Christmas in Guatemala

I am sure that every land has its special traditions for Christmas.  Here in Guatemala as families gather on Christmas eve, they eat traditional tamales and drink a fruit punch, ponche.  As the night of celebration progresses, you begin to hear and see fire works all around town.  It grows in a crescendo until at midnight it breaks forth in the most spectacular display of fireworks imaginable, a 360 degree explosive show of lights.  It seems strange to us missionaries from North America gathered on our rooftop to watch the spectacular display, but then this is the land where there was no darkness in the night of his birth, and somehow lighting the night sky with a multitude of fireworks seems an appropriate celebration of His birth.  After another half hour or so of magnificent fireworks, families gather to open their gifts in the middle of the night, celebrating the giving of the greatest gift of all, the gift of the Son of God.