Alexa and Susan share how they celebrate Christmas with their families. They both have their own traditions and their own ways to have fun. There are also all kinds of food and desserts.

Alexa:  My family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve. We have a big dinner. We all dress up nice for pictures and always play family feud on the Nintendo switch and much more. This year we are all wearing matching pjs! We eat enrolladas, tamales, cheesecake, Pupusas. We all countdown till midnight hits and BOOM its Christmas. Everyone one of us wishes to each other a Merry Christmas and we all give each other hugs and kisses. My family likes to do secret Santa every year to have a little fun. We all pick a random name in a cup on Thanksgiving and who you get is your secret Santa. Because I’m the youngest I go first and claim who my secret Santa is and then it goes on.

Susan:  For Christmas my family has a tradition to open one gift at Christmas Eve. We always wait until the next day to begin the fun. My mom wakes up early to start making all kinds of dishes like tamales, arroz con leche, pozole, etc. We have a Hispanic hot chocolate called chocolate de abuelita. In the morning we open all our gifts. Everybody laughs and cries for what they receive. In the afternoon family and friends come over to eat and we all catch up on life.

Recipe to enrolladas : chiles (at least two different types); sour (tomatoes or tomatillos); sweet (dried fruits or sugar); spices; and thickeners (bread, nuts or seeds). Once the

paste is formed, it’s mixed with water or broth, and then simmered for hours until it’s thick. https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/what-is-mole-sauce.

Recipe to tamales :  Tamales are a traditional Mexican dish made with a corn based dough mixture that is filled with various meats or beans and cheese. Tamales are

wrapped and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves, but they are removed from the husks before eating. Try them served with pico de gallo on top and a side of guacamole and rice https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/mexican-tamales.

Recipe to pupusas : Pupusas are a traditional dish from El Salvador and are similar to a corn pancake with bean and cheese or meat filling. They are similar to a flatbread or pancake that is made with corn flour (masa) and can be filled with a variety of different savory fillings, like cheese, beans, beef, pork or

veggies.

https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/pupusas/#:~:text=Pupusas%20are%20a%20traditional%20dish,%2C%20beef%2C%20pork%20or

recipe for no bake cheesecake : 8 oz Cream Cheese (softened) , 14 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk , 1/3 cup Lemon  Juice (fresh or reconstituted) , 1 – Graham Cracker Crust , 1 can Pie Filling (flavor of choice)

recipe for arroz con leche : White Rice, Cinnamon Stick, Water, Vanilla, Evaporated Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk, Whole Milk https://lilluna.com/arroz-con-leche/