Christmas in Mexico
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Christmas in Mexico is observed from December 12 to January 6, with one additional celebration on February 2. Traditional decorations displayed on this holiday include nativity scenes, poinsettias, and Christmas trees. The season begins with celebrations related to the
Virgin of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe ( es, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe ( es, Virgen de Guadalupe), is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus associated with a series of five Marian apparitions, which are believed t ...
, the Patroness of Mexico, followed by traditions such as
Las Posadas ''Las Posadas'' is a ''novenario'' (an extended devotional prayer). It is celebrated chiefly in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and by Latin Americans in the United States. It is typically celebrated each year between December 16 and ...
and Pastorelas. On Christmas Eve, there is a mass and feast. On January 6, the arrival of the
Three Wise Men 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 190 ...
is celebrated with Candlemas and the presentation of images of Jesus as a child at churches. These traditions were formed from influences in both the pre-Hispanic period and Mexico's colonial period, thus incorporating indigenous and Spanish practices. There are also a few influences from both Germany and the United States.


Christmas season in Mexico

The Christmas season in Mexico runs from December 12 to January 6, with one final celebration on February 2. Christmas traditions incorporate remnants of indigenous practices, customs from Spain, novel Mexican inventions from the colonial period, and later elements from the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Market activities start in late November, with traditional markets and new
Tianguis A is an open-air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases ...
(street) markets appearing. Stalls are dedicated to selling gifts and decorations including traditional poinsettias and nativity scenes, as well as Christmas trees, ornaments, electric lights, and reindeer figures. Starting in December, residential units, homes, and buildings are decorated with poinsettias named "Noche Buena" (from the Spanish phrase that means "good night" referring to Christmas Eve). In the pre-Hispanic period, they were called "Cuetlaxochitl", and were appreciated in the mid-winter. Poinsettias were cherished because indigenous people believed they were a symbol of fallen warriors receiving new life, who they believed returned as hummingbirds to drink the nectar of these flowers. A modern Mexican legend says that the poinsettia was once a weed that miraculously turned into a beautiful flower so that a child could present it to the infant Jesus. The name for this plant is also used to refer to a dark bock-style beer which is only available during the Christmas season. Since the second half of the 20th century, Mexico has adopted a number of German and U.S. Christmas traditions. Christmas trees were originally imported into Mexico for the expatriate community, but have since become more popular with the Mexican population, often placed with more traditional nativity scenes. Christmas trees have become more common as household incomes rise and tree prices fall, with artificial trees easily available from stores like
Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
,
Costco Costco Wholesale Corporation (Trade name, doing business as Costco Wholesale and also known simply as Costco) is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only Big-box store, big-box retail stores (warehouse c ...
, and local Mexican chain stores. Live trees are also common, and
Christmas tree production in Mexico Until the 1990s most Christmas tree production in Mexico was limited to what could be taken from natural forests. Beginning in the 1990s trees were grown on plantations and in nurseries. By 2008 Mexico produced 800,000 Christmas trees domestically. ...
is now a large industry. Less-fortunate families that cannot afford live trees often seek small artificial trees, branches, or shrubs. In 2009, Mexico hosted the world's largest Christmas tree, according to Guinness, at 110.35 meters (approximately 362 feet) high and weighing in at a staggering 330 tons on Glorieta de la Palma at
Paseo de la Reforma Paseo de la Reforma (translated as "Promenade of the Reform") is a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. It was designed at the behest of Emperor Maximilian by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig during the era of the Secon ...
. Santa Claus, depicted in his traditional red winter clothing, appears as well. Before Christmas Day, it is not uncommon to see stands with Santa Claus. Parents take advantage of this opportunity to take memorable pictures of their kids. After Christmas Day, these stands have one or more "Wise Men". Many children get presents from both Santa Claus and the Wise Men, although they tend to get more from the Wise Men because "there are three of them". Public Christmas celebrations mix Mexican and foreign traditions. Mexico City sponsors a Christmas season display in the city's main square (or Zocalo), complete with a towering Christmas tree and an ice rink. Nativity scenes are placed here and along Paseo de la Reforma. During Christmas, it is common to hear both traditional and contemporary Christmas music. Traditional music includes
villancicos The ''villancico'' ( Spanish, ) or vilancete ( Portuguese, ) was a common poetic and musical form of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America popular from the late 15th to 18th centuries. Important composers of villancicos were Juan del Encina, P ...
(akin to
Christmas carols Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
) with popular songs including: "Los pastores a Belén"; "Riu, riu, chiu: El lobo rabioso"; and "Los peces en el río". Contemporary music includes Spanish covers of foreign music, such as "
Jingle Bells "Jingle Bells" is one of the best-known and most commonly sung American songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and published under the title "The One Horse Open Sleigh" in September 1857. It has been claimed t ...
".


