Favorite thing about holidays abroad?

[Rease]

I am sure the holidays in Argentina are quite different from the holidays wherever you are from. Of course we always miss certain things (no white Christmases here!) but I am interested to know what part of the holidays in Argentina are your favorite.

 

[surfing]

I love it that I don't see any signs of Christmas until the week before and even then they are quite restrained. This is a far cry from the zombie-like pornographic orgy of consumption we see in some other culture$.

 

[Gringoboy]

Since I live here permanently, I'm not sure if I'm abroad anymore lol

 

[Napoleon]

For me, "the holidays" are far and away the worst thing about living here. Worse than the bank lines, worse than the grocery store lines, and worse than the pizza. ;-p

They depress the living crap out of me.

Fortunately I chose not to work the 24th and the 23rd cleared up and I went to a friend's campo. But even he hates Christmas and he's Argentine. (Maybe it's because it's his birthday as well.)

If it's all that you're used to, then it's survivable I guess (except for my friend), but if you're used to a northern hemisphere Christmas, then it just sucks down here. Sorry.

If it weren't for an American angel who gave me Christmas cookies, I wouldn't have known that it was even Christmas. I'm pretty sure that I'm going back for Christmas next year. I'll lose money doing it, but at least I'll keep my sanity. And my parents are getting WAY OLD, so there's that as well. I can return on the 26th or 27th.

 

[Gringoboy]

It has more or less the same effect on me Napoleon.
Glad when it's all over.
New years eve is just us two and the outlaws. Gonna be one hell of a party, not!

 

[RobinsonGO]

I'd feel the same way as Napoleon if it wasnt for the fireworks. In the "campo" were there not any fireworks? Mis suegros live near Don Torcuatro/San Miguel on a quinta and we celebrate there; at midnight the whole neighborhood is lit-up in fireworks. I love that. Its a good visual sign that whole town has "buena onda" at least for one day!

Happy New Year!

 

[Nicole_Ramirez]

I'm pretty sure that I'm going back for Christmas next year. I'll lose money doing it, but at least I'll keep my sanity.

Me too. After spending 3 Christmas's here I am dying for my kind of holiday. For me Christmas is supposed to be a house full of family, the smell of food cooking all day and music and happy people.

 

[Napoleon]

I'd feel the same way as Napoleon if it wasnt for the fireworks. In the "campo" were there not any fireworks? Mis suegros live near Don Torcuatro/San Miguel on a quinta and we celebrate there; at midnight the whole neighborhood is lit-up in fireworks. I love that. Its a good visual sign that whole town has "buena onda" at least for one day!

Happy New Year!

No fireworks. We were literally on a farm well outside of a town of 100 people. Plus, it's been so dry that I think that fireworks were strongly discouraged.

There's a farming technique used more and more now that leaves the dead plant life from previous years on the fields and the machines push it to the side, plant the seed, and then push the stuff back. It creates a blanket over the soil that prevents it from drying out so much, but this top layer is highly flammable. It's just dead dry vegetation. Like kindling. T'would not be good to have a fireball land in a field. You could have a fire for days... like the one that was a couple of fields over.

 

[RobinsonGO]

No fireworks. We were literally on a farm well outside of a town of 100 people. Plus, it's been so dry that I think that fireworks were strongly discouraged.

There's a farming technique used more and more now that leaves the dead plant life from previous years on the fields and the machines push it to the side, plant the seed, and then push the stuff back. It creates a blanket over the soil that prevents it from drying out so much, but this top layer is highly flammable. It's just dead dry vegetation. Like kindling. T'would not be good to have a fireball land in a field. You could have a fire for days... like the one that was a couple of fields over.

Well, in all actuality, this is a good method to preserve the top soil. So, in this case, im glad you didnt do fireworks either. You are right, it has been SOO dry, even last weeks rain didnt keep the soil moist for more than a few days. In a way though, a night in the campo away from Bing Crosby Christmas isnt too bad; hope you have a better New Years!

 

[Napoleon]

Well, in all actuality, this is a good method to preserve the top soil. So, in this case, im glad you didnt do fireworks either. You are right, it has been SOO dry, even last weeks rain didnt keep the soil moist for more than a few days. In a way though, a night in the campo away from Bing Crosby Christmas isnt too bad; hope you have a better New Years!

I was in the campo for 3 nights (after my 3 hour bus ride took 5 hours). It was welcome relief.

I think that the soil preservation thing is a great idea and am wondering why the US has picked up on it yet. (Though they probably will in the next few years.) I saw lots of scorched earth in Texas this past August/September.

I don't have high hopes for NYE (I never do, and yet I'm still usually let down no matter which continent I'm on), but I'm just saying. Christmas, the winter solstice pagan holiday that the Christians co-opted in the 4th century A.D. just isn't Christmas down here. You can't have a winter solstice festival in the middle of the summer. It just doesn't work!