Chocolatadas and panetón

Last night I participated in my first (of what is soon to be many) Peruvian chocolatada. A chocolatada is a Christmas tradition here that basically means having a holiday get-together where hot chocolate is made and served. Approximately every possible group of Peruvians will host a chocolatada at some point during the Christmas season (i.e. every school, association, government office, family, church, etc.). My group of señoras tejedoras (women who knit) were nice enough to invite me to their annual Christmas party. 

It was a typical Peruvian fiesta: all the guests sat around the edge of the room in pre-located chairs, we chatted, Christmas(?) music played on the stereo, we waited literally two hours for all the guests to arrive, then the hostess walked around the circle of chairs and served each person a piece of candy, a mug of hot chocolate, and a piece of panetón. We sat in our chairs, ate/drank, chatted some more, and then we went home happy as can be. This sitting and serving process is standard order of business for any, holiday or non-holiday, Peruvian party. 

You could tell this particular party was Christmas-themed because of three factors: 1) the holiday decorations around the room; 2) the delicious hot chocolate (made the right way with real chocolate melted in warm milk); and 3) the panetón. What, you might ask, is panetón? Panetón is the single item that outstrips hot chocolate as the key Peruvian Christmas staple. It is essentially a large, cylindrical, sold-in-a-box, incredibly dry, mass-produced fruit cake. And it is everywhere! Panetón is, to say the least, not my favorite holiday delicacy. I would much rather be spending December somewhere where Christmas cookies and/or santa-shaped Russel Stovers lined the walls of every store in town, but unfortunately my lot this year is panetón-covered Cajabamba. 

But in truth, aside from the panetón-heavy and cookie-lacking situation, Cajabamba's looking pretty cheery. There are Christmas decorations all around the plaza, including stand-up lighted shapes and even a couple reindeer. 

The municipality has spent what must be a significant chunk of its annual budget to ensure it has the swankiest and most color-coordinated decorations in town, including the miniature stable installed in the main courtyard for its nativity scene. And Christmas trees (albeit fake ones - Mom, you would be so pleased) and garlands are sold on every corner. With a week to go, Cajabamba is in the full swing of Christmas.