El Sol de la Costa, Traditions of a Mexican Christmas

Traditions of a Mexican Christmas

MÉXICO'S TRADITIONAL Christmas festivities get underway on Dec. 16 with Las Posadas (literally "The Inns", but in this sense the meaning is one of shelter or hospitality). These are nine consecutive days of candlelight processions and lively parties starting December 16. In villages and urban neighborhoods throughout México, youngsters gather to reenact the holy family's quest for lodging in Bethlehem.

The procession is headed by a diminutive Virgen María, often perched on a live burro, led by a equally tiny San José. They are followed by other children portraying angels, the Santos Reyes (Three Kings), and a host of pastores y pastoras (shepherds and shepherdesses), all usually decked out in colorful handmade costumes and carrying brightly decorated báculos (walking staffs) or faroles (paper lanterns).

The parade of Santos Peregrinos (Holy Pilgrims) stops at designated homes to sing a traditional litany by which the Holy Family requests shelter for the night and those waiting behind the closed door turn them away;

En el nombre del Cielo os pido posada, pues no puede andar mi esposa amada.	In the name of Heaven I ask you for lodging, because she cannot walk, my beloved wife.
The group inside answers, also singing:
Aquí no es mesón; sigan adelante. Yo no puedo abrir, no sea algún tunante.	This is no inn, keep on going. I won't open the door, in case you are a rogue.

The third stop is the location of the Posada, where the couple are warmly admitted. Here, a rosary will be held and then the partying begins, with piñatas for the kids, beer and mescal for the grown ups and lots of food and sweets.

Most important to the Christmas celebration is Noche Buena, (Good Night), Christmas Eve. This is when families traditionally gather for their Christmas feast and perhaps later attend the Misa del Gallo, midnight mass.

Besides tamales, an essential for any Oaxacan celebration. Other traditional seasonal dishes include bacalao (dried fish), bunuelos (sweet fritters), the delicious hominy soup known as pozole, atole (a corn gruel drink), horchata (the same made with rice), fruit punches (ponches) and a kind of rice pudding known as Arroz a la Mexicana.

Christmas Day (Navidad) is an unearthly quiet Mexican day, as the families sleep and recover after all-night festivities. The traditional day for gift giving is Epiphany, or Day of the Kings, on January 6.

Piñatas

[pinatas] Although the Piñata originated in China, the traditional party favorite of Mexican children travelled along the trade routes to Italy where it was named pigata or "pineapple" in Italian, then to Spain in time to be taken to the new world by the missionaries.

The serious symbolism of this simple party toy is very typical of México as there is always more to understand than appears on the surface. The decorated clay pot represents Satan who often wears an attractive mask to hide his true nature. The most traditional style of Piñata is a star with seven points with streamers. These cones represent the seven deadly sins, and the breaking of the Piñata with the ensuing shower of sweets and fruits and nuts vividly shows the triumph of good over evil and the unknown joys and rewards which will be given in heaven to the good and faithful.

Poinsettias

[pointsettas] One of the familiar symbols of the season you will find in México is the Poinsetta, known here as Noche Buena ("Good Night", meaning Christmas Eve), Flor de Niluyarili in Chiapas and Hoja de Flor in Central America.

The plant was the obsession of Dr. Joel Poinsett, the first ambassador of the United States to México, who gave it his name and introduced it to the rest of the world

The ancients, who considered all flowers to be divine gifts of the Gods, knew this plant as Cuetlaxochitl, which means the flower of leather petals. This star-shaped, red, winter-flowering plant was a special favorite long before the arrival of Columbus.

The Nochebuena was considered by the Aztecs to be a symbol of the new life earned by the warriors who died in battle. As hummingbirds and butterflies, they returned to earth to sip the nectar of the Poinsettia.

The Day of Kings

[kinks] The 12th Night of Christmas, Epiphany, or Day the Kings, is the traditional day for Christmas gift giving in México. You don't really believe in Santa, do you? It was the three kings, or Magi: Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar, who brought the gifts to the baby Jesus. There will be parties with piñatas, sweets and toys for the kids. National and local Toy Drives help bring a smile today to the faces of some of the neediest youngsters.

But the Christmas celebrations aren't quite over yet; one of the traditions of day is the sharing of the Rosca de Reyes, a rich, sweet egg bread that contains a small plastic doll. According to the custom, whomever receives the piece of bread containing the doll must host a party on Candlemas (La Candelaria) on Feb. 2.

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