Nick is increasingly growing in popularity among many Cuban children who receive gifts both on Christmas and on Epiphany to their benefit but at the expense of their parents, who pay the price of this cultural amalgamation that characterizes Cuba. Prior to and in the early years of the Revolution, some households followed the custom of cleaning the floor of their homes with a special kind of green-colored sawdust so that the Magi would find everything spic-and-span, and set out food and water for the camels.
The children followed the custom, just like nowadays, of writing letters specifying their requests and thanking the Wise Men for what they would receive. With the radicalization of the Revolution, Cuba officially became an atheist nation in , although the Christmas holiday continued to be celebrated until The Magi slowly began to be consigned to oblivion as well as the festivities that surrounded the Nativity of Jesus Christ.
There was no place for Christmas trees, ornaments or lights. In the early s, apples, mostly from Bulgaria and the Soviet Union, could be bought at subsidized prices. The disintegration of the Socialist Bloc brought about an extremely harsh period for the nation and its people during the 90s. Foodstuffs were severely reduced and this, of course, was reflected on the Christmas dinner.
The visit of Pope John Paul II was a landmark in the religious openness that was already taking place on the island. The sunset from the terrace of La Guarida or with the special menu of El Atelier is a delight, caressed by the good temperature of the Caribbean at this time.
This venue, which also gave name to a famous music group of the nineties, is the authentic reflection of traditional Cuban music and dance and the ideal place to receive the New Year and soak up the best of Havana. We welcomed the new year to the rhythm of salsa and an exquisite dinner. The square is decorated for this occasion and closed to the public to offer a private event of colonial atmosphere.
An exclusive dinner and music concerts are held to make this night the most special of the year. In Cuba, there is a unique occasion in the world on December 31st and January 1st. The celebration of the new year is marks the triumph of the revolution. It was precisely on January 1, when the bearded revolutionaries arrived in Havana and took power. For this reason, being in Havana on Day 1 is the opportunity to witness the entire military deployment of the revolution.
Events and celebrations through the streets, an experience that mixes the propaganda, the memory, the party and the hangover from the previous day. No doubt a day that mixes emotions, memories, feelings, hints of history and remnants of nostalgia. A day that does not leave indifferent those who can live. The perfect Christmas in Havana includes, of course, paradisiacal beaches, incredible natural landscapes, cities with centuries of history and, of course, the best restaurants of traditional Cuban cuisine.
All wrapped in a festive atmosphere and celebration that nobody embodies better than Cubans. The historical center of Havana and its system of colonial fortifications is a must for those who want to know better the history of this city. It was declared a World Heritage Site in when it was considered a type of sculpture that masterfully illustrated a significant historical stage and, at the same time, being an example of a society that has faced a multitude of irreversible changes throughout its history.
Old Havana is one of the most interesting historical centers of the Caribbean area. It is the perfect mixture between tradition and future, with the architectural monuments that delimit the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, the Plaza de San Francisco, the Capitol or the Plaza Vieja.
Here you can breathe a special atmosphere, they are buildings that have seen history go by but at the same time they are the neuralgic center of the city, where most of the administrative, commercial and cultural activities are carried out and which are brimming with life, especially In Christmas. For Cubans, food is one of their greatest treasures. Since the country is governed by a system of food rationing, put in place to overcome the shortage of products that caused the economic embargo of the United States.
In this way, a basic basket for all its inhabitants is guaranteed, which contains monthly amounts of rice, beans, coffee, eggs, sugar and oil. Visiting the Bodega de Alimentos is a way of knowing how food is rationed in Havana and understanding its gastronomy.
If something characterizes Cubans, it is their desire to excel, to overcome obstacles and their ability to enjoy the small pleasures of life. The holiday is celebrated here, but it's muted. There are no real Christmas trees. Hotels and restaurants that cater to tourists hung twinkling lights and other decorations for the holiday, but few homes or businesses did the same.
Because of widespread poverty on the island, there are few families who can afford to pile up gifts for their children. Gomez has no relatives abroad who can send her money, so she survives on her government pension. Castro — baptized into the Roman Catholic Church and graduated from a Jesuit high school in Havana — went on to shut the doors of most religious institutions around the country after he assumed power in and created a communist government. Marciano Garcia, a Catholic priest who has led churches in the central city of Matanzas and now Havana, said it wasn't as simple as Castro simply cracking down on the church.
At the time, the Catholic Church had taken a position to excommunicate communists from its ranks, so Garcia said Castro's decision to fight the church did not come as a surprise. People who wouldn't denounce their religion were barred from joining the Communist Party, meaning they faced a tough road to secure the good, state-run jobs or attend state-run universities.
Though Castro's officials confiscated churches for government use, Garcia said Castro never shut all the doors. Many remained open, albeit in an awkward situation, stuck between those Catholics who continued practicing their faith and communist officials intent on diminishing their ranks. Garcia said he received death threats from anti-Castro counter-revolutionaries for simply maintaining a dialogue with the government, as well as threats of prison from Castro's officials.
Garcia said he never saw any physical attacks against churchgoers, but the pressure was more moral. They were constantly ridiculed and questioned by government officials.
0コメント