A Cuban emigrant identified on TikTok as Arianne-cala-diary (@lartigue05) posted a video filled with nostalgia and pain this Tuesday, in which she reminisces about the Christmas traditions and carnivals of old Cuba, contrasting them with the harsh reality the island faces in 2026, marked by a severe food crisis.
"Folks, I'm here thinking and missing and feeling the nostalgia for Cuba, realizing that those times from before will never come back," says the young woman at the beginning of the three-minute and 42-second video, her voice choked with emotion.
What is most evocative is the aroma of roasted pork wafting through the streets of the neighborhood on December 24th and 31st: "You would walk through every street of your neighborhood, of your city, and you would see the smoke, the smoke of the delightful scent of roasted pig coming from every house, from those united families, sharing, enjoying their good beer."
Alongside the roast pork, remember the congrí, yuca, yam, and the tomato and lettuce salad as accompaniments to those family dinners, where even the humblest neighbor had something to bring to the table.
It also evokes the carnivals, with their congas, the music of salsa and merengue, the roasted chickens and fried eggs with bread as part of the popular celebration, and mentions Cándido Fabré and Polo Montañez as part of the soundtrack of those times.
"Those times that were lived in Cuba, where the family, despite all the needs in that country, at least the Cuban lived more peacefully, and whether good or bad, always had a plate of food on the table," he affirms.
The contrast with the present is what hurts the most in her account. The Cuban woman laments that many families will struggle to put food on the table during the upcoming celebrations and will have to save every last peso to prepare something for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
His account aligns with a context of rising food insecurity in Cuba. The Christmas of 2025 was already marked by a shortage of pork, and numerous families had to replace the traditional roasted pig with more affordable foods.
The maximum price for a pound of pork shoulder in Havana rose from 580 Cuban pesos (CUP) in December 2023 to 980 CUP in February 2025, an increase of 68.9%, according to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) collected by CiberCuba. Pork production has also experienced a significant decline in recent years.
In 2026, the food crisis continues to hit Cuban households. Officials from the government itself acknowledged in June that products such as oil and chicken had not been distributed through the regulated basket so far this year.
The survey "In Cuba, There Is Hunger 2025", created by Food Monitor Program (FMP) and Cuido60, also documented a significant decline in food security. The study was based on 2,513 valid responses collected between May and July 2025. Among other findings, 33.9% of the surveyed households reported that at least one member went to bed hungry.
Other data released by the Food Monitor Program in 2026 indicates that 96.91% of the Cuban population lacks adequate access to food, amid inflation, a loss of purchasing power, and the decline of national production.
The video by Arianne-cala-diary adds to the testimonies of Cuban expatriates who use social media to express nostalgia for the island, recall family traditions, and reflect on the changes the country has undergone.
"My Cuba today is not even a centimeter of what it used to be," the young woman states at the end of her reflection. While recalling that there have always been shortages in the country, she asserts that the current situation has even eroded the ability of many families to ensure a meal.
The Cuban woman closes the video with a message full of emotion: "Long live my free Cuba, homeland and life for my Cubans."
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