nervous about spending my first Christmas away from home. I was afraid I would miss my family and our traditions, but at the same time, I was excited to see Paraguay's traditions.
For the entire month of December, there was a buzz in the air. A lot of people here put Christmas lights on their houses too, and some buy little artificial trees to put in their living rooms. One of the big differences about Christmas in Paraguay is that it is celebrated more on Christmas Eve. On December 24th, family and friends gather in their homes and have a big Christmas dinner of the typical Paraguayan dinner, asado, which is what we would call a cook out where they grill steaks, chicken, or pork. After dinner, everyone sits around together waiting until the clock ticks to midnight, and it is officially Navidad. At midnight, people shoot off fireworks, drink champagne, and hug and kiss each other. It reminds me of our New Year's traditions.
On Christmas Day, families spend the day together at home and continue to eat the asado from the night before. Most families don't have the tradition of Santa Claus nor of giving gifts, but since that is my favorite Christmas tradition, I bought gifts for the family with whom I spent Christmas. They were excited to receive their first Christmas presents, and it was a special moment for me too.
After Christmas, everything went back to normal for a short week and then came New Year's Eve, Año Nuevo. New Year's is celebrated in the exact same way as Christmas with asado, the countdown to midnight, fireworks and champagne. It was humbling for me to realize what an incredible year 2010 was for me, and I'm looking forward to see what 2011 holds.