Christmas in Mexico

Where in the World is Mexico?
Mexico is on the continent of North America. It is south of the United States. It is between the United States and the continent of South America. The Mexican people live in Mexico. They speak Spanish. A holiday greeting in Mexico is Felize Navidad. It means Happy Christmas.

When is Christmas celebrated in Mexico?
Christmas Day is celebrated on December 25th. It is a holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. The weather in December is mild. That means they have warm days and cool nights. It hardly ever snows in Mexico except in the mountains.

The Christmas season in Mexico starts on December 16 with a celebration called posadas. This word means "inn" or "place to stay." Children and adults act out a Christmas bible story. This story is about Mary and Joseph looking for shelter at an inn before Jesus was born. Families go from house to house carrying candles and statues, and singing carols looking for the "inn." A different house is picked every night to be the inn. When they come to the house picked that night, there is a fiesta or party. There is food, singing, games and fireworks. Sometimes the children break a pinata filled with candy.

The last posadas is held on Christmas Eve. It ends at midnight when many families go to Church. After Church, there is a big dinner to celebrate Christmas with lots of fireworks.

The Christmas season ends on February 2nd. It is called Candlemas Day. It is a holiday with lots of fireworks. There are games and food. At the end of the day, the nativity set is packed away for another year.

Is there a special Gift Giver in Mexico?
Many children in Mexico get their gifts on January 6th on "Three Kings' Day." They receive their gifts from the "Three Kings." It is named after the Bible story of the 3 kings who gave gifts to the baby Jesus. The night of January 5th, children put boxes or their shoes outside their doors. They fill them with grass or straw. The grass is for the Kings' camels. The next morning the grass is gone and there are gifts.

A few children believe in Santa Claus in the big cities and they get gifts on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, December 25th, some families give small gifts to each other.

How do the Mexicans decorate their homes?
Most Mexican families decorate their homes with a nativity set. They are very important to the Christmas celebration. Sets can be decorated with flowers, evergreens, and candles.

Another important decoration is a plant called the poinsettia. It is plant that is found in Mexico. It can have white, red or pink flowers that bloom right before Christmas. The flower's pointed petals look like the Christmas star.

A third decoration in Mexican homes is the pinata. It is an empty toy that is filled with candy. Pinatas can be many shapes and colors. Animals, flowers and vegetables are some of the shapes. They are made out of clay, paper and paste. Children are blindfolded and try to break the pinata open with a stick to get the treats.

Some families will decorate a large Christmas tree. Large trees cost a lot of money in Mexico. Many families will just use tree branches to decorate their nativity sets.

What special foods do the Mexicans eat?
On Christmas Day they eat turkey, fish, fruit, vegetables (corn, zucchini and fried peppers), tortillas and tamales. They also eat a special salad made with fruit, beets, nuts and sugarcane. Different colored marshmallows are placed on top of it.

There is a special cake that is made for "Three Kings' Day." It is shaped like a crown and decorated with pineapple and berries. Baked inside is a tiny doll that represents the baby Jesus. The child who finds the doll must have a party on Candlemas Day (February 2nd).

What are some other special traditions?
Several weeks before Christmas, every town and city decorates market stalls or puestos. Some people travel for days to these markets. The markets sell all kinds of crafts and flowers, like orchids and poinsettias. There is also lots of food like cheese, bananas, nuts, and cookies to buy.

Nonfiction
Christmas in Mexico. World Book

Fiction
Nine Days to Christmas by Marie Hall Tes and Aurora Lastida
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto and Ed Martinez
The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola