El Rezo del Niņo
  
 


by Marcelo Arroyo J.

Religious customs are still very rooted Latin American culture, and the "Rezo del Niņo" (Prayer of the child) can not go unnoticed as an example of this, as it is a tradition that dates back to the colonization of the Americas, when Spaniards shared rosaries and devotions to Jesus and the virgin Mary with the indigenous people being evangelized. The "Rezo del Niņo takes place after the conclusion of Christmas (January 10th according to the papal calendar), when the Pope blesses all nativity scenes around the world, from Rome. There are different ways to celebrate the "Rezo del Niņo", but in general, people that attend, celebrate the rosary with devotion and hope in their hearts that Jesus will be born in the heart of every human.

In Costa Rica

The "Rosario del Niņo" is a very common event in Costa Rica. It is celebrated in a big way. It is a moment when families give thanks for everything that God has granted them in the last year, and ask for the coming year to be prosperous and bring good things. Among the customs that exist, there is usually a prayer leader leading the event. This person is a well known member of the community, and a living example of faith in God. It is also very common to have a choir of children or elderly people, singing during the prayer. This element is something that adds a spirit of joy and motivates hearts. It is also common to offer guests a nice plate of food which includes, "picadillos", sweet breads, cakes, cookies, "arroz con pollo", natural fruit juices, candies, and tamales etc. The "bombetas" (literally "little bombs" they are similar to firecrackers but much louder!) can not be forgotten in the celebration as they make the neighborhood come alive and remind us with their BOOM! of our happiness and that we are taking part in a great celebration. Usually, during prayer, the children create a happy atmosphere with their joyous shouts and races, reminding us that such a sprit should reign in each of our hearts. In our experience on the afternoon of January 15th, there was a large presence of boys and girls of all ages who infected us with their joy.