Christmas is one of the year’s most important holidays in Bolivia, although in contrast to some other countries, Christmas Eve is more important than Christmas Day. While you’ll find the plazas and squares decorated with lights and large trees, most homes limit their decorations to the family’s nativity scene.

You’ll find that the streets are quite festive and crowded on Christmas Eve, with lots of people carrying freshly roasted turkeys home and shopping for last-minute gifts, firecrackers, and decorations from the street vendors and pop-up markets. You’ll also see people carrying their canastón, gift baskets of food staples, Christmas treats, and sparkling cider.