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Mexican Christmas

Common Mexican Christmas Traditions

Due to the highly religious nature of Mexican people, Mexican Christmas is celebrated in this country in a very singular manner. Being strong believers of the Catholic precepts and the stories contained in The Bible, the people of Mexico commemorate the Birthday of Jesus Christ in a purely religious way. For instance, there are no presents for the children on Christmas. The presents’ giveaway is featured six days after the New Year’s Day, on the “Dia de los Santos Reyes Magos”.

As with any other religious holiday, the Mexicans take the time to prepare themselves for the celebrations. In the case of Mexican Christmas, this preparation takes place during the nine days preceding Christmas’ Eve, or “Noche Buena” (December 24 th). This period of nine days is called The “Novena”, and is perhaps the most symbolic of all Mexican Christmas Traditions.

Every night of the nine days of the Novena, the children perform a re-enactment of the holy journey made by Jesus’ parents, Saint Joseph and Saint Mary (the “Peregrinos”, which means pilgrims or travelers). The Bible tells us that an Angel of The Lord appeared before them and told them to go to Bethlehem, in order to protect the baby who was to be born from the despotic decree promulgated by the king Herodes, according to which every newborn first son had to be killed.

The children of Mexico commemorate this journey every night of the Novena, by walking through the streets of their neighborhood in a colorful procession, singing Mexican Christmas songs, carrying lit candles and holding statues of both Mary and Joseph. They, as the original Peregrinos did, ask for a place to spend the night. This request is denied twice, but the third house’s owners allow them to enter. This act of staying at someone else’s house as a guest is called “Posada”.

On the house of the Posada, the host family had already set up a barn scene (resembling the barn where Jesus was born), and hanging several Mexican Christmas decorations. The guests then get together around the scene, and say different prayers, including the Spanish Rosary, and finally they sing typical Mexican Christmas songs. The rest of the night involves breaking a candy-and-fruit-filled Piñata for the kids, and some Mexican Christmas “Buñuelos” (sweet fritters made from a mixture of water, flour, lard, eggs, and sugar) and Ponche (a kind of punch, made by boiling sugar cane, walnuts, cinnamon sticks and different fruits together, adding sugar and a strong shot of an alcoholic drink when cooled) for the grownups.

They celebrate a Posada each night of the Novena, and in December 24th everyone attends the local church, where they take part of the “Misa de Noche Buena”, at midnight. After that, families and close friends get together and enjoy a succulent Mexican Christmas dinner (of course, traditional Mexican Christmas recipes are used) in a highly festive mood.