A Coffee Child’s Christmas

The Peruvian Tradition Extended To Remote Coffee Communities

History La Chocolatada

Christmas hot chocolate or ‘Chocolatada Navideña’ is the Peruvian tradition that entails handing out home-made hot chocolate, Panettone or sweet breads, and small gifts to children in schools, churches, and communities in Peru. Chocolatada Navidena is an opportunity for all people in Peru to celebrate Christmas together. It is also a chance for poorer communities to enjoy treats that are generally unobtainable for them; such as the hot chocolate, which is prohibitively expensive. In the month of December across Peru (in particular the impoverished regions around the Andes) local communities and church groups come together to provide La Chocolatada to poor children and families. Funded and arranged entirely by private businesses, families and organizations, the event includes serving the dessert as well as giving gifts and providing festive entertainment. Chocolatada Navidena is an opportunity for all people in Peru to celebrate Christmas together. It is also a chance for poorer communities to enjoy treats that are generally unobtainable for them; such as the hot chocolate, which is prohibitively expensive.

It is an event that children throughout Peru look forward to all year. The Cafe Femenino Foundation takes it one step farther by taking this tradition out to the poorest and most remote coffee communities. Most families in these areas have no way to travel into the nearest bigger towns to indulge in this tradition. So we bring it to them. Since 2004, the Cafe Femenino Foundation has traveled out to visit these remote communities to bring joy and smiles to the faces of the children and their families. In 2020 due to the pandemic, we were unable to travel to them, but the foundation still provided the funding for these communities to enjoy this annual tradition. The children and their families are so happy to see us each year and greet us with smiles, dances, games and more.