LA NOCHE BUENA EN LA ALAMEDA: DESCRIPCIóN DE UNA TRADICIóN EN TIEMPOS DE MODERNIZACIóN. SANTIAGO DE CHILE, SEGUNDA MITAD DEL SIGLO XIX

the celebration of christmas eve on the alameda was one of the most important moments of the year in santiago during the second half of the nineteenth century. this article describes the evolution of this celebration from its materiality using press coverage from the time together with other written and visual sources. through a series of chronologically organized "scenes" we have a more detailed picture of the effects that the modernization process had on the daily lives of santiaguinos in their practices as well as in their aspirations. christmas commerce and the urban spaces where it took place provide an insight into how foreign influence fit between traditional practices amidst a constant social dispersion.