Unlike most of my swear in group, I stayed in site for my 2nd year Christmas. Since the Dominican Republic is so close to the states, and because Christmas time everything shuts down here in the DR, many volunteers head back to the states for their second Christmas, however, my parents are in Spain, and I enjoy my campo on Christmas so I decided to stay put. The biggest change during Christmas is that everyone comes back home to the campo for Christmas, which means the population about triples, or quadruples, algo asi. The 22nd and the 23rd is when everyone kills their pigs, which while for my campo is very normal, many of my friends don’t have that as part of their Christmas tradition because they just buy a piece in the city, but here in my site they kill the pigs in their backyard, and often families will share a pig between two to split up the meat, but there are a few men in my community that go around and help everyone out with the slaughter and business is done. Then on the 24th, Noche Buena, the holy night, there is a big dinner, and during the day there is all the food preparation. I went up to my host families in the morning, had a breakfast of viveres (root veggies) and salami, and helped take care of the kids all morning (ended up with 3 kids under 1 and 2 under 3 for awhile). It was great to be able to play with all my little host nieces and nephews and to be able to actually help in the house, especially since my host mom just had a surgery and can’t pick up the kids right now, so I helped a lot with the kids and feeding them, putting them to sleep etc. Then in good Dominican fashion we had a big lunch (I knew to cut back in preparation for having to eat a big dinner as well) of rice with pigeon peas and chicken. Unlike last year where I stayed at the house all day, this year I spent the afternoon walking around and saludaring everyone that had come around, and visiting the families that I had promised a visit. It always feel fairly similar to holidays back at home because the family gets together, but since the community is so small, it’s like a huge family reunion every holiday. Especially with all the 30-somethings that have left to work (many to work in the large resorts/hotels on the coast) that come back and get together to catch up, and visit the mothers of all their friends, etc.
I got back to the house right when it was getting dark and the food was about done being prepared. The food filled the main table and then after a prayer the mass preparation of plates began. Besides all the relatives that were there (all my host siblings and their families and a few friends), plates are prepared to send out to many other houses in the community, and some of the houses that do not prepare a meal come by to eat as well (for example the Haitian workers, 20 something men that are here alone) come to eat and hang out for Christmas. And that is why they can cook an entire pig and barely have leftovers. Christmas dinner: lots of pork, yucca empanandas, spaghetti, green salad, french bread, grapes, apples, gummi candies, very tasty. But thats one of the best parts, not only do they share with the rest of their family and have everyone get together, but really whoever doesn't have a place to eat dinner knows that they have a place to go.
Me with one of my donas on her birthday
Me, as a natural rubia
The hair dying process, this is how dominican women traditionally dry their hair, in huge rolos, it didn't do anything to change mine, but it was fun!
