Now you may be thinking, "Why on earth would you need to survive Christmas in your family? How crazy can you be?" Well let me tell you...
I come from a Mexican family (that should tell you enough) and Christmas is an ALLLLL day event, and we don't even celebrate on the 25th. Most families begin the festivities on Christmas Eve where families come together for the last "posada" and "noche buena."
Posadas celebrations are a significant part of Mexican Christmas traditions and are widely celebrated there over the holiday season. These neighborhood events take place from December 16 to December 24 on each of the nine evenings before Christmas.
Posada is a Spanish term that means "inn" or "shelter." This custom recreates the biblical account of Mary and Joseph's travel to Bethlehem and their quest for lodging. The custom also includes singing a specific song, singing a variety of Christmas carols from Mexico, smashing pinatas, and partying.
Nochebuena is the "good night" in Spanish. It is also the name of the poinsettia, a well-known Christmas flower. The flor de Nochebuena, a native of Mexico, got its name from the time of year when it acquires a particularly vivid red color. However, when used in relation to Christmas, the term "Nochebuena" is a time where family and friends get together to eat, drink, have fun, and for some to celebrate the religious aspect of the festival, the birth of Jesus.
There are different types of celebrations for noche buena, nevertheless, there are certain things that never change: the evening is often quite joyous, and at its heart, regardless of where you are, the evening centers around lots of food, music, and quality time with family. For Christians of different nations, the evening also frequently includes a more formal component, such as going to mass. This mass occasionally occurs before supper, but the more typical service is known as la Missa del Gallo, or midnight service.
Now my family isn't as religious as they used to be, so most of our traditions are based around family rather than the religious aspect of the holiday. My immediate family lives in California, but my entire extended family lives in Arizona and Mexico. Both my parents' families are from the Douglas-Sonora border and we are constantly surrounded by family. On Christmas Eve, my family will spend the daytime with my mom's family and we end the night with my dad's family. As soon as the clock hits 12, we forget about all the fighting, and go around hugging, kissing, and wishing each other a "Feliz Navidad." By the time we're done talking, calling, and corralling everybody to the living room to open presents it's already 1 am. After opening presents and going for 3rd or 4th helpings of food, my family from Mexico cross over and join us around 2 or 3 am, and we exchange gifts all over again. By the time we are done, it's around 5 am and we can finally fall asleep. The day is filled with food, drinks, music, party games, yelling, fighting, and so many emotions that you need an entire survival kit in order to make it to the next day.