Nativity scenes

The most traditional and important Navidad decoration is the
nativity scene In the Christian tradition, a nativity scene (also known as a manger scene, crib, crèche ( or ), or in Italian ''presepio'' or ''presepe'', or Bethlehem) is the special exhibition, particularly during the Christmas season, of art objects rep ...
. It is generally set up by December 12, left on display until February 2, and is found in homes and churches. Nativity scenes were introduced to Mexico in the early colonial period when the first Mexican monks taught the Indigenous people to carve the figures. The basic setup is similar to those in other parts of the world, with a focus on the
Holy Family The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The subject became popular in art from the 1490s on, but veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de Laval, the fir ...
, surrounded by angels, shepherds, and animals. The figures are sheltered by a portal that can take the shape of a cave, stone house, or cabin. Above the scene is a star, often with LED lights. Since the colonial period, a Mexican touch has been introduced, starting with the use of
Spanish moss Spanish moss (''Tillandsia usneoides'') is an epiphytic flowering plant that often grows upon large trees in tropical and subtropical climates. It is native to much of Mexico, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Central America, South America, the Southern Un ...
covering the base. The scene is missing the figure of Child Jesus until Christmas Eve. Although all the other figures are generally proportional to the rest of the scene, the figure of Jesus is much larger – almost that of a life-sized baby. This figure is not only central to the nativity scene but is also important to a tradition of bringing the figure to church on February 2 to be blessed. Traditional figures are made from ceramic or plaster. One of the more traditional areas that produce ceramic figures for nativity scenes is the Guadalajara area, especially the towns of Tonalá and Tlaquepaque. From late November into December, the Tonalá market has dozens of stalls that sell nothing but supplies for nativity scenes. In addition to the more usual figures, Mexican nativity scenes have a number of several unique ones. These include native Mexican plants and animals such as nopal cacti and turkeys, women making tortillas, fish in a river (a reference to a popular Mexican carol), a crowing rooster (a reference to Christmas Eve), and even images of
Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
to hide in the shadows (a reference to the pastorelas). Nativity scenes can be found in all sizes and complexities. Large-scale nativity scenes can be quite elaborate, with multiple landscapes and even entire villages. These usually start with a base of sturdy brown paper, which is crumpled to simulate a landscape, sometimes with the support of multi-tiered bases. Over this base, moss, sawdust, sand, colored paper, paint, and more are used to recreate deserts, grassland, rivers, and lakes. Over these, a wide variety of structures and figures are placed that can include houses, churches, wells, vendors with carts of fruits and vegetables, playing children, musicians, dancers, cooking food, and more, all surrounding the center, in which is the Holy Family. The nativity scene of the main church in Chapala has featured imagery from all over the world including wooden shoes, an igloo, figures to represent Africans, and exotic animals.


Pastorela


History

''Pastorela'', which roughly means "shepherds' plays", are theatrical works performed by both amateur and professional groups during the Christmas season. The first pastorela in the New World occurred in the early 1700s with the establishment of early Spanish missions. Its origins are unknown, other than that it was orally passed down in Spain during Europe's Medieval period. In 1718, the Spanish settled along the San Antonio River and established a mission, forcing Native American inhabitants into new settlements adjacent to the church. The original purpose of these performances was to aid in Catholic conversion of the Native Americans. Soon afterward, there was a Spanish military settlement established across the river. In 1731, a group of Spanish colonists from the Canary Islands settled near these two communities, also along the river. These three communities then formed what is now known as the area of San Antonio. At the time, there were three social classes across the San Antonio region; Elite Spanish settlers, middle-class Mexican families, and poor Mexican workers. The emergence of social classes is vital to understanding the ''Pastorales'' tradition; it took place around the time of the arrival of white settlers who possessed the ideal of manifest destiny. Originally descended from medieval Spain, this play is performed entirely in Spanish. It was not until the mid-1900s that a translator was used, and it was not until 1913 that performances of Los Pastores made their way to Texas. "Between 1893 and 1953, at least one hundred twenty-five copies of this play relating to Christ's nativity have been discovered in the American Southwest and Mexico". They were originally developed as a didactic tool to teach the Christmas story.


