Las Fiestas del Invierno

1. Las Fiestas del Invierno

3. Año Nuevo Islámico El 15 de noviembre

4. Diego Rivera el 8 de diciembre

5. La Janucá El 8 de diciembre

6. Las Posadas el 16 de diciembre

7. El Invierno El 21 de diciembre

8. La Nochebuena El 24 de diciembre

9. La Navidad El 25 de diciembre

10. Kwanza el 26 de diciembre

11. El Día de los Inocentes El 28 de diciembre

12. La Nochevieja el 31 de diciembre

13. Enero Enero, enero, con enero empieza el año. Enero, enero, en el invierno hace frío. Enero, enero, con enero empieza el año. ¡Olé!

14. El Año Nuevo el 1 de enero

15. Los 3 Reyes el 6 de enero

16. El Año Nuevo Chino el 10 de febrero

17. ¿Cuál es la fecha?

19. Colorín, Colorado ¡Este año se ha acabado! Adiós 2012, Hola 2013

20. In Peru there is the lovely tradition of the Chocolatada: There is also the tradition of eating Paneton and chocolate caliente on Dec. 24th. Pavo (turkey) is always eaten on Christmas day, along with arroz arabe and applesauce. We have turkey for Thanksgiving AND turkey for Christmas!!  Most people have a large creche in their home as well as a Christmas tree (at least in the cities). There are fireworks on Christmas Eve and Christmas day and many Peruvians spend some portion of Christmas vacation on the beach. The majority of the population of Peru lives on the coast. Many coastal children would get presents for Christmas related to the beach -swimsuits, goggles, etc. Christmas in Peru is a very religious holiday. Santa is a new addition. el Perú

21. el PerúLa Chocolatada8 diciembre What is a Chocolotada event? Simply, children descend from all corners of local communities, to drink hot chocolate and eat pan - bread (or normal bread rolls). Often there are games and dancing, then follows the giving of gifts and toys.

22. VIRGEN DE GUADALUPE In 1531 a "Lady from Heaven" appeared to a poor Indian at Tepeyac, a hill northwest of Mexico City; she identified herself as the Mother of the True God, instructed him to have the bishop build a temple on the site and left an image of herself imprinted miraculously on his tilma, a poor quality cactus-cloth, which should have deteriorated in 20 years but shows no sign of decay 469 years later and still defies all scientific explanations of its origin. Her message of love and compassion, and her universal promise of help and protection to all mankind, have been a very important part of all Mexican’s lives. She is the patron of all Catholics in México who worship her truly. The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12th with a mass celebrated with a Mariachi band. México12 diciembre

23. Nochebuena 24 diciembre Noche Buena is the culmination of the Holiday festivities with the celebration of a midnight mass (Misa de Gallo). Afterwards, families head home for a traditional Christmas supper, which may feature regional dishes. Depending on the economic status of the family, the feast might include bacalao a la vizcaína (Biscayan cod) and romeritos (wild greens in mole sauce). Roast turkey, ham or suckling pig are other popular menu items. The evening is rounded out with the opening of gifts and for the children, piñatas and luces de Belén (sparklers). These happy family gatherings generally last until dusk and for this reason December 25th is set aside as a day to rest and enjoy leftovers. The beginning of the Christmas festivities is marked with Las Posadas, nine consecutive days of candlelight processions and lively parties starting December 16th. Families gather to re-enact the holy family’s quest for lodging in Bethlehem. The procession is headed by a small plaster Virgin Mary and San José. They are followed by other children portraying angels, the Three kings and pastores (shepherds). The breaking of a piñata is a rigorous part of this celebration. Las Posadas16-24 diciembre

