Christmas in South America

How South America celebrates Christmas

Most of South America is Roman Catholic by tradition, so the season follows the church calendar. Decorations traditionally go up on 8 December, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Every home and church sets up a nativity scene, called a pesebre, nacimiento or presépio in Brazil, often filling a corner of the room with moss, hills, rivers and dozens of figures. The baby Jesus is placed in the manger only on Christmas Eve.

From 16 to 24 December, many families and parishes pray the novena, nine evenings of prayers and carols (villancicos). The great night is 24 December: a festive dinner is served late, and the Misa de Gallo ("Rooster's Mass") is held around midnight. At the stroke of twelve families make a toast with cider or sparkling wine, embrace, open presents, and the sky fills with fireworks. Christmas Day itself is quiet, often a day of leftovers, siestas and visits.

The season continues with 28 December, the Day of the Holy Innocents, a day for practical jokes much like April Fools' Day, and New Year's Eve, when Ecuador and Colombia burn life-size Año Viejo effigies to say goodbye to the old year. It ends on 6 January, Three Kings' Day, when in several countries shoes are left out with grass and water for the Kings' camels.

Christmas in South America, country by country

Argentina

Argentines put up the arbolito on 8 December and celebrate Nochebuena in the full heat of summer, often outdoors with an asado or a cold supper of vitel toné (veal in tuna sauce), salads and stuffed tomatoes, followed by pan dulce, turrón and sugared nuts. At midnight comes the brindis (toast) with cider or sparkling wine, presents from Papá Noel and fireworks across every city. The Three Kings still bring gifts on 6 January in many homes. Read the full guide to Christmas in Argentina.

Bolivia

In Bolivia, families attend the Misa de Gallo and then share picana, a hearty Christmas soup of several meats, corn and potatoes cooked with wine, together with buñuelos and hot chocolate. Nativity scenes in highland homes and churches mix Catholic and Andean imagery, with llamas and local figures among the shepherds.

Brazil

Brazil celebrates with the ceia de Natal, a late Christmas Eve dinner of roast turkey, pork or ham, farofa, rice and fruit, followed by rabanada (a sweet fried bread) and panettone. Papai Noel brings presents, offices and families play amigo secreto (secret friend gift swaps), and many attend Missa do Galo. In the south, the mountain town of Gramado has held Natal Luz since 1986; Guinness World Records has recognised it as the world's longest Christmas festival. Groups of Folia de Reis musicians travel from house to house between Christmas and 6 January. Read the full guide to Christmas in Brazil.

Chile

In Chile, presents come from the Viejito Pascuero ("Old Man Christmas"). The Christmas table features pan de pascua, a spiced fruit cake, and cola de mono ("monkey's tail"), a chilled drink of milk, coffee, spices and aguardiente. Families gather on Christmas Eve, many attend midnight Mass, and the summer holidays begin soon after. Read the full guide to Christmas in Chile.

Colombia

Colombia's season opens on the night of 7 December with the Día de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles), when families place candles and paper lanterns on doorsteps, balconies and pavements to honour the Immaculate Conception. Medellín's Alumbrados, millions of lights along the river and in the city's parks, are among the most famous Christmas displays in Latin America. From 16 to 24 December families pray the Novena de Aguinaldos, singing carols and eating natilla (a set corn pudding) and buñuelos (cheese fritters). On Christmas Eve, gifts are brought by the Niño Dios, the Infant Jesus.

Ecuador

Ecuador's best-known Christmas event is the Pase del Niño Viajero in Cuenca on 24 December, one of the largest religious processions in Latin America, drawing around 100,000 people. A nearly 200-year-old image of the Infant Jesus, the "Niño Viajero" or Travelling Infant, is carried through the historic centre, followed by dancers, bands, participants dressed as shepherds and angels, and decorated cars and horses laden with food. It was declared part of Ecuador's intangible cultural heritage in 2008. On 31 December, Ecuadorians burn Año Viejo effigies to see off the old year.

Guyana

English-speaking Guyana celebrates Christmas in Caribbean style. Homes are cleaned and repainted, new curtains go up, and the Christmas table features pepperpot, a slow-cooked meat stew flavoured with cassareep, garlic pork of Portuguese origin, and rum-soaked black cake, washed down with sorrel or ginger beer.

Paraguay

Paraguayan nativity scenes, the pesebre, are decorated with fruit and with the strongly scented flor de coco, the flower of a native palm, whose perfume many Paraguayans associate with Christmas. Christmas Eve dinner often includes sopa paraguaya (a savoury cornbread) and chipa guasu, with fireworks at midnight.

Peru

Peruvians drink hot chocolate with panetón at Christmas even in the summer heat, and communities and employers hold chocolatadas, free hot-chocolate gatherings. Christmas Eve dinner is usually roast turkey, eaten after midnight following a toast. In Cusco, the Santurantikuy market fills the Plaza de Armas on 24 December with artisans selling nativity figures and images of the Niño Manuelito, the Andean Infant Jesus.

Suriname

Dutch-speaking Suriname is one of South America's most religiously diverse countries, with Christian, Hindu and Muslim communities. Christmas on 25 and 26 December is a public holiday marked with church services, family meals and lights, alongside the festivals of the other faiths.

Uruguay

Uruguay is South America's most secular country. A law of 23 October 1919 renamed Christmas Día de la Familia (Family Day), and also turned 6 January into Día de los Niños and 8 December into Beach Day. 25 December is still a national holiday, and many Uruguayans celebrate with a family asado, presents, Christmas trees and fireworks at midnight, but the official framing is family rather than faith. According to the Pew Research Center (2014), 37% of Uruguayans have no religious affiliation, the highest share in Latin America.

Venezuela

From 16 to 24 December, Venezuelans attend the dawn Misas de Aguinaldo; in Caracas, some people famously roller-skate to these early Masses. The season's music is gaita, from the state of Zulia, and the essential Christmas dish is the hallaca, corn dough filled with a meat stew and wrapped in plantain leaves, made by whole families together. It is served with pan de jamón (ham bread), chicken salad and dulce de lechosa (candied papaya). Gifts come from the Niño Jesús. Read the full guide to Christmas in Venezuela.

Traditional South American Christmas food

South American Christmas season dates 2026

South America or Latin America?

South America is the continent of twelve countries described on this page, plus French Guiana, an overseas region of France. Latin America is wider: it also includes Mexico, Central America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, which share many of the same Christmas customs, such as nativity scenes, posadas and Three Kings' Day. For those countries, see Christmas in Mexico, Christmas in Cuba and Christmas in Nicaragua.

Christmas in South America: frequently asked questions

Christmas in nearby countries