In El Salvador, like most countries in Central and South America, Christmas is a pretty big deal. It’s one of, if not the, biggest celebrations of the year. When a holiday carries that much social and religious importance, you’d be right to expect a lot of cultural traditions to go along with it. Every country and culture has its own unique traditions, but El Salvador has some especially unusual ones. If visiting a Salvadorian restaurant has gotten you interested in the culture, there are a lot of fascinating traditions to check out.

Learn about holiday traditions in El Salvador and then head over to the nearest Salvadorian restaurant, California Burrito!

Midnight Celebrations

In El Salvador, the Christmas celebrations kick off at midnight on Christmas Eve. These include giving food and gifts and going out into the street to hug your neighbors. There are also huge fireworks displays all over the country, ringing in the holiday with a bang!

Christmas Day Beach Trip

As a tropical country, El Salvador enjoys warm weather all year round, including the end of December. Therefore, it is common to take a trip to the beach at Christmastime. Beaches are packed on Christmas Day with Salvadorians celebrating the holiday and enjoying time with their families.

New Holiday Outfits

Salvadorians have a unique holiday tradition called “El Estreno,” which is wearing a new outfit on Christmas Eve. They carefully select their new clothes and many people wear them on their first day back at work or school in January. This tradition is a way to be well-dressed for Christmas and also to have a fresh start in the New Year.

All the Leftovers

A lot of cooking goes on in El Salvador during the holidays, especially leading up to Christmas. Every family makes traditional dishes and cherished family recipes, resulting in an unbelievable amount of food. And that’s not even taking into account all the food they receive from relatives and neighbors. Because of all that food, Salvadorians have leftovers, or recalentados, for days.

Taste the Tradition at the Nearest Salvadorian Restaurant!

Salvadorian food is not only delicious but also laden with tradition. If you’ve never experienced Salvadorian food, you need to get yourself to your nearest Salvadorian restaurant, which happens to be California Burritos! Try our pupusas and start celebrating!

Visit one of our locations in Nashua, Hudson, or Manchester!