The story

''Los Pastores'' is considered to be a nativity play that has been performed on Christmas Eve since the first recorded performance in 1721. In the play, the shepherds meet Michael the Archangel for the first time and begin their journey to meet Jesus. Along the way, they encounter a hermit, the comedic character in this play. He often carries crosses made of corn cobs and constantly teases the audience. The shepherds and hermit fall asleep and are tempted by the Devil, also known as Luzbel, and his demons, who eventually try to lure him to Hell instead of to baby Jesus. The shepherds are unable to see the devils, but the hermit carries a rosary that allows him to see them. The Archangel challenges the Devils, defeating them and driving them back into the inferno. The shepherds finally reach Jesus, and the congregation joins them in a hymn to praise the birth of Jesus.


Rehearsals and performances

The rehearsal process for this play was not consistent; the time participants spent sharing stories and making memories was the most important aspect of putting on these shows.Flores 24 The final product of the production was not seen as having great importance in this community. These are not professional productions, and the main focus is to simply have the community come together to tell the story of Jesus. The script of the play is often improvised by the actors and varies immensely. It can include elements such as jokes, jeers, slang, songs, bawdy humor, discussions, cigarettes,
tequila Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ('' Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican s ...
, and even prostitutes, mostly focusing on the interaction with and struggle against Satan and his tricks. The most traditional of these plays are found in rural areas. Variations exist, from a focus on
Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
and
Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
's travel to
Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
, battles between the
Archangel Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
and the Devil, and registering with authorities. Some also contain feminist themes.


Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe

The Christmas season begins with celebrations in honor of the
Virgin of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe ( es, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe ( es, Virgen de Guadalupe), is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus associated with a series of five Marian apparitions, which are believed t ...
, Mexico's patron saint. On December 3, a nine-day
novena A novena (from Latin: ''novem'', "nine") is an ancient tradition of devotional praying in Christianity, consisting of private or public prayers repeated for nine successive days or weeks. The nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pe ...
begins in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which ends on her feast day of December 12. The most important event related to this time is the pilgrimage to her basilica in the north of Mexico City, with people coming to pay respects by all means of transportation, from airplanes to bicycles to walking. This pilgrimage is undertaken by a large number of Mexican Catholics, regardless of race or class. For example, every year, hundreds of members of the Japanese Mexican community (which is mainly Catholic) make the pilgrimage in
kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...
. The area in and around the basilica begins to crowd with lights, fireworks, and Indigenous people dancing around dusk on December 11 and goes on all night and into the next day. The image of the Virgin Mary is honored in all of Mexico in various ways. In the city of Oaxaca, the main event is at Parque Llano on December 11, with small boys dressed as Juan Diego at the church to be blessed. In the very early morning hours of the 12th, the shrine resounds with the singing of
Las Mañanitas "Las Mañanitas" is a traditional Mexican birthday song written by Mexican composer Alfonso Esparza Oteo. It is widely popular in Mexico, usually early in the morning to awaken the birthday person, also before eating cake, and especially as pa ...
to the Virgin Mary in a midnight concert, which features many Mexican singers. Masses are held not just in the Basilica but also in all community parishes within Mexico.


