holidays | Wander Argentina

Authentic Argentine Gifts Found Online

If you can’t be in Argentina to bring a souvenir back to your loved ones this year, fear not! From cultural souvenirs to personal gifts, we’ve compiled a list of the most authentic Argentine gifts that you can buy online.

Whether you’re buying for someone reminiscing about their holiday in Argentina, have an Argentine in your life, or are looking for something special to wow friends and family back home, these cultural gift ideas include something for everyone.

If they’re not already lovers of Argentina then they sure will be after receiving one of these meaningful and unique Argentina-inspired gifts.

*this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase we get a small commission at no extra cost to you

Alfajores & Dulce de Leche

Argentines are the number one consumer of alfajores, and it’s a country where dulce de leche is added to pretty much any dessert.

Argentina has many delicious confections perfect for any sweet-tooth. These sweet treats are a great stocking stuffer idea, or you could buy a box to take to an event or as a little portable treat for friends.

• Alfajores Havana variety box

• Alfajores Jorgitos

• Dulce de leche stocking stuffer

• Flavored dulce de leche — For a new twist on traditional dulce de leche for the true sweet-toothed connoisseur, there are specialty food companies that sell flavored dulce de leche — that’s a new idea!

• Cachafaz Alfajores de Maicena – Many people’s favorite brand of alfajores is a slightly different type, consisting of two cornstarch cookies, a dulce de leche filling, rolled in grated coconut.

• Or you could really treat someone this Christmas with a special gourmet Argentine Dulce de Leche & Alfajor Gift Basket

Argentina-Related Foodie Gifts

Argentine cuisine is delicious, hearty and influenced by Spanish and Italian-style dishes.

A cookbook of Argentine recipes is not only a thoughtful and personal gift for the foodie in your life, but if you’re lucky enough you might find yourself being treated to a delicious home-cooked Argentine dish yourself!

Even if you have someone in mind that isn’t perhaps the most talented chef but still a big foodie, an authentic jar of the famous Argentine chimichurri steak sauce will bring the taste of Argentina to the table without them having to spend the time and fuss in the kitchen.

Another fabulous gift for food lovers is a ‘picada’ board. A picada is a wonderful Argentine tradition of serving a platter of charcuterie, cheese and olives — perfect as an appetizer or for entertaining friends and family during the festive season.

And what is Argentine cuisine without mentioning the famous asado. For the asado fanatics, a unique gaucho style steak knife is the perfect gift.

• The Food and Cooking Of Argentina: 65 Traditional Recipes from the Heart of South America — A compilation of some of Argentina and South America’s best recipes

• Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way — Learn to cook Argentine asado like an expert

• Authentic Chimichurri Steak Sauce — You can’t forget the yummy meat sauce, chimichurri!

• Dulce de Leche: Recipes, Stories and Sweet Traditions — All the dulce de leche recipes you can think of for Argentina’s favorite sweet spread.

• Handcrafted Gaucho Style Steel Steel Knife

• Cheese/Charcuterie Board with Knife Set

• This Argentina Coffee Gift Basket maybe a little kitschy but as a gift that includes gourmet coffee along with tango-themed coasters and mug…what’s not to love?

Wine Glasses & Decanter

Argentina is also increasingly famous for its wines as well as its cuisine, and the festive season certainly isn’t the same without a few bottles of that on hand!

Whether for a wine-connoisseur or someone who just appreciates a good tipple, these wine gifts are a wonderful way to accompany a bottle of Argentine Malbec this Christmas.

• Set of four wine glasses

• Stemless glasses set of two

• Gold rimmed flute champagne glasses to bring in the new year

• Set of four flute crystal champagne glasses

• Last but not least, a wine decanter with a built-in Aerator for the wanna-be sommelier in your life

Classic Penguin Pitcher

If going home for Christmas, a traditional Pingüino-shaped beverage pitcher is a fun gift. It may seem odd but it’s something that rings true to Argentine culture as the steak houses traditionally used the penguin-shaped pitchers to serve their house wine.

The larger version of these quirky serving pitchers aren’t available online but the penguin coffee creamer jugs are a close second and make for a very unique present for the coffee and/or penguin lover in your life.

• Penguin coffee creamer

Yerba Mate Kit: The Gift of Health!

True Argentina lovers know that Yerba Mate (read all about it on our post!) is not just a staple drink of everyday life. It is an embodiment of Argentine culture tied with many customs and traditions.

What better gift is there to receive than something that is a true taste of Argentine culture, as well as having tons of health benefits?

