Christmas is barely legal in Fidel Castro’s monstrous dictatorship in Cuba, and this year more than most. There is a sullen, sad atmosphere in Havana these days, partly from want, and partly from the sour, tired nature of the regime on its last legs.

That’s why Val Prieto at Babalu blog came up with the idea of asking Cuban Americans from all over to describe their best Cuban Christmas memories, from childhoods either in Miami or in Havana. The rich tapestry of customs and relationships is completely unique and, given Castro’s tyranny, distinctly revolutionary. The whole fascinating thing can be read here.

Alberto Quiroga has a separate piece on what Cuban Christmas really was and is, and his elegant work can be read on his Havana May 1950-November 1960 blog right here.