Not in for the giveaway, but thanks a lot for your generosity and for this thread where everyone can share their traditions. :)
I've been reluctant to write here because Christmas is not a very happy time anymore for most Venezuelans, with our country in crisis and an exodus that has so many families divided. Most of those living in what's left of what was once a rich and prosperous country can't afford traditional Christmas food (my family included), others can't afford food at all, or give what little they have to their children and resort to eating from garbage. It just doesn't feel like Christmas anymore, it's been like this the last few years and getting worse.
That said, I still love Christmas and enjoy the decoration and music, though the traditional songs often bring me to tears when I remember the the beautiful Christmases from my childhood and compare it with how everything is now.
My favorite Christmas songs that are well known in most countries are Silent Night and O Holy Night. As for traditional Venezuelan Christmas songs (whcih are called "aguinaldos") I love several and it's really difficult to pick a single favorite, but I'll leave you one I like a lot. It's called "Corre caballito" which means "Run little horse". It's from an anonymous songwriter and the version in the video is sung by the guys who popularized it, this is my favorite version. I hope you like it! :)
Corre Caballito. As for the traditional Venezuelan food, I'll leave you the wikipedia entry for our most popular Christmas dish. The funny thing is I never liked it, lol, so I was always the only one in the family eathing pasta on the Christmas dinners. :D
Hallacas. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! And those who don't celebrate Christmas, have a great time during the holiday season! :)