• Yerba Mate Gourd (cup) and bombilla (straw) and don’t forget the organic loose leaf Yerba Mate

• Yerba Mate Starter Kit

Argentina-Related Books

Being the literature capital of South America, Buenos Aires is home to uncountable writers. From romance novels to philosophical works, there is something for every book lover. We’ve picked out the best must-reads to suit the taste of any bookworm in your life, including some older classics but also the best emerging writers in Argentine literature today.

• Or why not gift a loved one the experience of getting lost on a literary trip to Argentina with one of these 10 best books set in Buenos Aires, which include the literature classics of Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar?

• Bruce Chatwin is an English writer and journalist who ended up spending six months in the wilderness of Patagonia. His book ‘In Patagonia’ is an account of his travels and not only includes witty anecdotes but also explores the history of the region. Perfect for those wanting to travel to Patagonia themselves!

• The novel ‘My Fathers’ Ghost is Climbing in the Rain’ (audiobook or paperback) is written by award-winning Argentine author Patricio Pon. It offers a contemporary insight to what it was like living in Argentina during the turbulent era of the dirty war and a depiction of how the younger generation to this day live with the consequences of the military dictatorship.

• ‘How I Became a Nun’ is a funny, short autobiographical novel set in the 1950s by one of Argentina’s most prolific contemporary writers, César Aira. Set in the city of Rosario, this picturesque book has a quirky plot which chronicles the story of a young child named César who refers to herself as a girl but is seen by the rest of the world as a boy.

• Samanta Schweblin is one of the best emerging writer’s out of the Latin American literary scene. Her novels challenge the border that separate the real from the surreal. Schweblin’s thrilling first novel ‘Fever Dream’ found international fame after being translated into English for the first time.

Her latest novel ‘Little Eyes: A Novel’, recommended by Oprah magazine and the New York Times and long-listed for the Booker prize, is described as the Argentine version of the Handmaid’s Tale. Schweblin’s books are wonderfully translated by American translator, Megan McDowell and both are available on Kindle, as audiobook and paperback.

Kid & Kid-Friendly Books

Younger readers, or anyone who just loves the Harry Potter series, would love author Romina Russell’s best selling book, ‘Lobizona’ (available on Kindle, as Audiobook and Paperback). The captivating book is a supernatural coming-of-age novel about young girl who is living undocumented in the United States. She stumbles upon a journey to find herself after she is invited to join a magical academy in the Everglades.

The beloved Argentine comic strip ‘Mafalda’, written by late cartoonist Quino, stars a 6-year old girl named Mafalda who reflects on humanity and the injustices of the world. The lovable character has not only captured the heart of Argentines, but has since become popular worldwide. The most iconic of the comics during the ten years Quino published them, have been captured in a beautiful collectable hardcover edition.

Many people know of Argentina’s revolutionary hero Che Guevara, but how many have read his book ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’? The Motorcycle Diaries, or Diarios de Motocicleta in Spanish, is a series of diary entries written by Guevara when he was a young student traveling around South America on his motorcycle.

This book is appropriate for teen and young adult readers. For those more into cinema than books, a DVD version of the Motocycle Diaries is also available!

You can also sign up for a 30 day FREE trial of Amazon Prime and watch it there.

Tango-Related Books

For those Tango lovers looking to learn the intricacies of the dance ready to ‘wow’ on the dance floor – we have just the selection of books!
Packed with information about the social complexity of Tango dancing, the book ‘Enjoy Getting the Dances You Want: Filling in the Blanks of Argentine Tango’ aims to get rid of any confusion with the dance and replace it with pleasure! Available on Kindle and as Paperback.

Writer and scholar, Iona Italia, better known by tango fanatics on the web as Terpsichoral Tangoaddict for her now-defunct blog, gives insight into the sometimes socially-demanding tango scene and helps readers learn about the rituals, myths and customs of the world’s most seductive dance. Her two volumes: Our Tango World vol.1: Learning & Community and Our Tango World vol.2: At the Milonga are available on Kindle and as Paperbacks.

Argentina-Themed Accessories

Lovers of Argentine Gaucho life will adore some new accessories to dress for the occasion during the festive season. Leather belts and Alpargatas, a fabric shoe with a distinctive style, are just a couple of items that epitomize authentic pampa cowboy culture.
Comfortable, affordable and practical, Alpargatas are essentially an Argentine version of slippers — the only difference being it’s acceptable to wear them outside of the house.

Inspired by the Argentine Alpargatas, Toms shoes are a modernized comfy version and make a great pressie to be worn throughout the year. What’s more, for every $3 they make, they donate $1 to charity, how’s that for some Christmas cheer?