24. Christmas is a deeply religious holiday in Spain. The country's patron saint is the Virgin Mary and the Christmas season officially begins December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It is celebrated each year in front of the great Gothic cathedral in Seville with a ceremony called los Seises or the "dance of six." Oddly, the elaborate ritual dance is now performed by not six but ten elaborately costumed boys. It is a series of precise movements and gestures and is said to be quite moving and beautiful. España Christmas Eve is known as Nochebuena or "the Good Night." It is a time for family members to gather together to rejoice and feast around the Nativity scenes that are present in nearly every home. A traditional Christmas treat is turrón, a kind of almond candy. December 28 is the feast of the Holy Innocents - los Inocentes. Young boys of a town or village light bonfires and one of them acts as the mayor who orders townspeople to perform civic chores such as sweeping the streets. Currently this day is for playing tricks on friends and family, tricks and jokes that also the Media get involved with by broadcasting absurd facts and news which go down well with the population. Similar to our April Fool’s Day. The Spanish Christmas is Navidad, people go to church, exchange presents, and many play on swing sets set up especially for the occasion. Swinging at solstice time evokes an ancient desire to encourage the sun, urging it to "swing" ever higher in the sky.

25. Nochevieja31 diciembre España Spain is a fantastic place to celebrate New Year´s Eve, with its bustling cities like Madrid and Barcelona offering exciting fiestas and celebrations for “Nochevieja” (”old night”). “Las Uvas” The most popular New Year´s Eve tradition is “las doce uvas de la buena suerte“ (the 12 grapes of good luck). At 12 seconds to midnight the countdown begins and each time the bell rings in a new second, millions of Spaniards (sitting at home, at parties and in the streets watching the celebrations) have to eat a grape, for a total of twelve grapes. This tradition is supposed to bring good luck. At the stroke of midnight the cork on the Cava bottle is popped, and people tell each other “Feliz Año Nuevo” and kiss each other on both cheeks.

26. España: The children of Spain receive gifts on the feast of the Epiphany. The Magi are particularly revered in Spain. It is believed that they travel through the countryside reenacting their journey to Bethlehem every year at this time. Children leave their shoes on the windowsills and fill them with straw, carrots, and barley or the horses of the Wise Men. Their favorite is Balthazar who rides a donkey and is the one believed to leave the gifts. México: January 6th is Three Kings Day in Mexico, known as the Día de Reyes. This is Epiphany on the church calendar, the 12th day after Christmas, when the Magi arrived bearing gifts for baby Jesus. In Mexico children receive gifts on this day, brought by the three kings, los Reyes Magos, Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar. Some children receive gifts from both Santa Claus and the Kings, but Santa is seen as an imported custom, and the traditional day for Mexican children to receive gifts is January 6. Día de los 3 Reyes 6 enero

27. Arrival of the 3 Kings: In the days preceding Kings Day children write letters to the Magi requesting a toy or gift that they would like. On the night of January 5th, the figures of the Wise Men are placed in the nativity scene. Traditionally children would leave out their shoes with a bit of hay in them to feed the animals of the Magi (they are often shown with a camel). When the children would wake up in the morning their gifts appeared in place of the hay. Nowadays, like Santa Claus, the Kings tend to place their gifts under the Christmas tree. Rosca de Reyes: On Kings Day it is customary to eat Rosca de Reyes, a sweet bread shaped like a wreath, with candied fruit on top, and a figurine of a baby Jesus baked inside. The person who finds the figurine is expected to host a party on Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), celebrated on February 2nd, when tamales are served. 6 enero

28. EspañaEl Gordo – La Lotería The Spanish Christmas Lottery one of the most famous lotteries in the world, known as the Christmas drawing (Sorteo de Navidad) or simply the Christmas Lottery (Lotería de Navidad). The Spanish lottery is also the biggest lottery in the world, based on total prize payout. The Spanish Christmas Lottery was first organized in 1812 by a Public Administration branch now called Loterías y Apuestas del Estado (Lottery and bets of the State). The first category payout is known by its Spanish name: El Gordo, meaning “the fat one” or “the big one”.

32. Colorín, Colorado ¡Este año se ha acabado! Adiós 2012, Hola 2013