Christmas in Mexico isn’t just a single day. The heart of the Christmas holidays in Mexico occurs over the course of several weeks, but the entire Christmas season lasts nearly two months!
In short, Mexico loves celebrating Christmas. If you find yourself lucky enough to visit in the middle of this bustling season, you’ll be greeted by more than just decorations and Christmas music. The festivities are endless: religious processions, lively parades, social gatherings, children’s plays, outdoor markets, special food and drink, carols, and so much more.
And here’s a pro tip—snow is rare throughout most of Mexico, but winters can get chilly! Bring some extra cash and buy a traditional rebozo or sarape, two types of shawls that can keep you warm.
Below, we’ll take a closer look at Mexican Christmas traditions that you can enjoy abroad or in your own community. No matter how you choose to celebrate, learning Spanish can help you better connect with Mexican culture! Rosetta Stone’s bite-sized lessons allow you to immerse yourself in Spanish without the tedious memorization, so you can get conversation ready in no time.
>> Learn these valuable basic Spanish words and phrases right now!
What do they call Christmas in Mexico?
Christmas goes by many names in Mexico, and that’s because there are so many celebrations throughout the season. You may hear las Posadas, la Nochebuena, and el Día de los Tres Reyes, among them.
The real name for Christmas, though, is la Navidad. It’s also common for people to refer to the entire season as las Fiestas Navideñas (the Christmas Festivities), a name that emphasizes just how much there is to see during the season. You’ll never be bored during las Fiestas Navideñas—all you have to do is walk out your door or go downtown to see a celebration.
>>Want to know how to pronounce Navidad and las Fiestas Navideñas? Speak like a native with TruAccent.
When does Mexico celebrate Christmas?
Mexicans celebrate Christmas on December 24, which is called Nochebuena (translated directly as the “Good Night,” but more appropriately as “Christmas Eve”). Why does Mexico celebrate Christmas on the 24th? Due to Spanish colonization, Mexico is overwhelmingly Catholic–about 78% Catholic–and it’s traditional for Catholics to go to midnight mass on the night of the 24th, since they believe Jesus was born at that moment.
Still, we can’t forget that Christmas is very much a season in Mexico, with notable days and festivities occurring from mid-December to early February. Here is a list of the most memorable dates during las Fiestas Navideñas, which we’ll share more on below:
- December 12: Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Virgin of Guadalupe Day)
- December 16-24: Posadas
- December 24: Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)
- December 25: Navidad (Christmas Day)
- December 28: Día de los Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents Day)
- January 6: Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day)
- February 2: Candelaria (Candlemas)
How does Mexico celebrate Christmas?
Mexico celebrates Christmas de muchas maneras (“in many ways”). From villancicos to warm mugs of ponche navideño, there’s joy to be found in every activity.
Mexican Christmas traditions
- Las Posadas: Based on the Nativity story, these celebrations occur on the days leading up to Nochebuena. With two people dressed as Mary and Joseph and accompanied by musicians and amateur singers, a group goes to a different house for nine nights in a row. There’s a call and response between the people who ask for posada (“lodging”) and the potential hosts. Then everyone enters to sing villancicos, and the children break a piñata.
- Villancicos: Villancicos are the Mexican version of Christmas carols. You might hear them sung by children or adult choruses on the street or indoors. Listen to a villancico composed by Mexico’s most famous convent writer, sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.
- Piñatas: Though strongly associated with Mexico, piñatas are a European tradition that merged with indigenous Mexican culture. Made of paper mache or a clay pot and filled with candy, piñatas come in all sorts of colors, shapes, and images. As other children sing, a blindfolded child hits the piñata with a stick in hopes of being the first to break it. No matter how long it takes, fun is had by all!
- Nochebuena: As we mentioned, families usually go to midnight mass. Then they have a cena together, a traditional Christmas Eve dinner made up of some of the gastronomic delights we mention below.
- Gift giving: Family members may exchange small gifts on Nochebuena, but the children have to wait for their most important present until Three Kings Day. Sometimes there is a Kris Kringle type of gift exchange within a family or at work.
Traditional Mexican Christmas food
Authentic Mexican cuisine is, according to UNESCO, considered to be one of the cultural treasures of the world. And we agree! Unique, delicious, and full of complex flavors, here are just a few of the marvelous Christmas foods found in Mexico:
- Tamales: There are so many types of tamales in Mexico! Usually wrapped in corn or banana leaves, they have a cornmeal base and are filled with chicken, pork, cheese, or, in some areas, fish, and some kind of sauce, usually a tomato-based sauce, or, in Oaxaca, mole. Tamales are sometimes sweet as well.
- Ensalada de Nochebuena (Christmas Eve Salad): The exact ingredients of this color–packed salad can vary, but it usually consists of lettuce, pomegranate, mandarin oranges, jicama, nuts, and dressing. ¡Muy buena!
- Pavo navideño (Christmas Turkey): There are so many ways to prepare a turkey, and Mexico is no exception. One of the most common ways to prepare pavo navideño is with a marinade called adobo, a sauce usually made with chipotle and ancho chili peppers.
- Ponche Navideño (Spiced Punch): This warm and satisfying drink is made with lots of fruit, cinnamon and sugarcane sticks, and piloncillo, a kind of brown sugar. It’s generally only mildly sweet. Grown ups might spike it with a little rum.
