Mexican Christmas

89.3% of the population in Mexico is Catholic, so Mexican Christmas is one of the biggest celebrations in the country. Like every other national party, there are special food, special songs, special drinks, special customs and an extraordinary time during Christmas in Mexico.

Mexican Christmas Traditions

I can say that the celebration of Christmas remains for 21 days. We start the celebration by having “Las Posadas” to represent the birth of Jesus, then we have “Noche Buena” Christmas Party, next day we can host or we can go to have “El Recalentado”, and we finish with “Día de Los Reyes Magos”.

Mexican Posadas

Like many celebrations in Mexico, Mexican Posadas are a mix of Aztec and Catholic traditions. Of course, the major celebration is the birth of Jesus, however, there was an Aztec festival celebrated from December 6 to December 26, the reason for what, Our lady of Guadalupe apparition and the birth of Jesus fit perfectly in Mexico during the month of December.

“Las Posadas” is nine days party-celebration starting on December 16th and ending on December 24th. Posadas commemorates Mary and Joseph’s search for an inn in Bethlehem. It is part of the tradition that at the posada party, people break “Piñatas”, drink “Ponche con Piquete” and eat “Tostadas”. Also, it is part of the tradition that every house host at least one posada, so, Mexicans can enjoy a party posada celebration for nine days without stopping.

Mexican Christmas Food

It is traditional to eat turkey and drink sidra on Christmas Eve. However, Christmas time in Mexico involves lots of traditional food and beverages that people make only for this occasion.

Mexican prepare “Tostadas” during the nine days of Posadas. Tostadas are a kind of crunchy tortillas filled with Tinga, Pata, Carne, Frijoles and cream and cheese as toppings.

Ponche is a hot and sweet beverage made with fruit, cinnamon, sugar and “Piquete”. If you have a Ponche, inside you can find lots of fruit such as apple, guava, tejocote, raisin, sugar canes, tamarind, orange, prune, pear and walnuts; piloncillo which is sugar in rock shaped like a cone; sticks of cinnamon; and the Piquete.

Piquete could be any kind of alcohol, but it is mostly used Tequila, Mezcal o Aguardiente.

Mexican Pinatas

Piñatas are traditionally made out of clay, paper-mâché, pottery, or cloth; it is decorated and filled with fruit, candy or toys, or with all of them. People will break open star-shaped piñatas to obtain candy and fruit hidden inside.

Piñatas are traditionally filled with fruit that kids grab from the ground when the piñata is broken. Nowadays, piñatas can contain candies, toys and even money, that children are happy to collect and save. The fruit used to fill the piñatas are a kind of Mexican Christmas food, it is only eaten during this time of the year.