(Photograph credit: Gobierno de Buenos Aires)

It's that time of year again, where religion meets a jolly red fat man and the world is filled with christmas carols, tinsel, lights and festivities. It's a summer festival down here in the southern hemisphere and that means plenty of long warm and sultry evenings (with the occasional thunderstorm) to be shared with friends and family. Nochebuena (the 24th) is the night of celebration, where Santa manages to sneak past every child at midnight to leave presents under the tree while they are all out admiring the fireworks in the sky. He's a tricky wee character and there is nothing like the wide eyed wonder of a small child who can't figure out where the presents magically come from.

While over the years, the amount of fireworks that are let off on both Nochebuena and New Year have lessened, there is still an impressive amount of noise being made on both these celebrations. There is still a community spirit in the neighbourhoods where neighbours come out onto the street to wish each other Felices Fiestas.

If you’re celebrating in the city of Buenos Aires, why not make Christmas unique and spice it up with an evening out at a tango show.  While all tango shows are open for New Years Eve celebrations,  La Ventana, Gala Tango, El Viejo Almacen and Piazzolla Tango are also offering special shows on Christmas Eve.  Each has an unforgettable 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.

Transport over the festive season is very limited (take note: between 9pm and 3am on the celebration days, there are almost no buses or taxis) and most restaurants require advanced bookings.  This can make a tango show all the more appealing as all the hard work is done for you and you don't have to worry about being stranded without a taxi. Besides, this is Buenos Aires whose heart and soul is about tango. What better way to bring in the New Year?

All the tango shows are offering specially planned events to welcome in the New Year and offer an excellent way to give you a unique start to 2016. 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.

Feliz Navidad and may you tango yourself into a wonderful New Year.