Table of contents:
- The Importance of Christmas in Mexico
- Posadas
- Piñatas
- Pastorelas
- Three Kings’ Day (Dia de Los Reyes Magos)
- Rosca de Reyes
- Candlemas Day
- Traditional Food
- Christmas Nativities
- Best Destinations to Celebrate Christmas in Mexico
- Conclusion
The Importance of Christmas in Mexico
Mexico has thousands of traditions and customs that enchant any traveler at heart and lover of world cultures. Due to Catholicism, Christmas has a deep trait of popular religiosity that shows Mexican culture and folklore at its very best.
Therefore, many places in Mexico convey and portray a look of faith, hope, and celebration. Undoubtedly, Mexico should be on your budget list of places to spend your holidays. You can learn about Mexican traditions, culture, and history. Finally, you can party and celebrate like an authentic local. Get ready to experience Christmas as you’ve never done it before!
Posadas
Although in Mexico, that is the name for almost any Christmas party, “Posadas” has an exceptional meaning for Catholics. This tradition began with the arrival of the Spanish in Aztec lands, who imposed religious traditions and Catholicism. It is one of the most popular traditions in Mexico for Christmas. Moreover, it represents Mary and Joseph’s search for accommodation.
Two persons disguised as Joseph and Mary go door to door to ask for admission. Additionally, groups of people arrive with them with candles and start singing “Villancicos”(a Christmas carol). This is basic and essential in Mexican Christmas traditions.
In the same way, antojitos, ponche (hot fruit beverage), candles, and piñatas are also some of the most representative elements. Traditionally, posadas are a Mexican celebration that occurs 9 days before Christmas, specifically from December 16 to 24th. Each of the nine days represents a value such as humility, strength, detachment, charity, trust, justice, purity, joy, and generosity.
Piñatas
The famous, colorful, and beautiful piñatas are an essential element of Christmas in Mexico. They are usually made of clay or cardboard and shaped like a star with seven peaks, symbolizing a capital sin. Inside, you can find sweets, fruits, and other prizes. Briefly, the point is hitting the piñata with a stick and with your eyes covered, representing blind faith.
Furthermore, for the catholic, the piñata must be made with bright colors as it is supposed to seduce the soul of the innocent to incite it to sin. Also, it must contain fruits or sweets because these represent the goodness of God, who rewards the sinner’s soul for having overcome sin.
Piñatas have existed in Mexico since pre-Hispanic times in the Aztec culture. The fruits they carry inside represent the god’s favors and the abundance they enjoy. 🍬Check out our virtual tour: Mexican Piñata: Design your Own Cute Colorful Piñata Online.
Pastorelas
A “pastorela” is a Mexican Christmas tradition that combines religion, faith, fun, and theater. These plays narrate the adventures of a group of shepherds who head to Bethlehem to worship Jesus on Christmas Day.
Pastorelas in Mexico are performed in school, theatrical, and even popular performances. They usually have a humorous, practical, funny touch, incorporating political and social situations. Michoacan is one of the places with the greatest representation of pastorelas.
In Mexico City, there are numerous places where various pastorelas are presented, either in theaters or public squares of the 16 town halls. In the pastorela, there are shepherds, devils, angels, archangels, and the hermit. Furthermore, the performance includes dialogues, songs, and dances, as well as the staging of battles. The plot is always the same, but the varieties are as many as the ingenuity allows.
Three Kings’ Day (Dia de Los Reyes Magos)
The Three Kings Day in Mexico is a religious celebration that symbolizes the arrival of Melchior, who hails from Persia, Gaspar (also called “Caspar” or “Jaspar”) from India, and Balthazar from Arabia to the manger where Jesus was born.
This Christmas tradition in Mexico occurs every January 6th. It recalls the adoration of the Infant Jesus by the Kings, and it is a central commemoration in the Catholic liturgy. From this story, the custom of offering and receiving gifts to children arose.
Traditionally…
this custom consists of children writing a letter to the three kings in which they tell how well they have behaved and list the toys or games they would like to receive. It is like another Santa Claus day for children in Mexico and other parts of the world.
