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A few years ago my family started celebrating Christmas like different countries do around the world. It’s a fun way to learn about other countries and cultures. I always research the traditional foods and customs. Last year we had a Mexican Christmas Celebration. Christmas is widely celebrated in Mexico so it wasn’t hard to find information to help plan our celebration. This is my family’s take on Christmas in Mexico.
Christmas in Mexico is celebrated for several weeks according to WhyChristmas.com. It starts in mid December with Posadas and stretches till January 6th, Dia de Los Reyes (3 Kings Day). Each celebration tells the unfolding story of Christ’s birth. I took bits and pieces of the celebrations and combined them all for our Christmas Day celebration.
The Food
Being from Texas we are very familiar with different types of Mexican (really Tex-Mex) food. Tamales are traditionally made and served at Christmastime. We had a variety of tamales, rice, beans and guacamole. Everything was delicious! For dessert we had a Rosca de Reyes or Three Kings Cake with a baby Jesus hidden inside (part of the Dia de Los Reyes Day celebration). I also served Ponche Navidendo or Mexican Christmas Fruit Punch I found on Muy Bueno. It’s a warm and festive holiday beverage made with a variety of fruit, cinnamon, sugar & cloves. It makes your house smell wonderful and tastes as good as it smells.
Decorations
Poinsettias decorate many homes during the holidays in Mexico. There is a Mexican legend about how Poinsettias became a symbol of Christmas. Nativity Scenes are also very popular. I used B’s Melissa & Doug Nativity Set as the centerpiece for our table. I love how the baby Jesus piece has two sides. One side has an empty manager and on Christmas Day you flip it over to reveal baby Jesus.
I also ordered a traditional Mexican papel picado banner from MesaChic on Etsy.
I love the bright colors and laser cut designs. It definitely added a festive touch to our celebration.
Activities
I usually plan some sort of craft for the family to do. For our Mexican Christmas Celebration we made Ojos de Dios or Eyes of God. I remember making them in school when I was a kid. They are very simple to make and I love how everyone’s turned out so different.
We played Christmas Loteria which is like bingo. I found the cute free printable game from Bare Feet On The Dashboard. We also took turns whacking a traditional star shaped Pinata that I found at Target. I filled it with everyone’s favorite candies. We made everyone close their eyes and spin around three times before they took aim. It was quite amusing!
We had a blast with our Mexican Christmas celebration and learned a few new things as well. I really like how the focus of their celebrations tells the story of Jesus’ birth. Which is really the whole reason for the season.
Follow my Mexican Christmas Pinterest board for more ideas.
¡Feliz Navidad!