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.

Argentina Christmas Food Guide

Christmas eve in Argentina lands in the midst of the scorching summer, so holiday spreads are heavy on cold appetizers. Everyday standbys such as meat and cheese platters, empanadas, and migas, (crust-less finger sandwiches) make an appearance, but Argentina’s Christmas culinary tradition is focused on salads, fancy finger foods and special holiday dishes from the old country.

The classic summer salad, ensalada Rusia (Russian potato salad) makes it onto most family tables at Christmas. Although walnuts are pricey in Argentina, the Waldorf salad also shows up on more gourmet holiday spreads.

Common holiday appetizers include tomates rellenos — tomatoes stuffed with a rice pilaf or tuna salad. The Argentine twist on deviled eggs, huevos rellenos de pate, are filled with pâté whipped with mayonnaise. Also among the finger foods are canapes navideños, open-faced empanadas filled with ingredients such as cheese, ham, tomato, olives, and basil.

Chief among the Christmas finger food is Pionono. Made with bizcochuelo, the sponge cake is wrapped up around tuna or chicken with condiments such as sliced cheese, tomatoes, artichokes and mayonnaise or salsa golf (an Argentine invention of ketchup mixed with mayonnaise). There is also a dessert version of pionono, made with jam or dulce de leche (sweet milk spread).

Pionono, Argentine finger food, Christmas appetizer — Argentine Pionono, Photo: wiki-Carlosdisogra

Torre de panqueques (tower of pancakes), known in some areas of the country as Fiambre Alemán, is another seasonal favorite that’s mostly seen in Patagonia. It’s a cake-shaped construction of savory crepes filled with any number of ingredients including ham, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, olives and, of course, plenty of mayo.

One of the common Christmas appetizers and perhaps the most off-putting for vegetarians would have to be lengua a la vinagreta, thinly sliced cow tongue simmered in vinegar and herbs.

Though seen year-round, another common platter at Christmas is matambre relleno, a fine cut of flank steak rolled around ingredients that can include boiled eggs, carrots, artichokes, olives, and ham or chicken.

Those in the western provinces, especially Syrian and Lebanese descendants, will likely serve ñinos envueltos, literally translated as ‘wrapped children’. The flavorful stuffed meat rolls are made with thinly-sliced rump roast wrapped in grape leaves and served in a tomato wine sauce.

The Main Course: Vitel Toné, Lechón or Asado

Basic asado (barbeque) in the Argentine countryside — Argentine country Christmas meal: Lambs leg and globe squash (at the insistence of the foreigner).

Vitel Toné (veal in tuna sauce), originally known in Italian as Vitello Tonnato, was brought over by immigrants from the Piedmont region of Italy and somehow established itself as Argentina’s most traditional Christmas entree.

The labor-intensive dish contains thinly sliced veal topped with a rich sauce of tuna, mayonnaise, cream, egg yolks, white wine, anchovies and capers. The more amateur cook may replace the creamy ingredients with Casancrem, an additive-laden white cheese spread.

On rainy years, and as tradition in some families, the main course could be lechón navideño, an oven-roasted suckling pig.

But Argentina being the land of die-hard carnivores, for many nothing says Christmas like the sacramental asado (barbecue). Despite the heat, a brave asador (bbq-cook) will hold court while reverently attending to the steak, sausage, lamb, and chicken on the grill. In the countryside friends and family will congregate in the garden or patio of whomever has the most elaborate parilla set-up, while in some neighborhoods of Buenos Aires groups with limited space will set up makeshift barbecue pits on the sidewalk or in the park.

Whatever the Noche Buena (Christmas eve) brings to the table, with the calorie-laden foods, summer heat and loud all-night party, expect a tranqui (chilled-out) Christmas Day as Argentina recovers from the night before.

→ Read about: Argentina’s Traditional Christmas Desserts

→Read about: Christmas 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 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.

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 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.

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 fire 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 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.

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

Argentina being 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.

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 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.

In recent years there has been a backlash against fireworks of any kind, especially after a polar bear died at the Palermo Zoo in 2012 due to heat combined with the stress of the exploding skies. Thankfully, partly in response the to Polar Bear’s death, the 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 rural parts of the country, such as Patagonia, where they have been banned for many years.

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, need to remember 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

Private Christmas Eve parties in Buenos Aires stretch until at least 3 a.m., even in the most conservative of homes. Bars and clubs start to open at around 2-3 a.m. for Christmas Eve after-parties.

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 doing it all over again one week later, on New Year’s Eve.

The Day of Kings on January 6 marks the official end of the Christmas season in Argentina.