Exploding Navidad

It’s the 9th January and I am back to school. Christmas and New Year are faint memories in the recent past. Yet the lack of snow or general coldness made the events seem dreamlike and unreal. I could almost believe they didn’t happen. Only almost though. The relics of the Christmas adornments still cling desperately to the walls of houses and the huge Santa hat still sits on Multiplaza, one of the shopping malls reminding me that it is time to return to the joy of nine to five, or seven to three as it is for me.

Christmas in Latin America is certainly a different affair to the traditional English occasion. Firstly, it starts earlier. I didn’t think it was possible for Christmas to start earlier than it did in the UK apart from, of course, in the USA Yet, as El Salvador is the USA’s biggest fan, they follow the rule that decorations in Mid October are not immorally wrong but aesthically pleasing. They certainly follow the adage that more is better. Most trees appear to be bending over from the weight of the lights they now carry. If you could electrocute a tree, they would be ashes by now.

Since October we have been subjected to Christmas overload. Counts jobs have been created due to the Christmas season. Yet, unlike England, these are not extra sales jobs to cover the shopping rush. No, these are jobs where the applicants have one sole purpose, to stand and guard the bright, sparkly yet unbelievably overpowering decorations. From theft. This is particularly true on roundabouts which have lost their traffic purpose in order to blind the passing drivers with their dazzling lights. The sight of an armed guard in the middle of roundabout with huge automatic rifle scowling at passerbys who dare to daze at the lights is certainly not uncommon. Are the guards needed? Of course. Christmas lights are big business here, the flashier the better.

Yet, even they are surpassed by the fascination with fireworks. Since October not a night went gone by without hearing the exploding bangers in the distance. It culminated in a massive display on Christmas Eve at midnight where it seemed if it obligatory for every house to take apart. This was shortly encored by New Year Eve who banged and shook the city for at least 30 minutes around midnight. The poor dog we were looking after climbed into our bookcase to take shelter from the noise.

For a religious country, El Salvador might seems far too preoccupied with Santa, lights, fireworks and plastic snowmen, which like the real ones do in fact melt by the hot hot sun than the true religious icons of the festive season. Yet, their saving grace are the nacimientos which fill the food court every shopping centre and the lounge, of nearly if not all houses. The big problem of the nacimientos is that Jesus is missing. Yes, the crib is empty. They sit from October to December in the malls with Mary, Joseph, The three wise men and the various animals that must have been in the manager which according to the El Salvadorians include Giraffes, Elephants and lions without Jesus. That is, until Midnight on Christmas Eve when families help Jesus “pop out” of Mary while they consume their Christmas feast and simultaneously set off the fireworks in attempt to create the effect of erupting volcano. .. or to encourage one of the volcanoes to erupt. I am not sure which one.

The only thing that seems more important than Christmas is the upcoming mayoral election which is slowly turning the country red, white and blue, the colours of ARENA, El Salvador’s USA backed, very conservative government. Every rock, post, pole, house and building will be painted red, white and blue long due the judgment day in March. In fact, most of them are already done. I wouldn’t be surprised if they start colouring in people when they run out of rocks and walls to paint. Rather than campaigning it is political graffiti in permanent paint. At least, it doesn’t waste paper.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your English Christmas experience, my mum’s picture of Sausages and stuffing certainly made me year for it even if it was to escape the fairy light town I still live in, the el Salvadorians have made no attempt to take the decorations down, for a while.