Gaucho Nativity

“Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state in Brazil, has extensive pampas (grassy plains), which it shares with Uruguay and Argentina. The area has a rich gaucho culture. (The Spanish term “gaucho” is somewhat equivalent to the English word “cowboy.”) In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, gauchos were nomadic horsemen who herded the cattle of the pampas. In the mid-19th century, many of the pampas were divided into large estates, and the gauchos became hired horsemen. Gauchos are of Spanish, Portuguese, and Amerindian descent, with cultural traditions that continue to the present day.

Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus are in the center of the main scene. Joseph is holding a container of mate, a South American herbal tea sucked from a gourd with a metal straw. The gaucho on horseback is spinning a lariat, used to capture livestock.

Each of the wise men is bringing a gift that is appropriate to gaucho culture. The wise man on the right side of the scene is bringing wool; the one beside him is offering mate; and the one to the left of the family is holding a wild turkey. (Ed and Kirsten Gyllenhaal, label text, “World Nativities 2020”)