In Venezuela, what do many people use to get to early morning Christmas Mass?

In Venezuela, many people use roller skates to get to early-morning Christmas Mass.

The custom is especially associated with Caracas, where families traditionally skate through the streets to attend Misas de Aguinaldo, a series of dawn services held during the nine days before Christmas. The skating is both a practical way to travel and a lively communal celebration.

In some accounts, roads are closed to cars during the early hours so skaters can travel more safely. Children may also leave strings hanging from their windows, allowing passing skaters to tug them as a playful wake-up call. After Mass, families often gather for food, music and hot drinks.

This tradition is sometimes confused with Misa de Gallo, or “Rooster’s Mass.” In Venezuela, that name can refer to a Christmas service held very early in the morning, while Misas de Aguinaldo cover the broader sequence of pre-Christmas dawn Masses. The custom is not practiced identically throughout the country, but roller skating is the canonical answer for this Caracas Christmas tradition.