Christmas in La Paz

Category: Ships Log

Time period: Sunday, 12/22/13 - Wednesday, 12/25/13

Christmas under palm trees is definitely different ;-)

Christmas here in Mexico is celebrated during a season that begins in early December and goes until January 6 (Three Kings Day), with one other related event on February 2 (Candlemas). During this entire time you see nativity scenes, Christmas trees and all kinds of festivities. We cruisers have of course all our own Austrian, American, Canadian etc. customs on top of that, so it's a fun multicultural mix.

La Paz has most of the Mexican Christmas traditions. Not far from us is a large lot, owned by the Department of Education, which houses an elaborate Christmas scene. It becomes a main attraction at night when everything is lit up and car loads of families stop there to explore the scene. Christmas music blasts out of several speakers and the songs range from Ave Maria to the chipmunks singing Jingle Bells.

Part of the Christmas scene in La Paz at night. A main attraction for families and curious gringos. Note the floating tree not attached to the stump. :-)

Christmas trees are all over the place, but the majority of them are artificial trees. Which makes sense because otherwise you would have to ship a fir tree all the way from the US or Europe which seems kind of wasteful - some large retail stores still do it though.

A very commercialized Christmas tree on the main boardwalk "Malecon" in La Paz

A surprise for us was the classical concert of the "Orquesta de cámara de La Paz" on the main square in front of the Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Paz - built in 1861 by Dominican priests on the site of the city’s original Jesuit mission. The orchestra performed, mostly in tune, Mozart, Bach, Straus, etc. as well as some opera pieces - anyway it was fun to hear the Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka under palm trees.

Orquesta de cámara de La Paz at the Cathedral.

Christmas lights in the main square.

Our own Christmas celebration involved the decoration of our boat sized Christmas tree, Alena baking several kinds of Christmas cookies, Christmas bread and pies, a potluck in the marina with all the cruisers, and on the 24th a Christmas Eve dinner with our friends Michelle and David on Pelagia. We ended the evening with dessert on our boat and a viewing of the American classic "Christmas vacation" with Chevy Chase - "That thing had nine lives, you just spent 'em all." :-) Today the festivities continued with a fun Christmas breakfast potluck and white elephant gift exchange on the dock. And this evening there is a Christmas dinner at the marina restaurant with all the cruisers. Although we miss our family and friends, it is nice to have such a friendly cruising community to spend the holidays with!

Alena did a great job decorating our little Christmas tree