• Womens TOMS Alpargata

• Mens TOMS Alpargata

• Argentinian Unisex Genuine Leather Belt

A store in the gaucho town of San Antonio de Areco selling traditional Argentine Alpargata shoes.

Argentina-themed Jewelry

What better way is there to express your love to that special someone this holiday season than with jewelry? Dating back to the origin of the country, silver has always been strongly associated with Argentina, even the name ‘Argentina’ evolves from the Latin word for silver ‘Argentum’.

Today, it’s impossible to go to an Artisan market without passing a stall selling delicate, ornate handcrafted jewelry with silver and usually other precious stones. One of the gemstones found most in abundance in Argentina is the Rose quartz (rhodochrosite), but other stones native to Argentina are the amethyst, topaz, agate and jasper.

• Sterling Silver and Rhodochrosite Ring

• Argentina Rhodochrosite Semi Precious Gemstone Bracelet

• Natural Crystal Rose Quartz Gemstone Necklace

• Sterling Silver Amethyst Gem Necklace

• Sterling Silver Gemstone Rose Quartz Drop Dangle Hook Earrings

A jewelry store in San Telmo market, Buenos Aires.

Give the Gift of Music

Bring music to one’s ears (literally) at Christmas or anytime with this collection of CDs and Vinyls boasting great Argentine artists.

In terms of music, Argentina might best be known for Tango, but it’s also centered around other styles such as traditional Argentine folkloric music. This selection has something for every music lover: it also includes Cumbia, Ska and Indie Pop.

For the Tango fanatics, if not already part of their music collection, Astor Piazzolla’s compositions are an essential addition. Arguably one of the world’s number one composers of Tango music, Piazzolla revolutionized traditional tango.

• ‘Astor Piazzolla – The Soul Of Tango: Greatest Hits’ is available on CD.

And for the true music connoisseur, this album entitled Candombes and Milongas includes an unusual variety of tunes sung by Argentine singer and actor Alberto Castillo, another Tango legend, is perfect for under the tree.

Florindo Sassone, Argentine musician and composer, led his orchestra playing Tango music internationally for 3o years. A wonderful stocking filler for classical listeners, Sassone’s ‘ Grandes Tangos Argentinos’ can be found on CD here.

Mercedes Sosa is one of Argentina’s all time famous folklorico artists. Putting on her music makes even the most stoic Argentine break out into song after a couple of drinks. Her album ‘La Historia Del Folklore’ is available to buy as a CD.

Anyone who was around in the late 80s remembers the Grammy Award winning Latin Rock/Ska band ‘Los Fabulosos Cadillacs’, especially their big party hit ‘Matador.’ They are one of the few bands from Argentina’s 1980’s ‘Rock National’ movement whose music has stood the test of time. ‘Live at Madison Square Garden’ is available on MP3 and CD.

Juana Molina is an Argentine singer song-writer who is considered one of the country’s most famous Indie pop/Folktronica artists. She has been praised for her music and experimentation and her first live album ‘ANRMAL’ is available on MP3, CD and Vinyl.

A growing artist in the Buenos Aires Folk scene is the talented Karina Vismara. She has been compared to Joni Mitchell for her sweet voice and acoustic guitar playing – you can purchase her album ‘Casa de Viento’ on MP3 or CD here.

‘Chancha Vía Circuito’ (the DJ, Pedro Canale) fuses cumbia and electronic music with instruments and voices influenced by reggae, folklore and other cumbia music and is one of the most popular Cumbia Electronic/Tropicalia artists to date. The album Bienaventuranza is available on MP3, CD and Vinyl.

For those more into ‘nuevo cumbia’ – a cumbia fusioned with hip-hop, funk, and dance music – ‘Miss Bolivia’ is a popular artist among young listeners. Her ties to Human Rights activism are evident in her lyrics characterizing protest. Her most famous album ‘Pantera’ is available on MP3 and CD.

Gustavo Santaolalla is an Argentine musician, composer and record producer. He is also famous for the soundtracks of films such as Brokeback Mountain, Babel, the aforementioned Motorcycle Diaries, as well as the score of the well-known video game The Last of Us, which is available on MP3, CD & Vinyl.

Although not Argentine, the famous soprano opera singer Maria Callas made her Buenos Aires debut in the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and luckily for Callas fans there is a much-loved recording on CD: Maria Callas: Unknown Teatro Colon Recordings

Soccer Gifts & Regalia

With the Argentine soccer team considered one of the best in the world, having produced stars like Messi and the recently-deceased Maradona, Argentina soccer merch is perfect not just for lovers of Argentina, but football fanatics and kiddies will also get a kick out of these gifts.

