When you're not “home for the holidays”

Some of the workers staying at the dorm facility at the Prairieland Investment Group “Center for Excellence” are, from left, Jorge Solano and Ana Rely, both of Mexico, Einar DuPlessis of South Africa, Ana Gabriela “Gabi” Leon of Guatemala, Luis Barzola of Ecuador, brothers Ettienne and Adriaan DuToit, and Theo Joubert, all of South Africa.

Christmas is a time of family and traditions.

Nine employees of Professional Swine Management (PSM) are spending the holidays in Carthage away from their homes back in South Africa, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico. A total of 97 international workers for PSM, a subsidiary of Carthage Veterinary Service, are a long way from both their families and their customary celebration of the holidays.

“This will be my first Christmas without family,” said Ana Gabriela “Gabi” Leon of Guatemala. “Will I miss them? Oh, yes. We will be talking on the phone.”

“Will you cry?” teased her co-worker, Theo Joubert of South Africa, one of the oldest in the group of nine living in the dorm facilities of PSM in Carthage.

“Yes, I probably will,” retorted Gabi. “And I think we will be seeing Theo crying on the phone, too.”

Most of these workers have been in the Carthage for six to nine months, and have created a new “family” bond with the others staying on campus. Because they work with livestock, they must work on Christmas.

“We are all working that day, but we will go to work early, around 4 a.m., and then we will get done by noon,” Theo said.

At first glance, Christmas customs are similar whether in Carthage, Central America or South Africa with trees, gifts and food. But start talking details and the differences begin to show.

“We are all waiting for the birth of Christ,” said Luis Barzola of Equador. Celebrations at his home focus on midnight of Christmas Eve.

Luis explains: “At about 6 p.m. on Dec. 24, we get dressed up and go visit family. We might have some hot chocolate and then go to church. At midnight there is a big meal. It is like your Thanksgiving, because there is always turkey. It can be shared with any other kinds of food, but the important thing is turkey.

“In our country there is more emotion shown because Christmas is coming. I don't see that here,” Luis added.

The whole period of celebrating Christmas is shorter, without the American tradition of Thanksgiving, which makes an early start for Christmas, he said.

“Some houses put up some lights, but not every house on the block,” Theo said.

The Mexican holiday feast centers around turkey and pork, said Jorge Solano of Mexico. “There are salads, desserts and cakes of different flavors.”

“We eat a lot of cookies,” added Anna Rely, also of Mexico, “and ‘ponche'.”

Solano helped interpret: “That is a drink with chunks of pineapple and apples, coconut and cinnamon.”

In Guatemala, the feast centers around tamales, Gabi added.

“In South Africa, all the meats you can mention will be on the table - beef, lamb and chicken. There is a big home cooked meal. They start cooking about Dec. 23,” said Theo.

“Father Christmas” comes to visit the South African children on Christmas Eve, said Einar DuPlessis. In Guatemala, it is Santa Claus.

Gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve in Mexico and most of the Central America countries. With the big meal at midnight, Christmas Day is much quieter with a large breakfast later in the morning.

Traditions continue on to New Years Day.

“At many homes, shot guns go off and fireworks at midnight,” said Jorge, about New Years in Mexico.

Luis described the streets in Equador at midnight.

“People make big dolls out of paper and wood. At midnight, they light little fireworks inside the dolls, and all the dolls are burning in the streets,” he said. “People also wear different colored underwear on New Years, to bring love or money in the new year. So of course, all the stores have special sales on underwear before New Years. We also have all new clothes for New Years Day.”

For Gabi, a New Year's tradition is carrying in boughs and eating grapes.

“At midnight on New Years, we eat 12 grapes and make 12 wishes for the year,” Gabi said.

While these visitors to the United States are missing their home traditions, they are learning about customs here. There is a Christmas tree in their lounge/living room area of the dorm.

“We are talking about making some traditional holiday foods from our home countries for a meal together,” Gabi said.

“We should do that, for after we get back from work,” agreed Theo. They will miss their families far away, but sharing the time with their new family of friends in Carthage will create some unique holiday memories.