Christmas in the Yucatan

Dreaming of a white Christmas? If you're spending December in the Yucatan, forget it! The closest you'll come to frosty is sipping an icy Margarita. You'll discover a delightful array of traditions that make celebrating Navidad (Christmas) in Mexico a unique and unforgettable experience.

Las Posadas
Christmas festivities begin with Las Posadas, nine consecutive days of candelight processions and lively parties starting December 16. Throughout Mexico, youngsters gather each afternoon to reenact the holy family's quest for lodging in Bethlehem. The procession is headed by a diminutive Virgen Maria, often perched on a live burro, led by an equally tiny San Jose. They are followed by other children portraying angels, the Three Kings, and a host of shepherds, all decked out in colorful handmade costumes and carrying walking staffs or paper lanterns.

Road to Progreso with the Coca Cola christmas tree.

The parade of Holy Pilgrims stops at a designated house 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. They proceed to a second home where the scene is repeated. At the third stop the pilgrims are told that while there is no room in the inn, they are welcome to take refuge in the stable. The doors are flung open and all are invited to enter. This is an active way of teaching children the story of the Nativity, but the chief attraction is the merrymaking that follows, the ruthless smashing of piñatas and a mad scramble for the shower of candies released from within.

Las Pastorelas
Las Pastorelas (Shepherds Plays) are staged throughout the holiday season by both amateur and professional groups. Dating back to Mexico's Colonial period when Roman Catholic missionaries wooed converts and taught doctrine through dramatizations of Biblical stories, the light, humor-filled Pastorelas tell of the shepherds' adoration of the Christ Child. First they are visited in the fields by an angel who announces the holy birth. As the shepherds attempt to follow the great star leading them to Bethlehem they are plagued by a series of evils and misadventures provoked by the Devil. But in the proverbial all's-well-that-ends-well finale, good triumphs over evil and the shepherd's reach their intended destination.

El Nacimiento
In most Mexican homes the principal holiday adornment is el Nacimiento (Nativity scene). The focal point is a stable where clay or plaster figurines of the Holy Family are sheltered. The scene may be further populated by an angel, the Magi, an ox and ass, shepherds and their flocks, and assorted other people and livestock. A major masterpiece may occupy an entire room, often near the front of the house for convenient viewing by neighbors and passersby. The creation of the basic landscape begins with paper painted in earth tones draped over tables, taped onto boxes, crushed and shaped to form a multi-leveled, natural looking terrain that includes a series of hills and dales, a cellophane waterfall, a mirror pond, artificial trees, and little houses set to form an entire village scene. The scene will not be completed until Christmas Eve when the newborn Baby Jesus is finally laid in the manger bed.

A merchant sells the all-important blinking lights at the downtown mercado in Merida.

Chrismtas decorations at the end of Paseo de Montejo Avenue and calle 47

Noche Buena
Holiday festivities on Christmas Eve include the celebration of Midnight Mass. Afterwards families head home for a traditional Christmas supper which may feature a simple fare of homemade tamales or a more exotic feast of bacalao a la vizcaina (Biscayan cod), roast turkey, ham or suckling pig. The evening is rounded out with the opening of gifts and, for the children, piñatas and sparklers. As these happy family gatherings generally last into the wee hours, December 25th is set aside as a day to rest and enjoy that universal holiday bonus -- leftovers. Incidentally, Santa Claus does not generally figure in the scheme of Navidad. A Mexican youngster's holiday wishlist is directed to el Niño Dios (the Holy Child) for Christmas Eve and the Magi for Three Kings Day on January 6th.

Fountain of Paseo de Montejo and
Circuito Colonias (Burger King Fountain)

Santos Inocentes
December 28, Day of the Holy Innocents, is a religious commemoration of King Herod's ordering the slaughter of all male infants in his kingdom, intended to include the Christ Child. In Mexico it is celebrated as day akin to April Fool's, an occasion for jokes and pranks. The usual tactic is to ask to borrow cash or some object of value. The trickster then has the right to keep said object for a year. So beware or you may find yourself titled Fool Saint for a day!

Rosca de Reyes and doll

Los Reyes Magos
The Christmas season continues through to Epiphany, which is called Día de Los Reyes (Three Kings Day). Echoing the arrival in Bethlehem of Wise Men bearing gifts for the baby Jesus, children throughout Mexico anxiously await waking up January 6 to find toys and gifts left by the Three Kings. Gifts are left by the Wise Men in shoes waiting under the bed. A special treat served on this day is the Rosca de Reyes--crown-shaped sweet bread decorated with jewel-like candied fruits. Tiny figures of babies are hidden in the dough before baking. There is much excitement as each partaker cuts his or her own slice, for whoever gets a piece containing a baby is obliged to host another party on or before Candlemas, February 2, when Mexico's holiday season finally comes to an end.

Candlemas
February 2 is Candlemas is when people who got plastics dolls in the 3 King’s Day bread are supposed to have a tamale party. Religion-wise it is the day for observing the ritual purification of Mary forty days after the birth of Jesus as well as the presentation of Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem.  The day has pagan roots and was a Christian adaptation of the older practices for this midwinter festivity from which we get our Groundhog Day.

YUCATAN TODAY wishes all MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

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