Christmas in Mexico – Posadas, Pignata and Ponche

Christmas in Mexico is a traditional celebration that has its own unique appeal. It is celebrated in the Mexican form of Roman Catholicism that is uninfluenced by the American traditions. Nativity is the main theme of celebration, which refers to the holy birthday of Lord Jesus. This is symbolically commemorated through Posadas. It is a nine-day celebration prior to 24 december, called the Novena and the 24 december is called the Noche Buena (Holy Night). A host of traditional celebration commences from December 12. This is basically the commemoration of the birthday of La Guadalupana (Virgin of Guadalupe) and ends on January 6 with Epiphany.
The Posadas sees the enactment of the life and lodgings of St. Joseph and Virgin Mary. Every traditional family of Mexico celebrates this occasion by scheduling a night of Posada in their homes. It commences on the 16 December and is completed on 24 December. In the Nativity scene, the hosts of the house act as innkeepers and the neighborhood people act as Los Peregrinos. They carry the statues of St. Joseph and Mother Mary. They request for lodging in three different houses and the third house that allows them gets an opportunity to get the Posada for that evening. The guests then gather and pray the Rosary along with the traditional hymns. After the prayers, it is party-time for children with the celebration of Pignata, where the children are blind-folded in turns as they try to break open the Pinata, a clay-pot decorated with colorful crepe papers and filled with peanuts, oranges tangerines and sugar-canes. The traditional clay-pot is today replaced by cardboard boxes.

The adults celebrate with the Ponche Con Piquete (Sting). It is a hot beverage, similar to a punch comprising of seasonal fruits, cinnamon sticks with a liberal amount of alcoholic spirit. Then on December 24, after the midnight Mass, people celebrate dinner with family. Every house has a baby Jesus decked up in their nacimientos in order to commemorate the birth of The Savior. This is considered to be the emblematic representation of Christmas in Mexico.

Ave Marias is sung with an additional verse that tells Virgin Mary, the night has arrived to welcome the Lord. Children dress as shepherds and stand on both sides of the Nativity scene and the others members kneel down and sing a litany. Then, El Rorro (Babe is Arms) is sung as a lullaby for baby Jesus.
The real celebration of Christmas in Mexico happens with the blowing of whistles and the dazzling fireworks that proclaims the birth of Jesus Christ. The announcement of the Midnight Mass is done with the bell sounds and as thousands of devotees gather in the church, the air is filled with the popular Misa de Gallo (Mass of the Rooster). This is unique as the song refers to the fact that the rooster had crowed at midnight only on the day the Lord arrived on earth. The dinner is a traditional and varied elaborate spread usually comprising of Tamales, rice, Rellenos, Atole and Menudo.