Translated by Jesús Ronquillo / Circuito Frontera
The Christmas season was felt in Ciudad Juarez and with it, the anticipation and preparations for the traditional Christmas Eve dinners, where some border families spent up to five thousand pesos.
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Circuito Frontera went to some supermarkets to ask Juarez families what they would prepare for Christmas dinner, after a small survey some commented that the cost of the ingredients was high, however, the value of being excited with their loved ones is priceless.
Margarita Zárate, originally from Veracruz but rooted in Ciudad Juárez for 26 years, shared with her family a culinary tradition rich in flavors and family ties. With her husband, children, parents and siblings, they organized a Christmas dinner that included pork roast, cold soup, green sauce and a bonbon salad for dessert.
Although the cost of this celebration reached five thousand pesos, for Margarita, the emotional value of sharing these delicacies with her loved ones is priceless.
In the tour we observed that supermarkets in the city began to show their display of special offers and promotions for the Christmas season since two weeks ago, from the kilo of chicken at 22.99 pesos to the smoked turkey at 99.99 pesos or the kilo of dough for tamales at 14.99 pesos, while the sheet of tamales has a cost of 9.99 pesos, facilitating the preparation of traditional dishes.
But there were also those who prepared meals that did not exceed 2,000 pesos, as was the case of Raquel Santillán, a native of Ciudad Juárez, who together with her husband and 4-year-old daughter, planned a more modest but equally special Christmas dinner.
She said that the main dish consisted of chicken, mashed potatoes, cabbage salad and a cake for dessert, in which she spent around 1,500 pesos for the most awaited night of the year, as well as searching for the most affordable prices in local supermarkets to fit her budget.
The shopping list for these celebrations includes various items, from a pasta with a price range between 8 and 23 pesos, to pork leg with bone at 43 pesos a kilo, while jalapeño peppers and tomato contributed to create a Mexican dish for Christmas dinner.
Anel Rodriguez said she shared Christmas with five members of her family, as well as her choice for dinner was smoked leg, spaghetti and mashed potatoes as main dishes, as well as her dinner budget was also 1,500 pesos.
The advertising display in the supermarkets and the variety of options available have generated expectations and enthusiasm in the Juarense community.
From Margarita’s elaborate and generous dinners to the more intimate celebrations of Raquel Denisse and Anel Rodríguez, the diversity of Christmas celebrations reflects the cultural richness and deep-rooted traditions of Ciudad Juárez.
This December 25, border families will gather around their festively decorated tables, sharing not only delicious dishes, but also laughter, stories and the warm spirit of Christmas.
