Of all the holidays, Christmas, as far as I’m concerned, is the most fun. There’s cake, party games and you eat a three-course meal while telling jokes and wearing kooky hats – what could beat that?. Well, for one thing, roller skates. That’s right, just when you thought Christmas could not get any merrier, the lovely people of Venezuela have gone and upped the ante with a weird and wonderful Christmas tradition that makes building snowmen look positively dull.
![[Children roller skaters make their way past a Christmas tree made from recycled plastic bottles by the non-profit and non-governmental organization Oko Spire and collaborators with some 15,000 plastic bottles removed from the streets in Caracas on December 13, 2022. - According to Mar??a Velasco, founder of Oko Spire and goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Christmas tree is 10 meters high and is a project supported by the mayor's office of Caracas and the general public, who contributed by collecting bottles from the streets and in its elaboration. (Photo by Yuri CORTEZ / AFP) (Photo by YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_231686307-329b.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Las patinatas, which translates to “the skating,” dates back to the 1950s and involves people roller skating all night and then making their way to church for a 5am or 6am Mass from 16 to 24 December. But in recent years, las patinatas have changed. Since around 2010, political turmoil and economic struggles in Venezuela have taken a toll on daily life, and now the tradition is at risk of fading out.
Venezuelans are known for their love of fireworks and Christmas is no exception – residents awake to the sound of firecrackers exploding in the street, adding to the peel of church bells. Most roads are closed overnight, people wear festive clothing, and lots of treats and hot chocolate/coffee are available. Many children would receive roller skates, roller blades, and skateboards as gifts to take part.
![[Mandatory Credit: Photo by Henry Chirinos/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock (14920440e) A group of people wait to enter the Basilica of Our Lady of Chiquinquira, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, 18 November 2024. In Venezuela, on 18 November of every year the miracle of the Virgin of Chiquinquir?, who is the patron saint of the State of Zulia and whose celebration is promoted by the Catholic Church, is commemorated. Faithful honor the Virgin of Chiquinquira in Maracaibo, Venezuela - 18 Nov 2024]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/SEI_231692229-808e.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
And this is how roller skating to Christmas mass started – it became so popular that the government took to closing streets until 8am so that families could skate together in safety. For locals in the capital of Caracas, it is customary to strap on your roller skates and glide to Christmas mass.
