Nacatamales and New Year's Day

Little present waiting to be opened!

A nacatamal is a Nicaraguan tamal.  It is much bigger (and tastier, in my opinion), than Mexican tamales. They are usually a weekend breakfast food (several of our neighbors make and sell them Fri., Sat. and Sun.), but can be eaten any day of the week, and for other meals. They are also served at Christmas.  Sigh: Angela just told me she's not making them for New Years.

Opened and ready to eat!

There is usually a hunk of pork and/or pork fat in the middle, along with cubed potatoes, peppers, rice, mint and other stuff... and achiote, which is kind of like paprika. It is wrapped in the cornmeal masa/mixture (Angela's has bastante ajo...lots of garlic...which I like); it is topped with a tomato slice and wrapped usually in a banana or plantain leaf (foil is only for those who don't have access to banana or plantain leaves; there are plenty here).  They are usually tied with plastic string these days. They are then cooked for at least 4 hours. Yummm!

Here's a video (in spanish) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLDBfkI1y5w
(she's very generous with the meat and skimpy on the rice and potatoes!)

 

If I got you really hungry, here's another link with photos and descriptions of other typical nica foods: http://www.living-history-nicaragua.com/recipe-nicaragua.html

año viejo/mujer vieja  (image borrowed from 

http://susannica.blogspot.com/2010/01/2009-turns-to-2010-in-matagalpa.html)

As tomorrow is New Year's Eve, a quick mention of the traditions:

 

-Burning "El Hombre Viejo" (the old man...representing the old year);  There will be lots of scarecrows filled with gunpowder or fireworks tomorrow.

 

-Cohetes y Fuegos Artificiales (firecrackers, fireworks).  These haven't stopped since the beginning of December, but tomorrow night, and especially at midnight, there will many.  We'll find a good spot outside where we can view them being set off throughout town and in the surrounding hills; maybe I can talk the sisters into climbing up the church tower at midnight; that should be a fab view (don't you think so, Alexis and Zac?)

 

-A family meal at midnight.  New Years is very much about family here.  

 

-New Year's Day: for recovering, as you can imagine; at least in the morning.  In the afternoon there is a huge and lovely Eucharistic Procession that begins at the cathedral in town. 

 

Many prayers that you and I will recognize the blessings that will given us every day of the new year, if we have eyes to see.

Dios-con-nosotros   -   God-with-us

¡Feliz Navidad!  We wish you much joy as you celebrate the birth of our Savior, Emmanuel, God-with-us.

Here are some images from recent days, including the celebrations of the Novena to the Divino Niño, or Las Posadas.

First Communion at the mission chapel of Immaculate Conception

First Communion

Sr. Dolores with Chingüine in our backyard- this photo is for my nephew, who loves horses.

José and María looking for Posada

Each day José and María look for posada (a place to stay)  in a different house in the barrio.

La Purísima
From November 29 to December 7, we celebrated the Novena to “La Purísima,” leading up to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is the biggest celebration in Nicaragua.

Praying the rosary at a Purísima celebration at a parishioner's house

“How nice it must be to have a mother.”

18-year-old W. was just talking to me about how his childhood; his mother died when he was two; he was raised by an uncle.  There are a lot of kids in Nicaragua that don’t live with their parents.  Some are “gifted” (the literal term) to someone else to raise.  Too often it’s because the mother doesn’t want them - perhaps because the new boyfriend doesn’t want her children from a previous relationship.

Stories like W.'s  help me understand the Nicas’ great devotion to our Lady.  W. himself agreed that part of why he wants to become Catholic is because of Mary…because it will be good to have a mother.

As my Spanish has improved, I've been able to have deeper conversation with men, women and youth about Mary, and we sisters have been able to talk about our relationship with Mary when we give reflections during Liturgies of the Word.  

Yoder as Juan Diego at the home for the elderly

The image of Mary here is primarily the Immaculate Conception, but there is a growing devotion to Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.   The youth put on play about Our Lady of Guadalupe at the church at the home for the elderly.

Here are some other pictures from recent activities:

Zac and Alexis came to paint the church- and made friends with Sandy, Valeria and other local kids.

Thanks to Kristi B.  for funding the project to repaint the parish church ( as a bonus, she helped create a wonderful cultural exchange experience as well as provided temporary work for local youth.)  You can compare the photo at the top with one somewhere on the right and note the difference!  Folks are duly proud of their "sunshine in the valley."

Thank you also to Steve D., Kristi D., and their kids Zac and Alexis for coming on down during Thanksgiving.  It was a great experience- playing with the local kids, shopping in the market, eating nacatamales, communicating in spanish and sign-language with the local paint crew, visiting the poor local school on their last day of classes, and spending time with the Sisters.  Oh, and yes, riding the little Ruta bus! That was about as scary as the scariest amusement park ride, don't ya think?!  

Steve and a local young man paint and manage to communicate quite well! Steve made quite an impression on Yader.

Sr. Charlotte with one of her English students, Rosita, and Rosita's mom. Rosita received a certificate at the promotion ceremony.

Another of Sr. Charlotte's English classes (with parents) at their promotion ceremony.