Markets are bustling, lights are flickering, piñatas are hung and la Magia de la Navidad – Mexico City’s annual Christmas program – is underway. Today, December 16th, marks the official start to the Christmas season in Mexico and the first evening of las posadas. The unofficial start to the season takes place on December 12th with the celebration of Mexico’s patron saint the Virgin of Guadalupe. The term Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon refers to the “marathon” of festivities that begins with the celebration of the Virgin and continues through Three Kings Day in early January.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
On December 12th Mexico celebrates one of the most important holidays of the year, the fiesta of the country’s patron saint Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, or Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Her image is a celebrated Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary. It is believed that in 1531 an indigenous peasant named Juan Diego saw a vision of a young woman while he was on the hill of Tepeyac just outside Mexico City.
According to legend, three days later the image of Mary appeared miraculously on his cloak. Today, the cloak is displayed in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world. Each year there is a mass pilgrimage to the Basilica to honor the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Las Posadas
December 16th marks the official start to the holiday season with the first of nine consecutive evenings of las posadas meaning “the inns”. Las Posadas are neighborhood candlelit processions and parties that take place during the nine evenings leading up to and including Christmas Eve. The processions reenact Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging in Bethlehem. Neighbors take turns hosting fiestas following the processions complete with piñatas and traditional foods and sweets.
Throughout the Christmas season pastorelas, or plays depicting Biblical stories, are staged by both amateur and professional groups. Another thing you’re likely to notice in most Mexican households is el nacimiento, or the nativity scene. One of the principal holiday adornments, nativity scenes are often displayed near the front of the house for convenient viewing by neighbors and anyone who happens to pass by the home.
Noche Buena
Christmas festivities culminate on Noche Buena, or Christmas Eve. After the last posada family members attend late night mass and gather together for a traditional Christmas dinner that might include tamales, atole, bacalao (salted codfish), revoltijo de romeritos (greens in mole sauce), roast turkey, ham, ponche and sparkling cider.
The poinsettia, or flor de Noche Buena, is the traditional Christmas Eve flower native to Mexico. It also happens to be the name of the country’s favorite seasonal beer.
Christmas Eve is always a late night and the following day, December 25th, is traditionally a day of rest to be spent at home with family.
New Years
New Year’s is celebrated in Mexico as it is in many parts of the world with fireworks and fiestas. Here in Mexico City there’s an extravagant outdoor concert and fireworks display on New Year’s Eve at the Plaza de la Republica.
There are some New Year’s traditions that are unique to Mexico and Latin America including the tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight while making wishes for the year ahead and the tradition of walking around the block with luggage at midnight in the hopes of traveling during the coming year.
Family gatherings and dinners on New Year’s Eve are also popular and some of the traditional foods mimic those of the Christmas Eve supper including bacalao, ponche and cider. New Year’s Day, like Christmas Day, is a day of rest to be spent with family. It’s also a popular time to visit museums, archaeological sites and attractions.
Three Kings Day
Mexico’s official Christmas season continues through January 6th with the celebration of Día de los Reyes, or Three Kings Day. In Mexico and much of Latin America gifts are exchanged on this day rather than on Christmas Day and delivered during the night by the Three Kings, or los Tres Reyes Magos.
In addition to the giving of gifts, there are also a few culinary traditions associated with the holiday including the evening meal of tamales, hot chocolate and the rosca del reyes, or king’s cake, a festive sweet bread shaped to signify a king’s crown. Baked inside the rosca del reyes is a small plastic figurine representing the baby Jesus. Whoever ends up with the figurine is expected to host the next fiesta to celebrate la Candelaria, or the Candlemas, on February 2nd.
Tamales are the traditional food of la Candelaria and this last holiday marks the unofficial end to the Christmas season in Mexico.
Enjoy the holidays, see you next year!
