Why is noche buena celebrated

Noche Buena is what we call Christmas Eve, except, whereas most cultures celebrate the holiday on Christmas Day, we do the whole shebang on Christmas Eve and instead take it easy on Christmas Day. We believe that Christ was born on Christmas Day, December 25th, so on that day, we might open a few gifts in the morning, we definitely attend mass, and we might have a meal at night.

Traditions vary from country to country, but most have a giant shindig on Noche Buena. While the premise is the same, every country does things differently. On Nochebuena, there will be a lot of food and conversation, maybe even a game of dominos in Caribbean countries like Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic. Most importantly, Nochebuena means spending time with friends and family during the holiday season. As years go on, the tradition is continuously passed down to the next generations.

Since the Latino culture is historically known for maintaining tradition, the celebration of Nochebuena seems to be one that will last forever. Privacy Policy. HTML Sitemap. Home K Education. Home Noche Buena Traditions. All over the world, Nochebuena usually involves music and dancing bomba, salsa or merengue, playing dominoes, launching colorful paper lanterns, sometimes even fireworks, and always plenty of family time.

Some families let kids open presents after Mass, while others pass out only one and make them wait for the rest until the next morning. Many religious households put out a Nativity set as part of their decorations, and some families don't put the baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas Day, to symbolize his birth. Much like Christmas all over the world, Nochebuena also involves a midnight Misa de Gallo, or Mass of the Rooster for religious celebrants.

Legend has it , the baby Jesus arrived at the stroke of midnight, and a rooster crowed to herald his birth. That's why you'll also find roosters among the holiday decorations in a lot of Spanish, Portuguese, and Filipino households. The tradition is a holdover from when Spanish missionaries instituted a novena, or nine consecutive prayer services, to emphasize the importance of the holiday. Unlike the solemn mood many people associate with Roman Catholic observances, these are festive celebrations.

Mass begins at 4 a. Masses that feature lots of music, celebrating the birth of Jesus by, as the song goes "making a joyful noise. Product Reviews. Home Ideas. United States.