Best Present this year...
Sun- That is right. The sun arrives in mid-december, so sun at Christmas is Amazing, especially after close to 8 months without it.
Imported traditions- Things they don't do in Peru...
Christmas cookies!!
Big Christmas Morning Breakfrast! (John likes to cook on Christmas)
Big Christmas Day Mexican Meal! (Wait? - that is our tradition, Mexican food is hard to come by here, so we made it our tradition last year)
Christmas presents on Christmas morning...
Christmas Nutcracker- They went on the night of the 26th, but it still felt like Christmas. They loved it. The ladies went with some US friends of ours who live close. Eliana could not stop talking through the entire show, asking questions and pointing things out. She woke up this morning talking of her dream of returning to see it again and has already visited the Nutcraker multiple times for pretend this morning.
We also did the Advent candle each week at the house. Eliana learned new songs she had never known, like away in the manger. We have found this is left out of the majority of Evangelical churches here, we don't know exactly why.
Peruvian Traditions we participated in...
At 10pm on Christmas eve we woke are children, got in a Taxi and went to our Peruvian Friends House. There they performed some songs, we exchanged gifts, and ate dinner. With every gift exchanged the cheering and chanting of OPEN IT! OPEN IT! and then if it was an item to wear we chanted PUT IT ON! PUT IT ON!.
They cooked a Turkey just for us, at the local Bread store, because their oven was not big enough.
Then at midnight we went outside and set off fireworks with the rest of the city. AMAZING! Just like 4th of July when we were young kids, but better!
After eating Panatone (a form of fruitcake) and hot chocolate we packed up and went home... 2 am bed time made for a Christmas morning of 830!!! Our kids slept!
Our Christmas morning highlight was the Trampoline. That is right, Grandparents and some friends from the US contributed to a Trampoline for the kids! They love it!!!
And this our Christmas in Peru. We are thankful for technology, because we were able to speak with and SEE our families on Christmas and though it is no substitution for being with them, we are able to share love with each other on this speacial day.
