My friend Mariangela and her husband Casey are in Lima enjoying a well deserved holiday.I miss them.
Christmas in Peru is celebrated on the eve where a big dinner is prepared and friends and family exchange gifts at midnight. Christmas 2009 was very special for me. I spent the day with Mariangela , Casey, Mariangela's family and the Hodara's family from Hawaii. After a repose of a day the celebration continued this time in Ferrenafe at Mariangela's family home.
I spent New Year's eve with another friend Rosita and her family. On New Year's Eve at about 11pm after Mass at the main Cathedral met up with Rossy her Mom and her niece to go to Rossy's house.
At about 11.50 we left the house with a muñeco (a mannequin made of old clothes and stuffed with straw and plenty of fireworks to burn and explode better) in tow. We saw the neighbours coming out with their muñecos as well. The burnning of the muñecos is traditional in Peru which represents the burnning of all that was bad in the previous year. When the clock struck midnight we hugged and wished each other a happy new year. While the muñecos were still burning and the fireworks still exploding and scaring the cat and the dog we went inside and were given twelve grapes ( representing each month) to eat while making a wish. Nice juicy grapes. Then we had a glass of champagne and a toast welcoming the new year. Rossy's brothers and in-laws came as we were just sitting for dinner. They had already eaten but wanted to put some music and dance and ...we wanted to eat!
After a few minutes of dancing at about 1am we sat down for dinner. On the menu we had turkey with a sweet sauce, salads , empanadas, paneton and hot chocolate and later a sweet red wine.
After dinner we were too full to do anything so just sat and chatted. A really nice and relaxed evening. I regretted not having my camera with me.
I was back home around 2.45.
