We hear a
nativity scene in central Caracas has caused a stir with its unorthodox line-up of stable visitors.
Alongside the three wise men, shepherds and camels proudly stands Hugo Chávez, the country's controversial president. And eschewing gold, frankincense and myrrh, it seems his gift to the baby Jesus is... a cable car and some clinics for deprived areas – these and other scenes have been painstakingly recreated in miniature to represent the government's infrastructure projects.
Even in Venezuela, Chávez is a polarising character whose radical socialist politics inspire adoration and condemnation in equal measure, and unsurprisingly his inclusion in the traditional manger scene has pushed the festive cheer of some of his opponents a little too far.
Here's a round-up of some more Christmas craziness:
WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY?
Father Christmas is finally cutting himself some slack, if what residents of Penedo say is to be believed. They claim that far from holing himself up in Lapland all year, he actually has a 'summer residence' in their town in southern Brazil (can't say we blame him). Penedo is just three or four hours by car from Rio de Janeiro and is known for the unique
Finnish-Brazilian heritage that has earned it the nickname '
Pequena Finlândia', or 'Little Finland'.
Incredibly, the town celebrates Christmas all year round, come rain, shine or fake snow – with fairy lights, Christmas trees and other festive decorations all being permanent fixtures. And of course, your stay wouldn't be complete without the opportunity to visit 'Papai Noel' in his summer grotto, lovingly crafted in Finnish style. Other customs the town has clung onto in spite of its tropical location include the traditional Finnish sauna.
NIGHT OF THE RADISHES
Tonight is the night for the rarely celebrated radish to take centre stage in Oaxaca, Mexico, since every December 23rd brings one of Latin America's most peculiar celebrations: the inimitable
Noche de Rábanos. Radish Night attracts thousands of visitors from miles around who come to see the nativity scenes and other, often elaborate, creations carved from giant radishes. The tradition is said to stem from colonial times, when in an attempt to encourage Mexicans to grow non-native crops such as the radish, Spanish monks suggested that they carve them to attract customers at markets. The idea caught on in a big way.
A WHEELY SILLY WAY TO GET TO CHURCH
Latin America is, for the most part, quite a staunchly Catholic place. However taking church attendance seriously doesn't mean you can't inject a bit of creativity into getting there, as residents of Caracas (them again) demonstrate. Between the 16th and 24th of December each year, they perform a solemn pilgrimage to Early Morning Mass –
by rollerskate. Heralded by an alarm call of firecrackers, drums and bells, the skaters arrive in the early morning, and, I kid you not, tug on pieces of string that children have left hanging out of their windows, attached to their big toes, in order to wake them for Mass. So popular has the tradition become that many neighbourhoods close their streets to cars as Christmas Day approaches.