- Bacalao (Salted Codfish): While the original recipe comes from Spain, this is a very popular dish in Mexico for the holiday season. The fish gets soaked for days to remove the salt then sauteed with onion, tomato, olives, potatoes, and sometimes raisins or almonds. After the mixture sits awhile, the flavors really soak in. In Mexico, it’s served with a bolillo (roll) and a pickled chili pepper on the side!
Mexican Christmas decorations
Mexico really knows how to spruce a place up! We’ve already mentioned piñatas, but don’t miss the outdoor Christmas markets where you’ll find music, Christmas decorations, and flowers.
- Nochebuena (“Poinsettias”): Nochebuena is also the name of the traditional Christmas flower called “Poinsettias” in English! You’ll see them everywhere, from the public parks to inside offices.
- Luminarias: Luminarias are lit candles surrounded by a paper holder. They may be elaborate, store-bought, or homemade. Often used in las Posadas, you’ll also see them all over New Mexico in the United States during the holiday season.
- Nacimientos (Nativity Scenes): While Mexican homes tend to have a Christmas tree nowadays, the traditional Christmas decoration for the home is a nacimiento (nativity scene). Consisting of the traditional elements of the biblical story, the baby Jesus is not placed in the manger until late on Christmas Eve.
Is Santa a Christmas tradition in Mexico?
Santa is not a traditional part of Christmas in Mexico, and as such, gift giving works differently. Children typically receive their gifts on Three Kings Day, though families will sometimes exchange gifts on Christmas Eve under the guise that baby Jesus brings gifts to children.
That said, Christmas celebrations from the United States have influenced Mexico, and nowadays, it is not unusual to see Santa at local malls. He is often called “Santa” as he is in English, though Papá Noel or Santa Clos can also be used!
What other holidays are celebrated during the Christmas season?
December 12: Día de la Virgin de Guadalupe
The Virgin of Guadalupe is one of Mexico’s most iconic emblems. Said to have appeared to Juan Diego in 1531, she is an enduring symbol of Mexico’s independence from Spain and the official patroness of Mexico, a status declared by the pope in 1910.
December 12 is a national feast day celebrated by Catholics worldwide, but celebrations are quite elaborate in Mexico. Juan Diego was indigenous to Mexico, and as such, the ceremonial dance performed on the day, Danza de los Matachines, honors the nation’s indigenous roots. Many Mexicans also visit the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City between the festivities to honor the Virgin Mary.
This colorful holiday kicks off the beginning of the Christmas season and is the start of the FIestas Navideñas in Mexico.
December 28: Día de los Santos Inocentes
Día de los Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents Day) is a Catholic holiday observed by many Spanish-speaking countries. Though it has solemn, religious origins, the day is actually quite amusing in nature, and very similar to April Fools Day. Who doesn’t love a good, lighthearted prank?
January 1: Año Nuevo
Mexico celebrates the New Year on December 31 with family. A cena (dinner) is held, and families may make any of the traditional Christmas dishes we’ve already mentioned. Right before midnight, people eat a dozen grapes to make a wish for each month of the New Year, and there’s usually a toast when the clock strikes 12:00. Informal or citywide fireworks often follow.
January 6: Día de los Tres Reyes Magos
The Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day) is a feast day celebrated by Christians worldwide on January 6. In line with the nativity story, it commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men.
Santa plays a much smaller role in Mexico, but that doesn’t mean children go without gifts. Instead, children receive their gifts from these three Magi, echoing the gifts that the Magi brought for the newborn Jesus.
The traditions can vary depending on the region and the family, but most children go to bed early and put a shoe close to the Nativity scene in their house, marking the spot where they hope to receive a gift.
The next day, families and friends will drink hot chocolate and eat a rosca de los Reyes, a round pastry covered with dried fruit. If you’re invited to eat a rosca, watch out for the little plastic doll hidden inside. It symbolizes Baby Jesus—and it signals that you’ll be buying tamales on Candelaria!
February 2: Candelaria
La Candelaria is known as Candlemas in English, but the holiday is not very popular in English-speaking countries. In Mexico, however, this day is intimately connected with el Día de los Tres Reyes. Whoever finds the plastic baby in the rosca on that day has to provide the tamales for that same group of people on February 2!
Though not a major holiday, many people have small gatherings to cap the holiday celebrations. It is also the day when Catholics take their statues of the Baby Jesus, often dressed up for the day, to church to be blessed.
Make the most of every celebration
Christmas in Mexico is a wonderful holiday full of tradition, surprises, generosity, and scrumptious food. The magic of holiday traditions, of course, is that they can happen anywhere in the world. Whether you’re planning a trip to Mexico or celebrating with your local community, there’s plenty of room to incorporate these traditions into your own.
Learning Spanish can help you uncover even more culture in Mexico and beyond! Rosetta Stone’s bite-sized lessons can help you learn quickly and perfect your accent in a fun, immersive environment—no memorization required. Learn from the comfort of tu casa or take your lessons on the go with the Rosetta Stone app.
Written by Rowena Galavitz
Rowena Galavitz is a Spanish translator, bilingual copy editor, and language and literature instructor with three master’s degrees who loves Spanish and all things Mexico.
0 Commentaires