(photo credit: Beatrice Murch)

Feliz Navidad! The festive season is upon us again and with the splash of purple springtime now well past, the sun is heating up for what will undoubtedly be a sweltering summer week of festive celebrations.

If you have never experienced a summer Christmas before, you're in for some distinct differences. Christmas lights don't seem to make sense as having just passed Summer Solstice means the days are at their longest; everyone is out and about in flip flops, singlets and shorts; and having a very large meal (usually meat filled) just seems to go against all logic but it is what we southern hemisphere dwellers do. 

Buenos Aires in years past has lit up with an abundance of fireworks when welcoming in Christmas Day and New Year, and while this tradition still continues, it has somewhat lessened probably due to the fact that it can be up to 35 degrees come midnight and no one really wants to head outside away from their air conditioners. Nevertheless, it is a noisy family occasion and traffic jams continue well into the wee small hours as family members move between houses wishing each other well and entertaining the noctural children with gift giving. 

So if you are in Buenos Aires, the most logical thing to do is to make your own celebrations sparkle with a little bit of tango. After all, the magical essence of the city will be sure to make your own festivities just that little bit more special. Only La Ventana, Gala Tango,  El Viejo Almacen, Piazzolla Tango and Madero Tango are offering special shows on Christmas Eve.  Each has a unique evening planned that usually includes welcome cocktails, a gala dinner, elaborate tango show and after the midnight toast, a party with a DJ and regular shuttles back to hotels.

Since transport over the festive season is very limited (and in light of the recent transport strikes), booking your tango show can take all the hard work out of figuring how to move about the city as most offer free transfers. Note that on celebration days between the hours of 9pm and 3am, there are almost no buses or taxis.

If you are arriving between Christmas and New Year and still want to get in a tango show, most are offering specially planned events to welcome in the New Year - a unique way to welcome in 2017. Transfers, cocktails, dinner, tango show - all followed by parties until the wee small hours of the morning. Madero Tango is even offering the additional surprise of watching fireworks go off over the docks of Puerto Madero. Whether it’s traditional (Esquina Carlos Gardel, Cafe de Los Angelitos), romantic (Gala Tango, La Ventana), extravagant (Madero Tango, Señor Tango, Rojo Tango) or bohemian (El Viejo Almacen, El Querandi), you´re sure to find a New Year´s Eve tango show that suits your style.

Whatever you decide to do, may you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.