Buen año Nuevo

New Year's Eve is celebrated differently in many countries of the world, and Guatemala has its own traditions. I observed to my Guatemalan friends that in North America, New Years is often celebrated with friends rather than family, whereas in Guatemala it's very much a family occasion.

It also has more of a religious significance here, and of course this being Guatemala, it's also an excuse for lots of firecrackers and mortars and bombs.

I ate supper with the family at the normal time of 7:30 p.m., and then at 9:30 p.m. we left for Adelhaida's mother's house a short way away. As we walked though the streets, the children kicked around a ball, in the usual confusion of motorcycles, trucks and cars forcing us off the road, where we normally walk.

The grandmother's place was a short distance away, and already a number of relatives had gathered, and more arrived throughout the evening, until there must have been close to 30 brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, etc. We had a glass of very sweet wine, but no other alcohol – this was not the drunkfest so often associated with New Year's Eve in North America.

I found it difficult to be part of any conversation when so many people were speaking Spanish back and forth quickly with each other. In fact I understood very little. Sometimes people tried to include me by asking me questions about Canada and my life there, but it was hard to participate actively. Nonetheless, my presence seemed to be perfectly accepted and I felt welcome.

So when a few of the kids and the father of the family I'm staying with, suggested a game of street soccer, I grabbed at the opportunity to get outside. It reminded me of playing street hockey as a kid – someone would shout “carro” and we'd all suspend the game and move to the side of the road as the car passed, though the rock goalposts remained.

When it got close to midnight, the grandmother brought some blazing logs from the kitchen fire and placed them on the road outside the house, and we piled on more wood and built a bonfire in the street. It was at least five minutes before midnight when fireworks started blazing across the sky, and the kids began setting off firecrackers, fireworks, and running around with sparklers. No countdown here – the actual moment of midnight came and went with no one giving it special attention. But it wasn't just us setting off firecrackers and fireworks – it seemed that on every block of the town there were several groups doing the same, so that the noise was overwhelming, and soon it became hard to breathe for all the smoke in the air. The skyrockets themselves weren't as grand or impressive as those in North America, but the scale of all the different explosions everywhere was something I'd never seen before. A few terrified stray dogs could be seen running at top speed to try to escape the madness.

Then we went inside and all gathered in a room, and one of Adelhaida's brothers began a long prayer of thanks to God for the year past and wishes for the year ahead. Everyone else began praying as well so that there was a loud chatter of different prayers all being said simultaneously. I just bowed my head and tried not to stand out as a heathen.

Finally, the brother called for us all to embrace each other, and everyone went around the room hugging everyone else, or patting them on the back as appropriate. Most people came to me and hugged or patted me or shook hands, wishing each other “buen año nuevo” or some variation of this.

Then, everyone took seats on stools, chairs or whatever there was throughout the house while some of the women brought around tamales to everyone, as well as a choice of Pepsi or a punch made with spices, and pineapple, bananas, and other fruit.

It was close to 2 a.m. when we finally headed home, and I went quickly to sleep, despite continuing bombs, knowing that I had a class in the morning – mercifully moved back to 9:30 a.m.