Las Posadas

From December 16 to 24, there are a series of processions and parties called
Las Posadas ''Las Posadas'' is a ''novenario'' (an extended devotional prayer). It is celebrated chiefly in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and by Latin Americans in the United States. It is typically celebrated each year between December 16 and ...
(from the word for
inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...
). For many children, this is the most anticipated part of the Christmas season. The tradition was begun by Spanish
evangelists Evangelists may refer to: * Evangelists (Christianity), Christians who specialize in evangelism * Four Evangelists, the authors of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament * ''The Evangelists ''The Evangelists'' (''Evangheliştii'' in Roma ...
to teach the Christmas story to the Indigenous people and ostensibly to supplant the rituals related to the birth of the god Huitzilopochtli. Today, they are usually performed in rural areas and the lower-class neighborhoods of cities. The first part consists of a procession. The most traditional version involves heading out after dark each of the nine evenings from a local church. A girl and boy are chosen to play Mary and Joseph in costume, sometimes with Mary riding a donkey. The rest of the procession carries candles, paper lanterns and/or decorated staves, and often an empty manger. If no one is dressed as Mary and Joseph, the procession generally carries a nativity scene. Las Posadas generally serves as a way to maintain community bonds with the neighborhood. In one variation, the procession arrives at a house and divides in two. One half remains outside and sings a traditional song to ask for shelter. The other sings the response from inside, and the ritual ends with everyone inside. The other variation has the procession go to three houses singing, two of which "reject" the party until the third house accepts. The
piñata A piñata (, ) is a container, often made of papier-mâché, pottery, or cloth, that is decorated, filled with candy, and then broken as part of a celebration. Piñatas are commonly associated with Mexico. The idea of breaking a container fille ...
started as a medium by which the Evangelists used to teach Christian beliefs to the natives. The traditional star-shaped piñata is broken by children during the Posadas. Like the procession, the Mexican piñata has a symbolic and didactic meaning. The vessel represents Satan, who has all the goods of the world, decorated to attract people. There are most traditionally seven points to represent the seven cardinal sins. The stick represents the Christian faith to defeat evil and release the treasure for all. After piñatas, there is a meal which usually includes
tamale A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tam ...
s,
atole ''Atole'' (, from Nahuatl '' ātōlli'' ), also known as ''atolli'' and ''atol de elote'', is a traditional hot corn- and masa-based beverage of Mexican origin. Chocolate ''atole'' is known as ''champurrado'' or ''atole''. It typically accom ...
, buñuelos, and a hot drink called ponche, which is made from seasonal fruits such as tejocote, guava, plum, mandarin orange, orange and/or prune, sweetened with
piloncillo Panela () or rapadura (Portuguese pronunciation: ) is an unrefined whole cane sugar, typical of Central and Latin America. It is a solid form of sucrose derived from the boiling and evaporation of sugarcane juice. Panela is known by other na ...
, a kind of brown sugar, and spiced with cinnamon or vanilla. For adults, rum or tequila may be added. Ponche recipes vary greatly in Mexico. The
Colima Colima (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Colima), is one of the 31 states that make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima. Colima i ...
version usually includes milk, sugar, orange leaves, vanilla, and grated coconut. At the end of a posada, guests receive a small gift called an aguinaldo, usually a package with cookies, dried and fresh fruit, and candy. Then, carols called
villancico The ''villancico'' (Spanish, ) or vilancete ( Portuguese, ) was a common poetic and musical form of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America popular from the late 15th to 18th centuries. Important composers of villancicos were Juan del Encina, Ped ...
s are sung. A very old tradition has the song sung to the nativity scene, which includes the newborn Child Jesus.


Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

The last posada is early Christmas Eve. What follows is a late-night Mass called the Mass of the Rooster. It originated about six years after the arrival of the Spanish when Father Pedro de Gante began a celebration of Christmas with a late-night Mass. The name comes from the tradition that the birth of Christ was announced by the crowing of a rooster. The celebration became popular among the newly converted Indigenous people as it included elements from the old celebrations for the Aztec deity Huitzilopochtli such as fireworks, torches, sparklers and plays along with food, and dancing. Following the Mass, there is a traditional midnight feast. Traditional dishes include bacalao, reconstituted dried
cod Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...
cooked with onions, tomato sauce, olives, and more. Another is revoltijo de romerito, which is green in a mole or pepita sauce, with potatoes and often dried shrimp. The most luxurious item on the menu used to be a suckling pig but this has mostly been replaced by turkey or ham. After dinner, adults drink ponche or cider and children play with
sparkler A sparkler is a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames, sparks, and other effects. Sparklers are particularly popular with children. In the United Kingdom, a sparkler is often used by chil ...
s, called Luces de Belén (Bethlehem lights). Christmas presents are usually opened at the stroke of midnight. The rest of Christmas Day is quiet in Mexico as families recuperate from the festivities of the night before, often eating leftovers from the midnight dinner.


Los Santos Inocentes

December 28 is Mexico's version of
April Fools' Day April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may ...
, called Los Santos Inocentes (The Sainted Innocents). It was originally called Los Santos Inocentes to commemorate the infants killed by King Herod to avoid the arrival of Christ. It is also said that on this day, one must can borrow any item and not have to return it. In the 19th century, elaborate ruses would be concocted to get the gullible to lend things on this day. If successful, the victorious prankster would send a note to the lender and a gift of sweets or small toys in memory of the children killed by Herod with the note saying "Innocent little dove who allowed yourself to be deceived, knowing that on this day, nothing should be lent." This then developed into a day of pranks in general. This even includes newspapers printing false wild stories on that day. This has also been celebrated online in recent years.