• Soccer Argentina Anthem World Cup Top

• Argentina Futbol Soccer Retro Black T-shirt

• Argentina Soccer Knit Scarf

• Argentina Soccer La Boca Juniors T-shirt

• Argentina Soccer River Plate T-shirt

• Argentina #10 Home Soccer Kids Jersey & Short Set

• Argentina Soccer Teams Personalized Coffee Mug

Typical Argentine Decorative Art: Fileteado

For a true taste of Buenos Aires culture, Argentina’s cool ornamental art makes for a very memorable gift. Consisting of bright colors and artistic lettering, fileteado is a decorative art born in Buenos Aires. It’s traditionally seen on street signs, taxis and buses.

Now you can buy a special someone their own piece of Buenos Aires decor! Or bring a little touch of Argentina to the tree decorations with a unique Christmas ornament.

• Argentine Fileteado Style Placemat Set

• Bronze Argentina Map Christmas Ornament

• Or buy an actual piece of Argentine Fileteado Porteño

A basic fileteo banner design on an old Buenos Aires bus — A basic fileteo banner on an old Buenos Aires bus

Give a Trip to Argentina!

Last but not least, you could really go above and beyond this Christmas by treating that special someone to an unforgettable trip to Argentina.

Nothing can beat the feeling of giving someone the experience of a lifetime and creating cherished memories together. Argentina will be open to travel again soon if no more surprises come up.

Read more about getting flights to Argentina here and don’t forget your Buenos Aires and Argentina guidebooks!

— Tilly Dale

Foto of the Week: Flower Power on Spring Day

Business was booming for florist, Elena Regalado on Día de la Primavera, the first day of spring. Argentina celebrates the holiday (which coincides with Student’s Day) on September 21, two days before the actual Spring Equinox. It is a day in which young people get together to celebrate, and it is one of the year’s biggest days for flower sellers. To witness Buenos Aires’ real passion for nature’s blossoms, head to the flower market in Almagro, one of the largest flower markets in the world.

Haunted Buenos Aires: Ghost Stories of the City

Buenos Aires is a lively metropolis but it has a spooky side. Parts of the city were constructed on top of old burial grounds, soldiers died on the streets of San Telmo while fighting the English, torture occurred in secret prisons during the Dirty War, and a central tourist attraction is a VIP cemetery.

While Argentina’s capital city has plenty of ghost stories, Halloween is seen by many citizens as a holiday that embodies U.S. cultural imperialism – something to keep in mind for those considering trick or treating on All Hallows’ Eve.

Halloween & All Saint’s Day in Argentina

In Argentina, October 31 is All Saints’ Eve. And while Mexico celebrates Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, on November 1st, here that day is known as All Saints’ Day, a solemn Catholic holiday.

Traditionally, commemoration of the dead ends on November 2, Día de los Flores (Flowers Day), when families take flowers to graves of loved ones, although this once important occasion has fallen out of favor.

While a daylong early November outing to the graveyard may not very common in Buenos Aires anymore, some of the dearly departed insist on not being forgotten.

Here’s a run-down of some of Buenos Aires’ most famous haunted locations:

Recoleta Cemetery

Junín 1790
Recoleta

Recoleta cemetery is the home to the remains of the country’s founding families, 26 Argentine presidents and of course, Eva Perón.

The most well-known Recoleta Cemetery ghost story dates to the early 20th century. It is the tragic case of 19-year-old socialite, Rufina Cambaceres who died suddenly while preparing to see a show at the Colón Theater. She was transported to the cemetery by horse-drawn carriage on a rainy day after her death in 1902. Due to the weather, workers left her casket in the cemetery’s chapel to be interred later.

The next day, a worker discovered the casket had been moved and the lid was out of place.

Suspecting a grave robbing, the family asked that the casket be opened. When the lid was lifted, Rufina still had her jewelry in place, but the inside of the casket had been scratched and Rufina’s extremities were bruised.

The grave of Rufina Cambaceres in Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina — The tomb of Rufina Cambaceres, the ‘girl who died twice.’

The horrible truth was then revealed: she had been buried alive and tried to scratch her way out of the casket in a panic.

She had suffered an attack of cataplexy, which causes a comatose-like state, leading doctors to mistakenly believe she was dead.

In fact, she died in the casket of a heart attack, due to lack of air and panic.

Those who visit Rufina’s resting place will see that there is a life-size Art Nouveau statue of the young woman, with her hand on the door to her own mausoleum, a family tribute to ‘the girl who died twice.’

