|
|
|
|
|
Christmas Day |
|
Christmas Day (Dia de Navidad) celebrations are held in Cozumel, throughout Mexico and worldwide to commemorate the birth of Jesus, whom many Christians believe is the son of God. This is a special time in Mexico when families gather at their homes or at the local church. These celebrations actually begins on Christmas Eve (Noche Buena). Those attending church services for the Christmas Eve Mass (Misa de Noche Buena) or for those at home, when the bells toll twelve (12) times at midnight, this marks the time when the baby Jesus is first placed into the crib at the manger in the nativity scenes. Many prayers, songs and lullabies to the baby Jesus are sung in celebration of the birth of Christ. We highly recommend you attend a Christmas Eve Mass (even if you do not speak Spanish) as it is a very moving and beautiful experience with a rich culture here in Mexico.
After midnight and the services, it is traditional that everyone then attends a late night "dinner". The dinner is abundant, scrumptious and varied, with many traditional dishes that differ from region to region. Some of the popular choices for the meal are tamales, Christmas Eve salad (Ensalada de Noche Buena), dried cod (bacalao), turkey (guajolote) and some families serve a suckling pig. Drinks are delicious and range from cold eggnog (rompope) to hot fruit punch (ponche) and hot chocolate. Mouthwatering desserts consist of buñuelos, ojarascas cookies and bread pudding (capirotada). Regardless of the region or what is served, nobody goes hungry, there is lots of food and drinks for all.
For many countries, Christmas is the day of gift giving and consists of many presents for the children that come from "Santa Claus". While Santa Claus is not predominant in Mexico, current culture has been influenced by this tradition. That being said, typically, the children after dinner will receive a single gift that will be opened immediately whereas most gift giving worldwide occurs upon waking on Christmas Day morning. Some families will also have a piñata for the children to break and receive the candy and fruit hidden inside. You will also find families will pile into cars at 2:00am, 3:00am, even 4:00am and go visit other families and relatives in their homes to wish them Merry Christmas (Feliz Navidad)! So it is not uncommon for street traffic to be very busy all night long and into daybreak of Christmas Day.
Christmas is a public holiday in Mexico with all banks, schools, government offices and most business closed. Another Mexico tradition (and now an obligatory worker's benefit under the nation's labor laws) is a Christmas bonus (El Aguinaldo). The bonus is paid before December 20th and is equivalent to fifteen (15) days of wages, or more, depending on your year's of service. This bonus is often used to pay for the various celebrations, gifts and meals during the season and creates a huge burst of economic activity. Sadly, many companies worldwide have eliminated Christmas bonuses, but this a another perk of living in Mexico.
Finally, the remainder of the Christmas day is usually a day of rest. Families and friends relax having been up until the early hours. The tradition of recalentado (reheating) is also common, with families and friends convening again in the afternoon of Christmas Day to enjoy the leftovers from the early morning "dinner. Many times, families go to other relatives for recalentado, so if a family stayed with the father's relatives on Christmas Eve, they would go to the mother's relatives for Christmas Day.
If you want to really experience the Mexican culture and Cozumel, we urge you to join us here at IslaMar Vacation Villas as we would love to help you celebrate this joyous season on the warm, sunny and beautiful island of Cozumel. We can assist you in all aspects of your travel plans, help you book various local packages and recommend the best events and the best way to celebrate the Christmas Holiday here on the island. And if you are going to be here for Christmas, we would suggest you make your trip through New Year's so you can enjoy our fabulous New Year's Eve celebrations and start your New Year off with a bang! We would love to be your hosts.
Past Christmas Photo Album - Decorations Around Cozumel! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright 2000 - 2024 Sherri Davis, All Rights Reserved. Contributors retain the copyright to their work. Please do not take art or written content without permission. Other graphics and reference materials are used and attributed as per the Fair Use Provision of The Copyright Act and individual terms of use.
|
|