In addition, for the adults, the celebration consists of eating ‘Rosca de Reyes’ with family and friends. The bread symbolizes eternity, or the love of God without beginning or end. The dried fruits represent each of the kings’ crowns, while the plastic child hidden in the thread symbolizes Jesus fleeing from Herod.
Rosca de Reyes
Firstly, we have to explain the tradition of eating the ‘Rosca de Reyes‘. This tradition originated in European countries such as France and Spain and arrived in Mexico during the conquest.
The day the kings met the baby Jesus is called an epiphany. This means the encounter is symbolized by this bread. In fact, it is important to mention that epiphany means “manifestation.” The Catholic Church rightly celebrates this event on January 6th. For this reason, breaking the Rosca on January 6 has been very important for many centuries. Source: National Geographic.
Candlemas day
Candlemass Day marks the end of the Christmas cycle. Forty days have passed since the birth of baby Jesus, which, according to ancient beliefs, was the time when the Virgin was confined. Additionally, on this day, people meet up again to eat tamales and atole with the same ones they ate “Rosca de Reyes” with.
Last but not least, one of the most unique traditions in Mexico for Christmas is dressing and decorating baby Jesus. The cycle of Christmas in Mexico ends on February 2nd, so it is customary to “lift” the Child God and dress him in the most bright clothes.
Traditional Food
Christmas in Mexico is filled with delicious foods, snacks, and other dishes. Some dishes such as romeritos, apple salad, bacalao, and tamales cannot be absent on Mexican tables. Although turkey is prepared for this season worldwide, the plate is usually served with other creations, such as marinated pork leg in Mexico. Check out our article about Christmas food in Mexico! 🦃
On the other hand, traditional “Pozole” is one of the most consumed dishes for Christmas in Mexico. Even though it is served year-round, it is indispensable for dinner in many states. Equally important, the “Ponche” is a traditional Mexican drink, also known as “Holiday Punch” and is served not only for Christmas dinner but also for posadas. Check out our pozole article! 🥣
Its ingredients are tamarind, sugar cane, apple, guava, prunes, and other fruits. Although its origin comes from India, it arrived in Mexico through the Spanish. 🥕Check out our post: Traditional Food of Mexico Top 20 Dishes.
Christmas Nativities
St. Francis of Assisi is considered the creator of the Nativity Scenes. In 1223, he wanted to celebrate “Christmas Eve” to relive the memory of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem. So that everyone could better understand the conditions in which it happened, he set up a Nativity Scene in the woods with live people and animals.
This activity was well-liked by the people who attended and began to become popular. With time, the lack of space forced everyone to replace people and animals with wooden or clay figures.
Over time, the lack of space forced us to replace people and animals with wooden or clay figures. This tradition was received affectionately and has spread worldwide since the 16th century. In particular, this tradition was brought to Mexico by the Spanish conquistadors. Source: catholic.net
Best Destinations to Celebrate Christmas in Mexico
Zacatlan de las Manzanas in Puebla
Surrounded by the foggy Sierra Norte Mountains of Puebla, Zacatlan de las Manzanas is a small, rustic town that comes to life during the holidays. This town is a different kind of beautiful, with roads lined with twinkling lights, Christmas wreaths, and elaborately decorated nativity scenes that come in winter.
The town’s main square is usually the hub of holiday happenings, with a huge Christmas tree decorated with the typical Mexican ornaments of piñatas and papel picado. Every night, everyone in town comes out to see the lights being lit, and in the evening fog, Zacatlan feels like something out of a fairy tale. In addition, during the evening, the town starts having local vendors selling delicious traditional street food this season. Ponche, atole, cafe de olla, and many more Mexican-Christmas snacks.
Christmas time in Zacatlan is magical, and during the month of December the traditional artisan market appears, where you can buy from a handmade ornament to a typical food of the season. There are stalls selling homemade apple cider, hot tamales, and holiday pastries that perfume the air.
The presence of live music, skillful carolers, and parades with colorful costumed characters transport you to a festive scene that delights and captures the imagination of children and adults alike. All this, combined with traditions, communal ambiance, and the endearing Christmas spirit, makes Christmas Zacatlan-style a warm and memorable experience in spectacular natural beauty.
