Though the title implies it’s a Christmas story, it’s really a story about the challenges of moving far away and adjusting to a new culture.  The story opens as Eduardo and his family leave their village to move to a new home, where football means something different.  As he wonders when he will ever feel at home, his uncle gives him some signs of the passing of time to watch for as they wait for Christmas: hills turning the color of the sun, pumpkins smiling, and trees riding on cars.  Though these ideas seem strange to Eduardo, he does indeed see each come to pass, indicating it is finally time to open his treasured Christmas box, containing the nativity figures he carved with his grandfather.  Connecting his past traditions with his present location finally helps him feel at home.