Nestled among two giants, Bolivia is not the most prominent country in South America.

Were they combined, the countries of Brazil and Argentina could comfortably hold 10 Bolivias within their borders.

But for the last three years, an Elmhurst family has been making sure Bolivia and its customs have an unmistakable place in an exhibit that features more than 50 countries from all over the world.

“It’s kind of the forgotten country,” said Paula Berger, a Spanish teacher at Emerson Elementary School. “But I love Bolivia because the people are so welcoming and warm. Latinos are like that. If they know you’re coming, they’ll throw a party.”

Each fall, Berger and her family make a trip to the Museum of Science and Industry in downtown Chicago. Lugging more than one hundred hand-made ornaments, the clan decorates a Christmas tree representing Bolivia’s customs for the museum’s annual Christmas Around the World exhibit.

“The reason we do this is for the kids,” said Berger, who has two daughters, 8-year-old Bridget and 3-year-old Brooke. “We want them to always remember their heritage and make this a family tradition. I can’t wait until the year when my kids and my sister’s kids can do this. We plan to do this for the next 50 or 60 years.”

The hardest task has been collecting the authentic ornaments, which come from three different regions in Bolivia. Fortunately, Berger’s family is from Bolivia and she’s been able to acquire many of them through relatives who travel back and forth frequently.

Their roots are strong. When her father, Jaime Escobar, a physician, moved from Bolivia to the States some 40 years ago, he became an honorary consul to Bolivia. For years, he helped Bolivians settle throughout the Midwest, said Berger.

The exhibit, she said, is a good reminder of the diversity of holiday traditions.

“I think what’s important for this exhibit has been showing people what celebrations (these countries) do around Christmas time,” she said. “For example, Bolivians really believe that Baby Jesus is the one that brings the presents, not Santa Claus.”

Christmas Around the World began in 1942 as a United Nations Day salute to the American allies involved in World War II.

“That year, a dozen trees graced the museum’s halls,” state’s the exhibit’s Web site. “Now, the exhibition has grown into a dazzling forest of trees and displays lovingly created by the citizens of Chicago. This year, a new tree from Kenya joins the museum’s forest.”

The exhibit will remain open through Sunday, Jan. 6. For more information, visit www.msichicago.org.