Atlixco in Puebla
This beautiful Magical town (pueblo magico), Atlixco, is famous for its Christmas attraction, la Villa Iluminada. It is a bright festival of lights that fills the town surrounding Popocatepetl Volcano at its base. A colorful path of light that soaks the streets, parks, and plazas traverses the town as it welcomes thousands for the holidays.
A standout in this light display is the Villa Navideña, or Christmas Village, with its fanciful installations, giant decorations, and displays that showcase seasonal folklore. You can stroll along lighted walkways, finding scenes with reindeer and elves and interactive displays for children, adding wonder to the season.
Feel the Christmas spirit in Atlixco even through its food and markets, a true heaven for foodies and gift seekers. Mexican sweets and baked goods, crafts, and ornaments are offered along the streets in local stalls. The town’s many greenhouses spring to life too, selling bright red nochebuenas (poinsettias), contributing to the festive colors. Regarded as one of the principal flower producers in Mexico, Atlixco wears Christmas well, and its floriculture factory gives the town a garden effect prepared for the celebration.
Tlalpujahua Michoacan
In Michoacan, you can find this “town of eternal Christmas,” which serves as an obligatory stop on the list of Christmas lovers’ wishes in Mexico. Known for its glass-blown Christmas decorations sold around the globe, this quaint little mountain town has made a name for itself as one of Mexico’s Christmas gems.
Each November, the town’s Feria de la Esfera (Ornament Fair) opens, invigorating thousands of visitors who come to marvel at and buy its hand-made ornaments. Among its cobbled streets, there are workshops showing glittering ornaments streaked with colors in every hue and made by the ears of experts who have handed over the techniques as heritage within their families.
In addition to the spectacular light display, Christmas in Tlalpujahua showcases cultural traditions that include nativity scenes all over town and locals enjoying music, snowy moments, dance, and holiday foods. The beautiful town square turns into a holiday wonderland, most of the time with a giant adorned Christmas tree.
Its historical architecture and in-town festivities give Tlalpujahua an unmatched holiday flair, one that seems to draw you into the pages of a Mexican Christmas tale. 🎄Visit this Christmas town in Mexico on our tour: Mexico Monarch Butterfly: Visit Sierra Chincua Sanctuary and a Magic Town (14h)
Arteaga Mexico
In Coahuila, Mexico, there is an unexpected Christmas wonderland with snow-covered mountains, mountains, and ski slopes. This place is also the “Swiss of Mexico”. Arteaga Coahuila is a popular winter destination for those wanting a white Christmas, providing skiing, snowboarding, and charming mountain lodges.
Arteaga has an irresistibly holiday spirit with its cold weather and mountainous landscape, serving as the perfect setting to enjoy a Mexican twist on seasonal traditions. You can enjoy the slow burn of the cold while sipping on warm drinks while taking a walk through the pines dusted with snow, and if you prefer, snuggle in comfort at rustic lodges in the towns within.
In the rest of the year, out of the winter sports season, Arteaga has Christmas and local markets where vendors and residents sell crafts and seasonal products. During Christmas, the town often has a nativity scene in the main plaza, and sometimes, there is a cultural performance highlighting Mexican traditions for the holidays.
With outdoor adventure, winter wonderland, and local color, Arteaga has coupled the quintessential different kind of Christmas different from other parts of Mexico, where the good weather usually prevails in the holiday festivities. Check out our snowy destinations in Mexico!
Conclusion
December is the peak season in all countries of the world. However, Mexico has a very interesting cultural touch that attracts millions of tourists come here to experience the culture, folklore, and tradition of Christmas. Meeting new people is an opportunity that all travelers love to experience.
Every traveler should experience the posadas, the events organized in each city (pastorelas, concerts, bazaars, traditional Christmas food tastings), and the unique atmosphere in the streets of each part of Mexico at least once in a lifetime.
If you ask yourself, “How do you celebrate Christmas in Mexico?” The best way to discover the answer is to experience it for yourself. Traveling on vacation is a great way to learn more about the cultures of the world. Truly, Christmas traditions in Mexico are unique, and you are likely to have the best holiday experience.
Leave a Reply