Chacarita Cemetery

Guzmán 680
Chacarita

Buenos Aires second most famous cemetery and its largest is National Cemetery, Chacarita. Founded in 1887 in response to the Yellow Fever epidemic, when trains full of corpses were brought here daily, the Chacarita Cemetery is far creepier than Recoleta’s, with overgrown grounds, abandoned catacombs, an abundance of cobwebs — all set to a soundtrack of leaves shuddering in the trees.

Here tango great Carlos Gardel rests, along with founder of the Argentine Air Force, Jorge Newbery and an array of less famous, but equally mortal immigrants and Argentines.

The ghost stories associated with the cemetery include the hanged man in the tree, the phantom taxi driver with the license RIP 666, and ghostly apparitions of race car driver, Juan Manuel Fangio, who is also buried here.

This graveyard is so scary, they say if you dare to go here after midnight you may end up staying forever.

El obelisco during its construction in 1937 — The Obelisco in 1937 when safety regulations weren’t what they are today.

The Obelisk

9 de Julio & Corrientes
Downtown

The most emblematic landmark of Buenos Aires, El Obelisco, is said to be haunted by the spirit of a fallen worker. While the monument was in construction in the 1930’s it was struck by lighting, causing a worker to lose his footing and fall to his death. Porteño (Buenos Aires’ residents) believers say that on tempestuous nights you can still hear the scream of the worker falling to his death (or perhaps they are merely echoes of the near-daily protests here.)

Galerías Pacífico

Florida 737
Downtown

In 1990 when Galerías Pacífico was being remodeled into the beautiful shopping center that it is today, construction workers discovered 15 small cells, and names and slogans scratched into the walls.

The workers informed their union leader who made an official appeal to the government asking for an investigation of the discovery. At that point, city officials confirmed that during the Dirty War here functioned the ominous sounding ‘Clandestine Center of Detention and Extermination’ (CCDE).

A judge ordered an inspection. According to La Mañana newspaper, the day the inspection was to take place, the basement got flooded with oil from the boilers, destroying the evidence. The same judge who ordered the inspection then dismissed it, saying there was no evidence to investigate, and the building’s remodel continued as before.

Official pardons from then-president Carlos Menem ensured that no ex-officers who worked in the clandestine prison would face justice either.

With the evidence destroyed and the investigation dropped, the dark history of Galerías Pacífico never got much attention.

The case reemerged in 1994 though, when Portuguese TV cameraman, Arturo Santana came to film a publicity spot for the shopping mall. He had previously testified that while working in Buenos Aires in 1976 he was hooded, handcuffed, kidnapped off the street and forced into a Ford Falcon (the favored car of the military regime) and taken to a dank basement somewhere downtown for five days.

Although he tried to repress the terrible memory, he recalled some details such as being incarcerated with a Spaniard, an Italian and an Argentine from Cordoba.

When he returned to Buenos Aires with his crew to film the mall, he took the escalator to the lower level at Galerías Pacífico and started to get a strange feeling. As he peered behind the camera he recognized distinct — and distantly familiar — tiles on the floor and suddenly became weak.

It was the same place where he was detained in 1976 before being transported to another torture camp.

Others who were detained and later regained freedom: Miguel Lamotta, Miguel Ángel Prado and Juan Carlos Comínguez never knew where they were being held at the time either, since the modus operandus of the military government was to blindfold detainees at the moment of their capture.

Santana told Pagina 12 that he wishes there was at least a plaque to acknowledge what happened here. He told the newspaper, “It’s an emblematic building where people stroll at ease, they eat, they drink, they laugh, that is, they enjoy a paradise of consumption when down there it was hell.”

The shopping center has no interest in highlighting this part of the beautiful building’s history, but some say that at night in the basement of Galerías Pacíficos, when the crowds are gone, cold drafts will overtake visitors and they can feel the sad, heavy presence of those who were presumed to lose their life in the now-lively Buenos Aires’ shopping mecca.

→ Read Haunted Buenos Aires Part II

→ Read about the Ghosts of the Buenos Aires Subway

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!

Feliz Navidad Merry Christmas card with a graphic of a Christmas tree — ‘Merry Christmas’ is “Feliz Navidad’ in Spanish.

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 on holidays, 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 after Christamas 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 celebration 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 food

→ Read about Argentina’s traditional Christmas Desserts and Sweets

→ Check out Christmas Tango Shows in Buenos Aires

Foto of the Week — Waiting for the Bus in Buenos Aires

The abundance of feriados, or holidays, in Argentina is great — until you have to wait for the bus to get home. The limited schedule on Sundays and holidays means that one could wait more than an hour. These tired girls are waiting at 5 a.m. on Corrientes Avenue on the anniversary of the death of General José de San Martín. For more information about how to take a bus in Buenos Aires see: ‘How to take a bus in Buenos Aires.’