The holidays in Paraguay are not really too
much to brag about. Well the holiday… There is only really Christmas here, and
considering there is no thanksgiving or Halloween the barrier for the decoration
time does not exist. Here they are copy cats of most all American culture. They
have the decorated plastic pine trees, for the record there are no pine trees in
Paraguay. They could adapt the Christmas spirit to decorating palm trees, but
that would just be too original. Also, these Paraguayans have the fully decked
out Santa in EVERY store with coat in all, which is insane because he would
have a massive heat stroke if he even stepped foot in this country.
Gift wise they do not do too
much either. It is only the parents that give gifts to the kids and it is not
the big deal that it is in America. Last night my host mom took me and my
sisters Christmas shopping. My sisters both got $100 pair of shorts, complete
madness they tried to get me to pick a pair out for my host mom to buy for me
but I refused considering paying $100 for a pair of shorts is madness. Then
they will open the shorts they picked out on Christmas, it sucks that they miss
the surprise of it all. Also, with the $100 pairs of shorts they could have gotten
many different gifts, I simply do not understand, but no one asked me.
Today my sister Saida put up a
small plastic Christmas tree about 4 feet tall with some globe ornaments then
stuck the one bag with shorts under it. The decorations and Christmas feeling
is quite a lack in this house hold. The whole Christmas feeling down here is
none existent. Without the cold weather, extreme lines in stores, and family
surrounding me just feels like July. Let’s be honest it was 120F today as I walked
to the post office I had sweat running down my back , like every other day,
saying feliz navidad is not politically correct in this heat. Also, the people
are not very Christmas spirty here. It is just a day to eat with the family and
some people exchange some gifts, though I understand and enjoy the whole none
commerciality of Christmas it is disappointing that there will not be the
abundance of gifts that there is in U.S.A.
For Christmas I will be buying
my family a few movies, popcorn machine and print and frame a picture of them,
at least that is the goal. This is because movie night is not a popular thing
here and it is introducing a new thing to them. And a photo because having
framed pictures here is not very common and though I do not have any fabulous
photographs of my family I have one that shall do the purpose! But, I am still
excited for the holidays! I am going the throw a post Christmas party at my
house with the AFS exchange students in my area with a white elephant gift
exchange, in order to make sure everyone gets at least one gift for Christmas; also something to make it feel a little more
like home, which we all need a dose of.
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