Merry Christmas and Happy New Years

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas even though it might be a little late. My Christmas this year was quite different than what I'm used to. First of all, Christmas is really weird when your sweating because it's so hot and not even a snowflake in sight. Second, no real Christmas trees are put in houses. only little plastic trees. Third of all, very few people actually decorate their houses. It usually just includes a tree if that, although some people do put lights on their houses which I thought was the most festive thing yet. Really the only thing that felt like Christmas to me was going to church and being with family and well the commercial side to Christmas as well. 

I guess I should explain more so you understand a little more about Christmas. I'm used to lots of decorations, a large tree, lights and snow for Christmas. My host mom doesn't like decorations because there is no where to put them and she has to clean them. So no decorations and well right now it's summer so no snow either and it doesn't even snow in São Paulo even in winter. I did how ever go to a family party and my host mom's family is huge so there were lots of people. Monday or Christmas Eve we left for Candido Mota which is a city close to Palmital. We arrived at my aunts house where she was already setting up tables and chairs and warming up some of the food. At 7:00pm we went to church for mass. You don't have to go to church but it can be a good bonding time with your family and it's a good way to understand the culture of Brazil. After mass we went back to my aunts house. People had already started arriving. It was only 10:00pm and we weren't going to eat until 12:00am. We sat down and there was beer and soda passed around and little toasted bread to dip into different types of sauces. Everyone was talking and catching up. Santa Clause or Papai Noel made a vist to the kids and he brought presents. The kids were so happy and surprised. It was great. At midnight, we all cheered and and hugged and said Merry Christmas or Feliz Natal. It took awhile because there were so many people to hug. Then everyone got in line to get food. there were various types of food. I don't think there is one type of food for Christmas but there was rice and beans of course. As well as a couple different types of meat and a tropical salad and couscous. There was also lasagna. We stayed up until 3:00am when everyone left to go home and sleep. The next morning after everyone slept in late we had breakfast and then got prepared for a BBQ with some of the family. BBQ's are great and delicious. I think I'm going to miss going to Brazilian BBQ's. Anyways, there was more salad and rice and beans and beer and soda and talking. It was a great time.

A week later, like usual, is New Year's Eve. I went and celebrated with my friend Bianca. First we went out to eat which was very busy. Almost everyone went out that day. My host family went to Candido Mota again while my host brother and sister and I went to Dub's for a New Years dance. I went with my friend Bianca like I said. I went and had dinner with her family but it took until 12:30am until we could eat. While we waited we were super close to where the city had a fireworks show set up. I was so close to the fireworks I could see all of them. A friend of Bianca brought other fire works that Bianca's dad blew off. It was this carboard tube and you hold it up towards the sky after you light it. these weren't tiny fireworks either. They were the big coloful fireworks that you usually see in shows too. It was kind of scary and one time a piece of wick blew off and landed on Bianca's sister's shirt and burned a hole in it as well as burning her hair as well. There was also hugging and happy new year wishes and champagne. She was mad. After we ate, Bianca, her boyfriend, a couple other friends, and I went to Dub's to go dancing. It was great. I saw a bunch of my friends and the music was great too. It started off with a DJ who played house music and then there was a band that played Axé (pronounced a-shay) music. It's kinda similar to samba but it's not samba. Afterwards there was another DJ who played more music. Some people stayed until 6:00am but I only stayed until 3:30am. 

I went to sleep at 4:00am and woke up and 11:00am to go to Candido Mota to have lunch with some family. We stayed for a little bit before going home. When we got home I fell asleep because I was still tired from the night before and took a nap. It was fun to experience the holidays in a different country.