809. Curaçao’s New Year’s Superstition

In my Gomes Casseres family, we leap over burning incense on December 31. Don’t ask. Show up around 7:30 – 8 pm half-tipsy, sometimes full-tipsy from all-day roadside day time new year’s eve parties. Jump over the smoky pan filled with

810. Dutch Oily Balls

Oliebol stands pop up in the Netherlands as early as mid-to-late November and coincide with dropping temperatures, comfort food cravings and holiday season. Considered a widely popular tradition, the Dutch (population: 16-17 million) consume about 130 million oliebollen (7-8 oliebollen pp)

812. Curaçao’s Favorite Venezuelan Christmas Import

My grandmother Ruth Gomes Casseres-Salas filled her 89 years of life with family, friends, community service, delicious cooking, travel and reading. She passed away peacefully in her sleep in September 2012. And though she hasn’t made her famous annual Christmas

813. Curaçao’s Live Nativity Scene

We stumbled upon the most awesome pesebre (nativity scene) we’d ever seen last night with live goats, geese, sheep, a chicken and hen!!! No seriously. Naturally we had to stop and get the full story from its creator, Fabian Martina,