The Mexican Holiday Season: Weeks of Celebration
Mexicans take the year-end holidays seriously. This is a culture that celebrates family and friends above all else, never more so than before and after Christmas.
Known as Guadalupe-Reyes, the Mexican holiday season stretches from December 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to January 6, Three Kings’ Day. This festive period is a vibrant blend of indigenous customs, Catholic traditions and holiday merrymaking.
Here are the defining elements of the most wonderful time of year in Mexico:
Our Lady of Guadalupe. The patron saint of Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe, appeared in a 1531 apparition as an Aztec princess to an indigenous man in Mexico City. To honor her, festive processions and parades fill the streets of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo on December 12, while masses are celebrated in churches.
Nativity Scenes. Known as nacimientos, nativity scenes take center stage during the Christmas holiday season. Intricately constructed, they depict the Holy Family (Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus), angels, shepherds, and the Three Wise Men, who are moved closer to the crèche each day leading up to their January 6 arrival. Nativity scenes can be found at churches, public spaces, and resort hotels throughout Los Cabos.
Piñatas. While closely associated with posadas (pre-Christmas festivals), piñatas are common at Christmas parties throughout the Guadalupe-Reyes season. Brightly colored and tinseled, these papier-mache creations represent temptation. The piñata’s seven peaks symbolize the seven deadly sins: anger, lust, pride, envy, greed, laziness, and gluttony. The person who hits the piñata is blindfolded, alluding to the fact that faith can defeat sin. When broken, candies, fruits, and small toys come tumbling from the piñata, representing the goodness of God for having overcome temptation.
Nochebuena. On Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena, families gather for a big feast featuring traditional Mexican dishes such as tamales (made from corn dough and filled with savory ingredients), pozole (a Mexican soup made with hominy), bacalao (salted codfish), and ponche, a fruit punch served hot. Following the meal is Misa de Gallo (Midnight Mass), which translates to The Mass of the Rooster.
Dia de los Santos Inocentes. A playful twist similar to April Fool’s Day takes place on December 28, as people engage in light-hearted pranks on the Day of the Innocent Saints. Friends and family who’ve been successfully tricked by a practical joke are then called inocentes.
New Year’s Eve. While the night of December 31, New Year’s Eve, is a global holiday, it is celebrated with exceptional vim and vigor in Mexico.
Dia de los Reyes. The grand finale of the Mexican holiday season occurs on January 6, known as Three Kings’ Day. Families join together for a sumptuous feast punctuated by Rosca de Reyes (Kings’ Wreath), a ring-shaped cake decorated with candied fruits symbolizing regal jewels and a small figurine of the baby Jesus hidden inside. Children excitedly await the arrival of the Three Wise Men, because it is they (not Santa Claus) who bring them gifts, marking the end of the Guadalupe-Reyes holiday season.