Argentina Christmas Desserts & Sweets

Argentines are legendary golosos (dessert lovers), and it’s no different at Christmas, with fruitcakes, nougats and chocolates making the rounds.

Pan dulce somehow doesn’t suffer the same bad reputation as its northern counterpart, fruitcake, so it remains an after-dinner or merienda (tea-time) favorite during the holidays.

Panettone is a specialized Italian-style citrus flavored bread with bits of fruit and nuts. It basically a higher-end version of pan dulce, baked in an egg-like mold and wrapped in decorative paper.

Pionono, served in its savory form as a Christmas eve appetizer, can also be found on the sweets table, except the bizcochuelo is now filled with dulce de leche, jam or fruits and chantilly cream.

Budín de pan (bread pudding) is eaten year round, and also shows up on Christmas dessert tables, at least in cooler parts of the country. There is also budín Inglés (English pudding) made with cognac, raisins and nuts.

Those who like a bit more kick to their cake and find themselves in Patagonia, will enjoy torta negra galesa, black bread made with fruits, nuts and whiskey, a legacy of the hardy Welsh settlers.

Traditional Argentine Christmas Candies

Homemade turrón, courtesy, wiki: Tamorlan

Christmas is a kids-oriented holiday in Argentina, so candy makes a big appearance.

Turrón, sweet nougat mixed with peanuts or almonds, is a Christmas classic. Although seen all year, Mantecol, the Argentine version of Halva, made popular by a Greek immigrant in the 1940’s, is also Christmas time favorite.

After enjoying the abundance of Argentina Christmas sweets, your aching teeth in January will remind you to put visiting the dentist on your New Year’s to-do list.

→ A Guide to Argentina’s Christmas Food

→ What is Christmas is Like in Argentina?

→ Check out our list of Food Tours in Buenos Aires

The Day of Kings: Argentina’s Christmas Finale

The Day of Kings (El Día de los Reyes Magos) on January 6, marks an exciting end to the Christmas season for children in Argentina.

Though the summer Christmas in Argentina is more about food and fiesta than gift giving, the kids make out with some good loot on the Day of Kings, which marks the day of the Christian Epiphany on the twelfth day of Christmas.

The event commemorates the visit of Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar who followed a star to Bethlehem from the east to bring gifts and celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Epiphany Traditions in Argentina

Argentina’s Catholic tradition dictates that children write a letter to the Three Wise Men (aka Kings of the Orient) with their list of wishes and then leave their shoes under the Christmas Tree or by the door or window on the Night of Kings (Noche de Reyes, January 5). They also put out some water and grass for the three kings’ camels before they go to bed.

On the magical morning, children who have been good all year discover that the camels ate their rations and the Three Wise Men left gifts.

In some, usually more rural, neighborhoods there is also a Three King’s Parade on the Day of Kings, in which the Wise Men march through in ancient-style robes accompanied by various servants, soldiers and other characters to give out toys and candy to the children.

In Argentina’s small towns and in the countryside the festivities may be more elaborate with gauchos, or Argentine cowboys, dressed up as the biblical kings riding through town on horseback.

In Buenos Aires the Three Kings visit children’s hospital wards and sometimes make an appearance at Plaza Mariano Moreno in front of the Congress building, before parading down Avenida de Mayo to the Plaza de Mayo.

Argentine King Cake

The food most associated with the Day of Kings in Argentina is Rosca de Reyes, a ring-shaped ‘Epiphany cake’ that also makes an appearance on Easter as Rosca de Pasqua (Easter cake). It can be found in the bakeries of Argentina around these holidays. According to tradition, the shape of the cake represents the crowns of the three kings and the infinite love of God. While in other Latin American countries (and some southern U.S. states) the cake may be topped with a plastic figurine of baby Jesus, the Argentine version of King Cake is often topped with custard, eggs, candied fruit and sugar.

Christmas in Buenos Aires and Beyond

What is Christmas like in Buenos Aires? With fireworks, warm temperatures, calorie-laden food, and dancing until dawn, Navidad in Buenos Aires is a party that is literally not for the faint of heart.

It may be Christmas but It’s Hot as Hades!

Christmas falls in summer in the southern hemisphere, so traditions such as Santa Claus in full regalia, real pine trees and Christmas stories around the fireplace do not translate temperature-wise, making Christmas a mash-up of European traditions and Latin American summertime partying with family, friends and feasting.

The main day of celebration in Argentina is on Christmas Eve and the evening plays out in a manner oddly similar to New Year’s Eve in other predominately Christian countries.

A small snowman in Buenos Aires from 2007 — Don’t expect to see snowmen like this once-in-a-century specimen from 2007

Argentine Christmas: Religion vs Commercialism

The Christmas season is nicely contained by specific religious dates in Argentina. It starts on the Fiesta de la Virgen (Day of the Immaculate Conception) on December 8th, a Catholic holiday revering Mary. On this day families put out a nativity scene, a faux Christmas tree and string up lights and decorations.

Argentines are mainly Roman Catholics but most celebrate Christmas in a secular manner. Church bells ring at midnight on Christmas, but in urban areas not many people attend midnight Mass.

Those who want to go to Mass, but not miss the toast at midnight head to church earlier in the day. The best place to attend midnight mass in Buenos Aires is the Catedral Metropolitana, where former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (aka Pope Francis) led mass for many years until being chosen as the new pontiff.

Most people celebrate at home with friends and family, but those with no talent or time to cook may go to one of the many restaurants, high-end hotels, or tango dinner shows that offer a fixed-price menu on Christmas Eve.

Argentines will celebrate at any cost and restaurants take full advantage – eating out on Christmas Eve comes at a premium.

Those planning to dine out will want to make reservations in advance. Attire at your average Christmas party or restaurant in Palermo on Christmas Eve is semi-formal, with women donning summer dresses and men wearing a button up shirt, and weather permitting, a sport coat.

Visitors who don’t have anywhere to go may want to consider La Cabrera, or another restaurant with a special Christmas menu or one of Buenos Aires’ many tango dinner shows.

Madero Tango is a good choice as there is a fireworks display on the waterfront and there is usually a pretty good party on Christmas in Puerto Madero, where the show is located.

Street side asado (Argentine barbecue) — A sidewalk asado on Christmas in Buenos Aires.

Papá Noel (aka Santa Claus) & Gifts

Unlike in many other South American countries, children in Argentina do write cards to Santa Claus. The range and money spent on gifts depends on the family but is usually modest compared to more consumer-oriented nations.

Short-sleeve southern hemisphere Santa Claus — Santa Claus keeping cool in Buenos Aires

Because Argentina is a nocturnal country, no one bothers to send children to bed with threats that Santa won’t come if they don’t — instead they find a way to distract them, at which point Mr. and Mrs. Claus place gifts under the tree.

The money spent on gifts depends on the socio-economic level of the family, the rate of inflation and the state of the nation. Most of the gift giving is focused on younger children. Families with older kids often exchange one gift with each member of the family.

Purchasing gifts for friends is optional, although bringing food or drinks to share at gatherings is a common courtesy. An exception on the gift front are small token gifts — girlfriends sometimes present pink underwear as a gift to single gal-pals for good luck in finding love in the New Year.

Everyone toasts Merry Christmas at midnight on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), and gifts are opened afterward.

Pyromania

Christmas in Argentina, and especially Buenos Aires, most resembles New Year’s when midnight strikes, everyone toasts and the skies alight with fireworks. Plan to be somewhere secure and strategic at this hour to watch the fireworks.

While fireworks fixation has decreased somewhat in recent years, still in some neighborhoods the streets can resemble a war zone around midnight, with firecrackers popping everywhere, sirens blaring, a few stragglers on the sidewalk and dogs running panicked.

In Buenos Aires, the adventurous may make their way to the Obelisco or a park such as the Palermo Forest to watch the fireworks display.

Another classic — if slightly dangerous tradition — is to launch paper globes with candles in the air. Due to the fire hazard, this is seen less in Buenos Aires’ neighborhoods and more in other areas of the country.

The backlash against fireworks increased starting in 2012 when a polar bear died at the Palermo Zoo in due to heat combined with the stress of the exploding skies. Thankfully, partly in response the to Polar Bear’s death, the Buenos Aires zoo has been converted to an Eco Park. Also, as the headlines report at the end of every year, there are a few hundred injuries across the country caused by pyrotechnics, so their unsupervised use is waning.

Those who are firework-adverse may want to consider going to more provinces and territories where fireworks are banned, such as Neuquén, Mendoza, Tierra del Fuego, Bahía Blanca, San Carlos de Bariloche and San Martín de los Andes for a quieter Christmas.

Christmas Eve Transportation Tips

It is important for visitors to know that in Buenos Aires there is little to no public transportation between the hours of 9 p.m. until at least 3 a.m. Those who need to get to a destination by bus or taxi, can try an ride sharing service such as Uber, but it’s best to travel outside these hours or risk getting stranded.

It is good idea to stay off the roads during the party hours anyway — drunk driving is still a big problem in Argentina, and there are few police patrolling the streets on Christmas.

The Christmas Eve After Party & Christmas Day

Private Christmas Eve parties in Buenos Aires stretch until at least 3 a.m. on Christmas Eve, even in the most conservative of homes. Bars and clubs start to open at around 2-3 a.m. on Christmas Day for Christmas Eve after-parties, and most young people head out to party all night.

On Christmas Day some are nursing hangovers or suffering sleep deprivation. The day resembles New Year’s Day in other countries, with family and friends going around to visit each other while recovering from the night before. If you love the loud ‘4th of July-style’ Christmas in Argentina, you can look forward to an almost identical celeration a week later, on New Year’s Eve. The Day of Kings on January 6 marks the official end of the Christmas season in Argentina.

→ Read about Argentina’s traditional Christmas Desserts and Sweets

→ Check out Christmas Tango Shows in Buenos Aires

→ Read about Argentina’s traditional Christmas food

Buenos Aires Tango Festival & World Cup

Every August it’s time to put on a sultry face and slide into a tight embrace on the dance floor at the Buenos Aires’ Tango Festival.

At this yearly tango festival, tango aficionados and international visitors enjoy live tango orchestras, dance shows and competitions, tango-related films, art exhibitions and of course milongas (dance parties), celebrating Argentina’s most famous dance.

The free two week event is hailed as the world’s largest tango-related festival with 2,000 performers and nearly half a million visitors. This larger event is preceded by the citywide Buenos Aires Tango Championship, held every May — this year from the 8th to the 19th.

Julio Balmaceda & Corina de la Rosa dancing tango — courtesy of Festivales de Buenos Aires

Bailongo in Buenos Aires

Although today considered one of the country’s most sophisticated cultural exports, tango was born at the end of the 19th century in the working class portside neighborhood of La Boca. An immigrant community of mostly struggling, single European men meant there was a dearth of women at the time.

Men danced with each other to practice for the day they might have the chance to seduce one of the few single ‘ladies of the night’ available. Because of tango’s early association with crime, the outlaw language of lunfardo and poverty, upper crust Argentines originally turned up their noses at the dance.

Once the sounds and moves of tango exploded in Europe in the early 20^th century, wealthy and middle class Argentines co-opted the once underground sound and began composing more purified tangos, bringing the sexy dance into their ballrooms.

Since the 1990’s tango has experienced a new renaissance in Buenos Aires and worldwide. UNESCO included tango on their Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2009.

Throughout the festival there is a variety of open milongas allowing the public to dance to the live sounds of traditional tango orchestras, tangotronica DJ’s and tango-inspired fusión groups .

Among the living tango greats who have hit the stage here are Saúl Cosentino with his avant-garde tango tunes akin to Piazolla; Bandoneon virtuoso, Julio Pane; and composer and the former bandoneonist for Alfredo Gobbi, Alberto Garralda. Other performances include an homage to Grammy winner, Leopoldo Federico, who performed at last year’s Tango Festival and then died at 87 a few months later, and a retrospective of Russian tango of the ’20s and ’30s performed by the Belamor Kanal Quartet. Bringing more modern tango sounds are acts such as Cumbre de Contrabajista (Summit of Stand-up Bassists) and French composer, guitarist and singer, Brian Chambouleyron (on a double bill with the aforementioned Alberto Garralda).

For those who dream to dance tango like they own the floor, the festival hosts dance classes and talks with local dancefloor legends such as Milena Plebs, Sebastián Arce, María Nieves, Julio Balmaceda y Corina de la Rosa, Fernando Galera, Vilma Vega and 82-year-old Juan Carlos Copes.

World Tango Competition

The festival culminates in the Tango World Cup in which the world’s best tangueros compete on stage for prestige and cash prizes in the Salon Tango and Stage Tango Competitions at Luna Park.

