Early on December 24th—and sometimes even before—preparations began for Christmas Eve dinner, whose primary objective was to gather the family.
HAVANA.- We are on the eve of a traditional holiday of Catholic origin: Christmascelebrated by believers and non-believers, along with the arrival of the New Year. These dates bring to mind many memories of the way in which we Cubans, with sincere joy, celebrated both occasions.
Early on December 24th—and sometimes even before—preparations began for Christmas Eve dinner, whose primary objective was to gather the family. In each house, cooking was done according to the financial resources available, but even the most humble families celebrated. With a true spirit of solidarity and love for others, those who had more helped those most in need with something.
The basic dinner included roast suckling pig, black bean rice congrí, cassava with mojo, lettuce salad, some fried food and nougat or some homemade dessert. Wine, beer, soft drinks and other jams were drunk, according to each person’s tastes. The main celebration took place at 12 at night, although many celebrated the celebration earlier.
Something that was never missing in homes during Christmas Eve was music and dancing. The fun was general.
In most houses, the Christmas tree, decorated with balls and colored light bulbs, was placed in the living room or other space, along with the birth of the Baby Jesus, the Three Wise Men and other allegorical objects. It is curious that, since Cuba is a tropical country, the birth was symbolically represented in a snowy environment. Equally striking was the presence everywhere of Santa Claus, the bearded old man dressed in red and white, a character popularized by artist Haddon Sundblom for Coca-Cola advertising.
During those days, shops, markets and warehouses were packed with groceries and gift items. Decorations and colored lights in the form of garlands were placed in each establishment to create a festive atmosphere. Shops remained open almost until midnight, making it easier for customers to purchase whatever they had forgotten.
The most devout people attended the Midnight masscelebrated at 12 at night, although the temples remained open throughout the day and religious services were held at different times.
In a very similar way, the arrival of the new year, on December 31, was also expected. At the stroke of midnight, people hugged, kissed and wished each other health, love and prosperity. At that time, fireworks exploded, cannon shots sounded from La Cabaña or other military fortresses, and the ships anchored in the port sounded their sirens.
The 12 o’clock toast was made with cider (champagne), accompanied by the traditional 12 grapes, apples, pears, dates, hazelnuts, walnuts, nougat and other sweets, many of them imported from Spain and the United States.
A deep-rooted custom in many homes was to throw a bucket of water onto the street or patio “to wash away the bad,” to welcome the new year and wish it to be better in every way.
These days I have walked the streets and avenues of Havana where there used to be those shops full of provisions, food and gifts for Christmas and New Year, and the image is devastating: it seems as if a bulldozer had passed by. The few establishments that are still open are empty, and of everything that could previously be purchased, only two or three products remain, expensive and in dollars, inaccessible to the majority.
Today, the only places where you can still see some Christmas decorations are the MSMEs and a few houses that have preserved, for years, the decorative objects typical of the date.
Without hope or joy, we Cubans do not expect anything good from Christmas or from next year, which everything indicates will be even worse than the one that is ending. If we aspired—following the old tradition—to remove all the negative, we would have to throw a 55-gallon tank of water in each house—if there is water—and pray to the Lord to free us from all the bad things that surround us today.
