Ajijic Village Celebrates The Traditions of Christmas in Mexico

Mexicans love to celebrate their holidays with great passion and Christmas in Mexico is no exception.

Whether you live in a little pueblito (small village) like Ajijic on the shores of Lake Chapala or in a modern metropolitan area such as Mexico City or Guadalajara the Christmas season is a family oriented holiday steeped in centuries old Christian traditions.

The nativity or nacimiento depicting the birth of Jesus Christ including Mary, Jesus, Joseph, three Shepherds and the 3 wise kings usually in a stable setting enjoys a prominent place in the homes of many Mexicans here in the Lake Chapala area.

Historically, the catholic friars and the conquistadors brought the nacimiento to the New World in the 16th century. A detailed account of the development of Christmas celebrations and of the Nativity in Mexico can be found in the book, Nacimientos Mexicanos, published by the Fundación Cultural Serfin.

The posada tradition in Mexico and was originally a novena celebrated on the nine days before Christmas. It is actually a series of nine celebrations, one for each night of the novena. Each of the nine nights there is a re-enactment of the journey of Mary & Joseph looking for a place to stay in Bethlehem.

Each neighborhood in the Village of Ajijic, schedules a night for the Posada to be held, usually on the cobblestone streets that have been blocked off to vehicle traffic.

The Posadas start on the December 16th and last ones celebrate on December 24th or Noche Buena. The Posada, which means ‘inn’ in Spanish, is an enactment of Joseph and Mary looking for lodging. 

The enactment follows this pattern, on the street where the Posada will take place, residents act in the role of  “innkeepers”, and the neighborhood children are Los Peregrinos or Pilgrims, they request lodging by singing a simple song.

The Peregrinos sing their chant asking for a place to stay at three different houses but only the third one will let them in. In front of that house will be where the Posada will be for that evening. Once the “innkeepers” let them in, the group of guests moves out to the street, Calle Independencia, where tables and chairs are arranged.

We all then indulge in a feast consisting of Ponche which is a hot beverage or punch made out of seasonal fruits chunks of fresh sugar cane and cinnamon sticks. The ladies of our neighborhood cook a big pot of pozole, a pork hominy soup and serve it along with fresh tamales. Yum, Yum.

After most of us have finished our meals, the party begins for the Ajijic neighborhood kids. There will be a Piñata, filled with peanuts in the shell, oranges, sugar cane pieces, and a variety of wrapped candies. There are other types of songs the children will sing while each child tries his or her turn at smashing the brightly colored Piñata with a stick while blindfolded.

The last day of the Ajijic Posadas is followed by the good night or La Noche Buena. This is a day, in which all who celebrate, Christmas celebrate the night of the birth of Jesus. Families attend midnight mass or Misa de Noche Buena on Christmas eve. After mass, the families, and close friends, return home to celebrate with a huge feast prepared and prepared by all. Christmas Day is the following day and traditionally gifts are not exchanged on Christmas Day.

El Dia de Los Reyes or The Day of The Kings on January 6th, is traditionally the day in which each child receives three gifts symbolizing the three gifts the three kings gave to Baby Jesus. In the Catholic Church, this day is known as the Epiphany.

Also a celebration is held at home with family and friends where King Cake or Rosca De Reyes is served. Inside the cake is a small toy baby Jesus. Actually there are several in each cake. The tradition holds that the person who gets the piece of cake with the baby Jesus contained inside is rewarded by hosting a tamale dinner on day of Calendaria which is about 3 weeks later.

As you might be able to tell the Christmas celebration in Ajijic involves good friends, family, food and lots of fun for all ages.

Feliz Navidad Amigos (Merry Christmas Friends),

Are you looking for a way to have a more interesting and enriching Christmas holiday?

Tired of the excessive commercialization of this sacred season? Maybe you should consider a Christmas in Mexico that is rich in tradition but won’t bust you budget. 

Staying in a Ajijic Bed and breakfast or Hotels in Ajijic is a common lodging choice. For something possibly more interesting, be sure to check out Ajijic Vacation Rentals Mexico for a great Lake Chapala lodging experience.

Also here is an Ajijic, Mexico travel tip: Bring your digital camera, extra batteries and extra memory cards. An album of Ajijic photos is a perfect way to remember your Lake Chapala vacation.

You might also look at the Ajijic Things To Do page to determine how long to stay for. There so many things to see and do many first time visitors decide to stay for at least two weeks or longer.