Mexico at Christmas

Mexico is an amazing country at any time of year, but there's something special about Christmas - because Mexicans love to celebrate. They tend to start festivities in the middle of December and run them as long as they can!

There are many great Mexican traditions for Christmas, starting with the birthday of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12th 2012, and run until the Epiphany on January 6th 2013. The most important celebration is known as las posadas, and starts on December 16th.

It's a re-enactment of the nine days it took Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem to find accommodation for the night, finally arriving on Christmas Day, the 25th.

The procession travels throughout the town, knocking on every door to ask if they can spend the night, but are always turned away until they finally reach the house that's been dressed as the Nativity - and the celebrations start in earnest. Food, drink and of course, the pinatas.

Things To Do At Christmas 2012

There are a lot of fun things to do in Mexico at Christmas. One of our favourites happens on December 23rd, the Night of the Radishes. Held every year in Oaxaca the town is filled with two foot long carved radishes - amazing scenes representing local history or the Christmas story.

The local sculptors start the carving three days earlier, spraying water to keep the as fresh as possible, and the whole town files past the stalls with the competing vegetables. It's an unbelievable scene.

If you and your family like ice-skating, then Mexico City has a fantastic treat - the world's largest ice rink can be found in Zocalo's plaza from the end of November to mid January. Over 4 million skaters join in the fun - all set up by the same mayor who brought temporary beaches to the city in the summer.

Amecameca has a stunning Christmas Tree Forest called Bosque de los árboles de navidad. Surrounded by 4 volcanoes (!) it is both a tree farm and a tourist destination which plants more than a quarter of a million trees every yearthis place are planted 350,000 trees per year. All trees are priced the same, which prevents people cutting the smallest trees - everyone gets a bargain. It's a great fun place to take kids.

Christmas Holidays

Both the 24th and 25th are national holidays, so all the stores will be closed.

The villages, towns and cities will all be quiet as people tend to stay at home with their families, and it remains less busy until the end of the first week of January as many people go away for a Xmas break. However many of the museums and parks will be open across the whole period.

Christmas Traditions in Mexico

As the weather is generally warm in December you'll often find the Mexicans just wandering around the streets, buying gifts, eating puestos (snacks) or just chatting.

In terms of Christmas decorations the custom is to make lanterns from paper bags and leave them along the roadside, on walls and roofs or by windows - very much like the Chinese tradition.