On Christmas Eve, some families drink eggnog by the fireplace, while Latine households sip ponche or coquito. For us Latines, the holidays are a whole different kind of magic—one that’s as colorful and wholesome as any other—but ours come with our own set of traditions.
Christmas time in a Latine family’s home is as dynamic as your favorite telenovela. Relatives are looking for el chisme in every corner, while others are trying to make sure that there’s enough food and Coca-Colas for everyone, only to end up with too much of everything (como siempre). All the primas and primos are ready to queue their own special Navidad playlist. Yet, the holiday never lacks warmth and joy. This colorful chaos is unmistakably ours.
Content creator, social media influencer, and comedian Jonathan “Joni” Vasquez knows firsthand about prepping for a Latine Christmas. With characteristic comedic timing, below, he showcases his favorite moments of the holiday.
This season, Remezcla and Coca-Cola present Joni’s favorite holiday moments, offering extra laughs and warmth as we celebrate La Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) and El Recalentado (the Christmas morning leftover feast).
Joni brings Latine holiday traditions to life by blending humor with practical advice, like how to answer your tía’s 101 questions by complimenting her, creating a moment between you both that can be taken to a new level with a cold Coca-Cola.
Creating a Vibe
Like many Latine families, Joni’s familia in Uruapan, in the Mexican state of Michoacan, holds their big Christmas fiesta on December 24 (Nochebuena). Joni loves the tradition because it sets the tone for the entire celebration.
“It’s the way you build up emotion and get everything to flow,” according to Joni. “If you start on Christmas Eve, you get into the vibe. It gets you hyped for Christmas Day, when you get even more time with family.”
For Joni, creating a vibe means “good music and games and kids running all over the house.” It’s the combination of laughter and love that brings everyone together. What makes our holiday celebration unique is found in the details, like playing Christmas carols right before bringing on the cumbia bangers.
“You always need music to dance to—like Los Ángeles Azules, for sure,” he said. “All the Latine stuff—salsa, merengue, bachata—all that music that makes you move your hips. The whole environment is what makes family time beautiful. That’s what really sets the mood.”
You can feel Joni’s love for dancing when he speaks about it, and he shows it by giving us a mini dancing lesson.
Serving Up a Feast
“There has to be good food,” Joni said. “The feast is essential.”
Joni said his mom, grandma, and one of his tias handle the dinner essentials—pozole, tamales, and sometimes turkey.
“They help each other with the meal,” he said. “There can be turkey, but there has to be pozole and tamales… so it really hits. A good taco never hurts either—served with a good Coca-Cola, of course.”
Besides the first, second, and third helpings of abuelita’s tamales rojos, Joni said the leftovers the following day are always the highlight of the celebration.
“I think leftovers are something everyone in Latin America treats like a ritual after Christmas,” Joni said. “We pile on whatever’s left and reheat it. We say, ‘Alright, let’s eat the same thing for a week!'”
La Familia es Todo
Christmas really does come down to family. Sure, a never-ending supply of tamales and presents under the tree would be nice, but without your tías and tíos, abuelos, and favorite cousins, the celebration wouldn’t be the same. For Joni, the holidays are perhaps the best time to spend with family.
“As time goes on, some family members are no longer with us, and others stop coming, so you start losing that tradition,” he said. “You can’t lose the habit of visiting your family.”
Joni said he got his sense of humor from his dad, who he describes as “super spontaneous” and a “big jokester” who could always turn an everyday family get-together into a laugh fest.
“It’s part of the fun—the jokes flying everywhere,” he said. “It makes family time more enjoyable.”
No matter how you spend Nochebuena and Recalentado this year, do it with loved ones. It’s these moments, best with a Coca-Cola in one hand and a tamal in the other, that become everyone’s family memories.