New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve falls during this time as well. It is celebrated much like most of the rest of the world with some exceptions. One notable tradition is the eating of twelve grapes rapidly along with the twelve chimes of the clock at midnight (a tradition shared with other Latin countries), to bring luck for each of the months of the coming year. Fireworks are common and in very rural areas, the festivities may also include shots fired in the air. In some parts of
Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
, December 31 is reserved to honor elderly men with the Fiesta del Hombre Viejo.


Three Kings' Day (Epiphany)

The next major event in the Christmas season is Epiphany called Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings' Day). This day celebrates when the
Three Wise Men 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 190 ...
arrived to visit Child Jesus bearing gifts. On the night of January 5, children traditionally leave a shoe by the doorway where the Wise Men will enter, although this is not done in all parts of Mexico. Another variation of this is sending the note in a helium balloon into the sky. Inside is a thoughtful note explaining why they have been good or bad that year and the gifts they would like if deemed worthy. In the morning after opening the presents, a round sweet bread called a
rosca Rosca (ring or bagel) is a Spanish and Portuguese bread dish eaten in Spain, Mexico, South America, and other areas. It is made with flour, salt, sugar, butter, yeast, water, and seasonings. It is also called ka'ake and referred to as a "Syrian ...
is served. It is baked with dried fruit and tiny images of the infant Jesus inside. Whoever gets one of these figures in their slice must pay for tamales for Candlemas on February 2. The rosca is served with tamales and atole.


Candlemas

Candlemas is celebrated on February 2, as it commemorates the presentation of Child Jesus to the temple. On this day, people bring their images of Child Jesus to be blessed. These are elaborately dressed, traditionally in christening gowns, but many other costumes have since appeared as well. Afterwards, tamales and atole are shared, purchased by the people who found the miniature Jesus images on January 6.


Regional Christmas season traditions

There are various regional Christmas season traditions. In Alvarado and
Tlacotalpan Tlacotalpan is a city in Tlacotalpan Municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998 primarily for its architecture and colonial-era layout. The town was established in 1550 on what was originally a ...
, there is the Fiesta Negrohispana, which is a celebration of African identity in Mexico which runs from December 16 to the 24th. In Oaxaca, a major event is the feast day of the patroness of the state, the Virgin of Solitude, on December 18. She is honored with precessions called calendas, with allegorical floats and costumes. The traditional food for this is called buñuelos, a fried pastry covered in sugar. In coastal areas, her image is often brought to shore by boat, accompanied by other boats with brass bands. In the city of Oaxaca, on December 23, there is a unique event called La Noche de los Rabanos ( Night of the Radishes). Oversized radishes are carved into elaborate figures. Originally, these were for nativity scenes but today there is a major competition in which the vegetables are carved in all kinds of figures. In the
Xochimilco Xochimilco (; nci, Xōchimīlco, ) is a borough (''demarcación territorial'') of Mexico City. The borough is centered on the formerly independent city of Xochimilco, which was established on what was the southern shore of Lake Xochimilco in th ...
borough of
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
, January 6 is important as the day that the best known Child Jesus image, the Niñopa, changes "hosts" or the family that will take care of the over 400-year-old image for the year. In the Nativitas section of the borough, there is a parade of the Wise Men, sometimes with real camels.


See also

*
Culture of Mexico Mexican culture is primarily influenced by its Indigenous inhabitants and the culture of Spain. Mexican culture is described as the 'child' of both western and native American civilizations. Other minor influences include those from other regio ...
*
Religion in Mexico The Catholic branch of Christianity is the dominant religion in Mexico, representing 78% of the total population as of 2020. In recent decades the share of Catholics has been declining, due to the growth of other Christian denominations – ...
*
Public holidays in Mexico In Mexico there are three major kinds of public holidays: * Statutory holiday: Holidays observed all around Mexico. Employees are entitled to a day off with regular pay and schools (public and private) are closed for the day. * Civic holiday: T ...
* Mexican Christmas dishes


References

{{Americas topic, Christmas in Religious festivals in Mexico Winter events in Mexico