Celebrating Christmas Eve in Lima, Peru

Throughout Peru, Christmas Eve (Noche Buena) is most important, with a festive atmosphere in the streets, while Christmas day the cities appear deserted as most choose to spend the day with family and businesses stay closed. This dichotomy holds true in Lima, where on Christmas Eve, roving street vendors and pop-up street fairs suddenly appear from nowhere in great numbers, eager to showcase the year’s must-have toys and decorations.

After bringing their roast turkeys back from the stone ovens of the community bakeries, locals indulge in traditional Christmas Eve dinners followed by hot chocolate and panetón, the airy local fruitcake.

Aside from dinner, champagne, panetón, and hot chocolate, one of the most traditional ways to celebrate Christmas Eve is to set off the firecrackers and fireworks sold by so many street vendors this time of year. In fact, you’ll be shocked and perhaps a little frightened by the barrage of noise and lights that takes over the city around midnight.

Many times, travelers take part, but please keep in mind that the ubiquitous use of firecrackers and fireworks throughout Peru during the holidays is damaging to street and domestic animals, and thus animal lovers are trying to encourage regulations limiting it. Combined with public safety concerns, it seems like the best thing to do to ensure a festive but safe and conscientious holiday is to grab some champagne and watch the official fireworks going off in the Plaza Mayor, the main square of Lima.

Or, if you’re a big Christmas fan, you won’t want to miss the HSBC Christmas show in historic San Martin Plaza, which is eagerly awaited by locals each year. It’s a fun light show with music, dance and more- a great spectacle that lasts for over an an hour and ends with the requisite fireworks.

We hope to see you at Pirwa Inclan B&B, our hostel in Miraflores, Lima, for the holidays. Our staff is always ready to share the news about what activities are taking place throughout the city, or even just to share a drink or a meal.