December takes its toll, and with it come the days for organizing Christmas dinners and other events. In these events, the table takes center stage.

However, 2023 was a particularly difficult year, marked by unemployment, which forced thousands of Ecuadorians to leave their country and take difficult paths in order to find better life opportunities.

Nobody’s generation

In particular, schools and the education system become spaces of inequality when not everyone can pay the entertainment fee or almost no one can cover the cost of costumes or gifts. These days, the teaching staff of educational units manage to hold events with the lowest possible costs.

When the story of the birth of Jesus is told, it is remembered that shepherds and kings – upon learning of his arrival – gave him gifts. But consumption and marketing used that image and today surround us in a wave of emotions from which no one escapes. Therefore, families dream of financial resources to acquire details that express gratitude, love or respect for their people.

Efficient consumption

In such circumstances, if the essence of Christmas is humility and sharing, that spirit can be reinforced by Andean customs, such as pampamesa.

Pampamesa is characterized by a spread tablecloth on which local products are placed, cooked in the spirit of community cooperation or brought as a contribution from each family. La pampamesa is a place to eat and celebrate.

Pampamesa is distributed during raymis, mingas or festivals in Andean cities. For the pampamesa, everyone contributes according to their abilities, but everyone eats equally. It is a tradition in which the action of equality is expressed in the invitation to all members, without distinction, and the anonymous contribution of products. Help is provided as much as each family can provide; and, if there are no tangible resources, he participates with his time and labor in the tasks required by the pampamesa.

Contempt for utopia

2024 will be the year of Saywa

The exchange of gifts can be less material and a more permanent exchange. In various cultures, exchange – which does not necessarily have to be monetary – is an expression of respect and love between community members; Products are exchanged, but also time, hours or working days to help others.

With time and commercial interest, exchanging gifts means going into debt to acquire good and thus amuse everyone. But that little debt today will turn into future shortfalls. So perhaps the Christmas spirit can be strengthened by the Andean traditions of pampamese and bartering.

Because, finally, Jesus was born in a stable, in the most humble space and in circumstances of migration and poverty. Therefore, let’s make pampamesa and exchange intentions more than material goods, and remember that investing every penny wisely is also an act of love. (OR)