All the activities and shows at the Tango Festival are free. Tickets for Tango World Cup are first come, first serve, and will be given out at the Casa de Cultura, Av. de Mayo 575. There is a two ticket limit per person. The 2019 date to pick up tickets has not yet been announced.

For all other limited seating events, tickets are given out beginning two hours before the show.

To see a day-by-day breakdown of the Tango Festival events and the World Championship Dance competition see the Buenos Aires Culture Department’s official webpage linked below.

Tango BA 2019: Citywide championship competition

May 8-19

Buenos Aires Tango Festival & World Cup 2019

August 8-21,
Buenos Aires Culture Department Festival Page
• Tel: . 0-800-333-7848 (Mon-Fri 10a.m.-8p.m)

→ Get in touch with us to ask about Argentina Vacation Packages

→ Check out other tango tours and activities to learn the dance or check out the city’s milongas with a local.

→ Book safe airport transfer and reserve your accommodation online to save money — visitors get the 21% VAT tax back when you book online with a credit card.

→ See our suggestions, ‘What to Pack for Argentina.‘

Tango Festival Venues

Downtown

•Luna Park
Av. Corrientes y Bouchard
• Tel: 5279-5279
• Bus: 4, 6, 20, 22, 23, 26, 28, 33, 45, 50, 54, 56, 61, 62, 74, 91, 93, 99, 105
• Subway: Línea B, L.N. Alem stop

•Teatro Colón
Cerrito 628

Bus: 5,9,10,17,24,26,45,59,67,70,75,99,100,106,132,146
Subte: Line D: Tribunales stop; Line B: Carlos Pellegrini stop; Line C: Diagonal Norte stop

•Teatro Astral
Av Corrientes 1639

Bus:5,6,7,23,24,26,37,50,60,102,115,124,146,150,180
Subte: Line D, Callao; Line B Uruguay stop or 9 de Julio; Line C Diagonal Norte

La Boca

• Usina del Arte
Av. Don Pedro de Mendoza 501 (corner of A. Caffarena)
Bus: 4, 8, 20, 25, 29, 33, 53, 64, 86, 129, 130, 152, 159, 168, 195

•Museo del Cine
Agustín Caffarena 51
Bus:4, 8, 20, 25, 29, 33, 46, 53, 64, 86, 129, 130, 152, 159, 168, 195

•Teatro de La Ribera/La Milonga del Dique
Av. Don Pedro de Mendoza 1821
Bus:8, 20, 25, 29, 33, 46, 53, 64, 86, 129, 152, 159

Caballito

•Espacio Cultural Adán Buenosayres
Av. Asamblea 1200

Almagro

La Catedral
Sarmiento 4006

•Espacio Cultural Julián Centeya
Ave. San Juan 3255

Villa Urquiza

•Teatro 25 de Mayo
Av Triunvirato 4444
Bus: 71, 112, 114, 127, 133, 176
Subte: Line B, Echeverría Stop

Murga Madness: Carnival in Buenos Aires

Carnival does not just happen in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro or Argentina’s Gualeguaychú. For anyone who’s missed the boat— or bus — to the bigger carnivals, or can’t be torn away from the city’s hustle, Carnaval Porteño (Buenos Aires’ Carnival) is back and better than ever.

The free festivities take place on Saturdays and Sundays from the first week in February, as well as on Carnival holidays, this year (2020) on the February 24th and 25th.

→ Going to Brazil? Book tickets to the Samba Parade at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro

Murgas – The Basics

Dozens of barrios (neighborhoods) in the city have their own celebrations, with over 100 murgas (bands of marching percussionists and dancers) taking to the streets.

What’s different about Buenos Aires’ carnival is that it isn’t one long parade — the action happens within the confines of 35 gated-off street sections around the city. This has the benefit of dispersing the crowds so no one is stuck way out straining their neck to see who’s banging which drum. The celebrations may be less grandiose than other South American carnivals, but the party spirit is by no means lacking.

Each Buenos Aires’ murga carries an often silly or self-deprecating name that includes its home barrio, such as ‘Los Chiflados de Boedo‘ (The Crazies of Boedo); Los Viciouso de Almagro (The Vicious of Almagro); ‘Los Audaces of Bajo Belgrano‘ (The Audacious of Lower Belgrano); ‘Los fantoches de Villa Urquiza‘ (The Loud-Mouths of Villa Urquiza); and one of the city’s largest murgas ‘Los Amantes de La Boca‘ (The Lovers of La Boca).

