Christmas and New Year’s Celebrations in Cuba
By Kamil Kenders
HAVANA TIMES – At almost 40 years old, I still remember those family gatherings. We never had Christmas trees or gifts under them, no chocolates, or delicacies. Beer and rum were always present and never ran out as they are part of Cuban culture, like our way of cooking black beans and rice, pork, and yucca with mojo (a typical garlic sauce). Christmas was the perfect excuse to gather the family once a year.
My grandfather used to say that Christmas emotions had left with the arrival of the 1959 Revolution. I truly understood the meaning of his words only as an adult. Although food was never lacking at home, the Christmas spirit had faded with time. Most of my family is living across the globe. Some are in Europe, others in the United States and South America, and there they all live their holidays to the fullest. And although this year there was no shortage of food and a beer on my table either, I know of those who were not as lucky.
I heard about someone I know and have affection for who could only eat bread with croquettes and a glass of sugary water on December 31st. She is an 82-year-old woman who also fought for the freedom of our homeland. She had already spent her retirement pay long before the end of the month buying rice at an exorbitant price. She is not the only one. I know there are those in this country who have money to acquire all kinds of goods, but they are not the majority. A considerable percentage of the population is elderly and lives on a miserable pension, barely enough for the basic food rations that run out in the middle of the month.
The following day, we shared our provisions with her. She looked pleased and joyful – it was hard not to be! She mentioned that she couldn’t remember how pork tasted and believed that she would never be able to eat it again. Her sad expression displayed her disappointment; she had spent decades laboring and sacrificing. However, now it too late, as she has little time to enjoy living. All she aspires to now is to pass away peacefully, reminiscing about those Christmases when she would gather with her family and the aroma of roasted meat would float throughout the house. As they waited for dinner, they would raise their glasses in a toast to abundance.