Christmas and New Year in Mexico

Spending the parties away from home is an experience and Mexico has everything to make them unforgettable. Whether as a family, as a couple, or traveling alone, the warmth of its people and its party spirit will keep any tourist who wants to spend some of the most colorful parties busy. It is a time of year when the streets are dressed in colors and joy with bright red flowers: 'poinsettia'.

As a predominantly Catholic country, many of Mexico's holidays have their roots in religion. Christmas has a wide variety of traditions and customs, with preparations spanning nine days before December 24. On the 16th the festivities begin with the first Posada, it is a celebration of great religious importance where people accompany the Virgin Mary and Joseph in search of an inn where the baby Jesus can be born. The festival is celebrated in the streets and houses of the people who gather to sing and pray surrounded by lights and sparklers that adorn their homes.

At this time there are also many fairs and artisan markets, in which all kinds of Christmas decorations are sold. Two destinations are the favorite ones to make the purchase of the most precious Christmas ornaments:
  1. Chignahuapan is a magical town located two and a half hours from the Mexican capital, and its main attraction is the decorative Christmas balls made with blown glass. We can assure you that they are the most beautiful spheres to take home since it is the main economic activity of the town, with hundreds of workshops that are dedicated to the trade throughout the year. The Sphere Festival, during the months of October and November, is the ideal time to acquire these ornaments.
  2. Like Chignahuapan, Tlalpujahua has the manufacture of these spheres and fairs that are held around the same time. This town is located in the state of Michoacán, less than three hours from Mexico City.
Fireworks, bells flying, 12 grapes, sparkling wine, parties, and music make up the scene of a regular New Year's celebration in the big cities of Mexico. Traditions vary from town to town, but some of the most famous are the burning of a doll with the appearance of an old man symbolizing the old year in Yucatan. In addition, state governments also organize mass parties in public places, such as the Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo) or at the Monument to the Revolution, in Mexico City, or in the beautiful Fundidora Park, in Monterrey, Nuevo León.