Our diverse team here at Touring Galapagos celebrate Christmas in different ways depending on where they we’re born or where they live. We thought we would explore and share our local experiences in both Ecuador and Peru with you.

For more than 2,000 years, Christians around the world have celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ annually on December 25. Today, Christmas retains most of its religious symbolism (and also some Pre-Christian pagan rituals) but has also evolved into a secular celebration for friends and families to catch up, spend time together and remember how much we care.

In the United States, we mark the holiday by putting up and decorating a tree, stringing lights around our homes, sending holiday cards to loved ones, cooking spectacular meals, attending church services and (if you have little ones who were extra good last year) waking early Christmas morning to see what treasures Santa left in your stockings.

In Ecuador and Peru, where there are big populations of Roman Catholic residents, the season often lingers more than a month and is often marked by festive parades and events of religious significance. Many of these culminate on Christmas Eve with midnight mass and late-night meals, but some stretch even into January to the traditional appearance of the three Wise Men.

Here are the highlights of Ecuador and Peru Christmas traditions and some of our favorite customs you won’t want to miss:

Christmas in Ecuador

In Ecuador, December is the warmest time of year, which means outdoor activities and festivals abound. Sure, they largely decorate like we do in the United States, but they are much more traditional about it with Christmas being probably the most important holiday of the year. Nine days before Christmas Ecuadorians celebrate their own version of Novenas (like in Chile), where they spend each evening touring neighbor’s homes to view their creative nativity scenes. Carols are popular during this time as residents gear up for Christmas Eve, which is essentially a giant family reunion. Children put their Christmas wish lists in old shoes and Papa Noel replaces them with new shoes and gifts for Christmas Day.

A very important part of Christmas in most Ecuadorian households is the nativity or nacimiento, a representation of the birth of Christ. But it’s not quite the same as what you would see in North America. It has stable covered in grass and straw with Mary and Joseph. Outside of the stable you will find farm animal figurines – sheep, cows, farm birds, and the Three Wise Men, all surrounded by blinking Christmas lights. However, in Ecuador baby Jesus does not appear in his crib until midnight on Christmas Eve. This household tradition also happens on a larger scale with contests happening in cities for the best nativity scene.

Don’t Miss: The Christmas Eve festival in Cuenca. It’s very religion and family-oriented and totally amazing. You’ll be blown away; If you have a chance to try the maple cookies (called Prstinos) made especially for Christmas, you won’t regret it.

Christmas in Peru

Said to be home to the first Christmas celebration in all of Latin America during the 16th century, Peru is a heavily Catholic country where the Western Santa and his likeness are actually banned. For Peruvians, Christmas is truly a holy time and not nearly so commercialized as in the West and in other parts of Latin America. The main celebrations here take place on Christmas Eve after mass, when there is a huge feast before the kids go to bed and the adults stay up all night and sleep in on Christmas morning. Nativity scenes customized with indigenous animals are a major focal point in Peru, and a child is chosen to add Jesus to the manger on Christmas Eve. What gifts are exchanged are gathered around the nativity but (at least in the Andes) aren’t opened until January 6 when the arrival of the Wise Men is celebrated.

Most Christmas meals served in Peru include turkey, pig, chicken, guinea pig, or fish, depending on the region as well as tamales, regional salads, applesauce, and a sweet bread called Panetón or Panettone (taken from Italian tradition). Hot chocolate is also important for Peruvians during the holiday season, and it is usually made from scratch using melted rich dark chocolate, cinnamon, and cloves. Potato and rice dishes find their way to the holiday dinner table as both items are staples in the many southern hemisphere diets.

Don’t Miss: Peruvians love their fireworks and are notorious for shooting them at each other. It makes for quite a show…just keep an eye out.