A murga is characterized by the bombo con platillo, a special type of drum with a cymbal, originally brought to Argentina by Spanish immigrants. A pumping beat provides backing for murgueros (participants in the murga) who sing, dance and wave flags with a festive mix of artistic and political expression.

As if the drums aren’t enough to burst all eardrums in the vicinity, deafening chants are bellowed above the hubbub. Content ranges from group introductions to political messages called críticas — only the finest tuned Spanish ears are able to tell the difference.

With an approach to brightness and color similar to a two-year old let loose on the paints, brilliantly decorated faces grin at the crowds. Costumes, consisting of a suit, gloves, top hat and cane, are lovingly embroidered for months before carnival season by a host of murguero mothers. At the show, the shiny, sparkling results swish along so fast it’s hard to see where one sequined hat ends and the other begins.

A sea of onlookers get down to the beat, feet tapping with impeccable Latin timing whilst gaggles of small children spray each other, and everyone else in range, with canned foam. Giggling adolescents join in, using their aerosols to flirt with school friends.

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History of Carnival in Buenos Aires

The Argentine carnival tradition grew at the end of the 18^th century when a mix of immigrants used dance and song as a way to express disenchantment with their social situation. The subsequent murgas that sprang from this ‘breaking of the chains’ typically involved the working classes and were used as a way to laugh at those in power — the attire worn in Carnaval Porteño, with the top hat and suit get-up, originated from slaves poking fun at their masters.

Originally murgas tended to be ethnically divided. Freed African slaves and their descendants would have a separate murga from Italians or Galicians. This changed in the 1930s when murgas began to form by neighborhoods rather than nationalities or religion.

Dancers in Buenos Aires Carnival of African Descent — Afro-Argentines celebrating carnival in Buenos Aires

These days, murgas — still highly politically charged — are a way for communities to come together to express themselves. Each group has its own name and costume linked to its barrio (many murgas are connected to the government, while others choose to be independent). Groups can be found practicing in their barrio’s main squares during the year and neighbors often come along for some light entertainment and some heavy drumming.

Gustavo Arcangelo, a 29-year-old independent murga member describes the variety of people in his group ‘Espíritu Cascabelero de Lanús’:

“Last year there were some pregnant girls in our group, so this year they’ve brought their five or six-month old babies. Our oldest member is 40. Everyone dances together, we don’t discriminate, after all we all travel to the murgas on the same bus.”

Things haven’t always been as inclusive. In the past women weren’t allowed to dance with men, and were not permitted to wear the same clothes.

During the military dictatorship of 1976 -1983 it looked as if the carnival spirit was about to be stamped out forever. The traditional two-day holiday was annulled and although murgas weren’t expressly forbidden, it was almost impossible for them to continue. They were only allowed to take place in closed areas, and people had to pay to enter. “They stole the feeling of murgas by making profit out of them,” says Arcangelo, of the murgas during the dictatorship.

Murgas Today

A return to democracy brought about a carnival revival. Workshops and courses were introduced to teach people how to be murgueros. This helped to expand the murga tradition and include those who previously weren’t involved, such as women and the middle classes.

Argentine rock and roll Gods also propelled carnival into popular culture with murga influenced rhythms in songs such as ‘El Murguero’ by Los Autenticos Decadentes; “Verano de 92” by Los Piojos and ‘Carnaval Todo la Vida’ by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. Bringing this style of music to the masses worked — in 1997 murgas were given ‘Cultural Heritage’ status by the City of Buenos Aires.

Today, a million and a half people in Buenos Aires take to the streets to enjoy the festivities.

The current government continues to invest in murgas. Ex-president Cristina Kirchner — who was never one to turn down an excuse for a holiday — reinstated the two-day carnival holiday nationwide in 2011.

It’s safe to say that the spirit of carnival is working its way back into the mainstream and while the drum and crowd-averse may disagree, carnival-lovers feel this is yet more cause for celebration.

“Although there are bad things in the world, the murga shows that you always have to keep going, keep fighting, express yourself and tell the world that you want change,” says murguero Arcangelo. “And of course, put on a bit of color.”

So grab the face paints, get those feet tapping and take to the streets to join in the fun.

— by Rosie Hilder

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