Family traditions, customs, and celebrations are typically passed down through generations, or sometimes created as families grow or change. One of those traditions for the Venezuelans culture is the Christmas meal.

 A typical Venezuelan Christmas meal consist of Hallacas, Pan de jamón (ham bread), Ensalada de gallina (chicken salad) and Pernil de Cochino (Pork Roast).

Hallacas one of the most common Venezuelan holiday meals. It is a meat and vegetable filled corn tamale, wrapped in smoked plantain leaves, and then cooked in boiling water. There are several regional variations prepared in a similar way.

This traditional food includes European ingredients such as raisins and olives, indigenous ingredients like corn meal colored with annatto seeds, and also African ingredients like plantain leaves used for wrapping.

There are many different stories about the Hallaca origins. The most popular one states that it was created by the slaves during the time of the colony. The slaves used the leftovers from their master’s table to make a cornmeal dough base, filled with the leftover meats, and then wrapped it in banana leaves to cook. The hallaca is a combination of several cultures.

Hallacas are the main course of the meal and requires organization and hours of preparation, but it is a family tradition, which is a celebration in itself. 

I Remember when I was growing up, everyone had a job to perform when making the hallacas. Sorting, cutting and cleaning the banana leaves, cutting the meats and cooking for the guiso, making the masa with a corn meal flower, filling the hallaca and lastly, tying the leaves with string. 

My mom’s job was making the guiso, masa and to supervise all the preparations. The meats for the guiso filler usually includes beef, pork and chicken. The guiso or meat filler was cooked one day ahead. My job was to make the round balls of dough the next day.

Even though we have lived in the United States for more than 35 years our holiday meal still consist of our Venezuelan Holiday traditions with a few newer additions. Passing the tradition on, I am walking in my mothers footsteps, and creating more beautiful holiday memories. I hope that my kids will continue this beautiful family celebration.

I enjoyed sharing my holiday traditions with you, and hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New year!

Thank you,

Rosalia