La Novena

La Novena is a tradition celebrated in Colombia the nine evenings in the run up to Christmas. It's centred around dinner, and includes prayers, carols and a lot of Hail Mary's. Most Colombians know all the prayers and hymns by rote, but for those who don't, major food companies supply handy Novena hymn books in their pizza / instant noodle / spam boxes which include some lovely suggestions for what dishes to make with their products. 

Children love la Novena, but even my 20- and 30-something friends have Novena parties.  I wish I'd been to one of those.  Instead, my Novena baptism was me and one other lady in whose house I was staying.  First she watched me eat my dinner (prepared earlier by the maid) and then we said alone in the silent sitting room, where she made me read prayers, sing songs I've never heard and shake a maracas, all in the name of the coming of the Baby Jesus.  And these carols aren't a patch on Once in Royal.  They're horrible.  It went on for about 45 minutes and was one of the strangest, most awkward moments of my time here so far.  

@Colombian Friends: If there are no children in your home, you're fewer than 4 people, no one is drinking, your guest is English, and has no idea what this is, reign it in!