What is your Christmas like?

I came back to the community I grew up, on Sao Paulo's ABC.  Some traditions have been lost ( The midnight Christimas Eve Mass is gone, or "Missa do Galo ) at my old Parochial Church.  That Church was erected way back in the days by a WWII Italian Priest, who no longer is with us. 

My neck of the woods had a huge influence from Italians, some Portuguese, Japanese, Germans.

You can tell there is some carryover on traditions, as even in my place there is some street decoration ( The one by Hospital Beneficiencia, by Avenida Portugal Santo Andre is the standout ).

People out here spend money on Gift giving, and my old street, they held a little Carol procession, which is very rare.

I spent time with my widowed mother preparing food  and setting up a make shift Three.  All my brothers and sisters, aside one, are in Massachusetts.  We follow Portuguese traditions, not Brazilian ones.

Folks on your neck of the woods  ( Brazil NE ) might follow traditions, but they just don't feel or are undertaken the same way you are used to.  But they are still a willy nilly Church going brethen, you needf to look for smaller non resort towns, where traditions are stil held. 

And the spread, at least in Sao Paulo,  might not be as elaborate as "back home".  Your dry nuts are expensive here ( walnuts @ R$ 30-40 per kilo for starters ), but they are still being offered.  The spread might include Turkey ( Brazzers don't celebrate Thanksgiving ), or Dry Cod, or Ham, and whatever else one can afford or concot.

And the radio stations here don't pump Christmas songs until you can bear no more. It's just business as usual.

Christmas here is an interlude at summer's vacations, so the vibe isn't the same.