Being on an Island, is in a way isolated, but Galapagos is still Ecuador, my country.
Xmas and New Years Eve are celebrated just like on the mainland.
Like all Ecuadorians, in Galapagos we have a Christmas tree, and lots of lights everywhere. Trees are artificial by the way, we still have our Nativity Set, then still the mayority of inhabitants are catholics and of course we also eat turkey. Everything is flown in from the mainland.
Like me, most of my friends came alone, like many others, our friends then turned into our families, and we try to get together bringing something to eat or drink ,and share .
When I arrived here, in 1988, we used to party a lot during Christmas but now a days, most of us have children, our life has changed, and we still get together, but we stay at home with our families and friends, and wait till midnight to open our presents, just like mainland Ecuador.. the 24th at midnight, we can not wait until next morning, impossible.
The purpose of this article though, is to find out how was Xmas before the 80´s, so I began to ask around and got several answers, having them of course a lot in common, as my colleagues and friend Vanessa Gallo told me.
"Xmas, was celebrated later". How is that?
Since almost everything came by ship, like toys and similar items, everything arrived after Christmas, so they did celebrated later. Some goodies came as donations brought by the Red Cross, but December 24th. families got together, with a delicious fish as the main course.
New Year is the time when we make effigies, it represents the year that is going to go, going to die. Usually the theme is a cartoon character , a political situation, a famous person, any event that has not passed unoticed, local or international.
Along with it a young man will be dressed up like a sexy widow, who cries and cries all along the street, because her husband is going to die, the effigy The Widow is asking at the same time for some money, this is going to be used to buy fire works or something to drink during the celebration.
Multiply this by all over the town, a lot of sexy widows some young, some middle aged, some have high hills with hair on their legs, and very muscular by the way.
The whole purpose is to say good bye to the almost finished year, he will be burned.
I love this part, this time of the celebration, I think is a great way to say good bye to the almost ending year and prepare ourselves for the next one.
To have good luck for next year, we have to eat 12 grapes, one for each month; wear yellow underwear for good luck; have money in your hands of course with the hope to improve any economical situation or to keep a good one and last but not least, we have to carry a suitcase around the block to make sure we are going to travel the next year.
Having the scenario all together sounds like chaos, a fun chaos, with lots of hope and dreams to come true.
HAPPY NEW YEAR...!!!!!!!
The purpose of this article though, is to find out how was Xmas before the 80´s, so I began to ask around and got several answers, having them of course a lot in common, as my colleagues and friend Vanessa Gallo told me.
"Xmas, was celebrated later". How is that?
Since almost everything came by ship, like toys and similar items, everything arrived after Christmas, so they did celebrated later. Some goodies came as donations brought by the Red Cross, but December 24th. families got together, with a delicious fish as the main course.
New Year is the time when we make effigies, it represents the year that is going to go, going to die. Usually the theme is a cartoon character , a political situation, a famous person, any event that has not passed unoticed, local or international.
Along with it a young man will be dressed up like a sexy widow, who cries and cries all along the street, because her husband is going to die, the effigy The Widow is asking at the same time for some money, this is going to be used to buy fire works or something to drink during the celebration.
Multiply this by all over the town, a lot of sexy widows some young, some middle aged, some have high hills with hair on their legs, and very muscular by the way.
The whole purpose is to say good bye to the almost finished year, he will be burned.
I love this part, this time of the celebration, I think is a great way to say good bye to the almost ending year and prepare ourselves for the next one.
To have good luck for next year, we have to eat 12 grapes, one for each month; wear yellow underwear for good luck; have money in your hands of course with the hope to improve any economical situation or to keep a good one and last but not least, we have to carry a suitcase around the block to make sure we are going to travel the next year.
Having the scenario all together sounds like chaos, a fun chaos, with lots of hope and dreams to come true.
HAPPY NEW YEAR...!!!!!!!
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