Author: WCPSS

Las Posadas

Christmas festivities begin with Las Posadas, nine days of candlelight processions and parties starting December 16th. In villages and cities, children gather to act out the holy family’s search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. The procession is led by a girl dressed as Mother Mary riding a burro and a boy dressed as Joseph. Other children are shepherds and the Santos Reyes (three kings). All are decked out in colorful, handmade costumes and carrying brightly decorated baculos (walking staffs)or faroles (paper lanterns). They go from house to house asking for room in the posada, inn.

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Mexican children in a procession
celebrating Felice Navidad,

The poinsettia is native to Mexico. It was first used at Christmas in the 17th century when Mexican Franciscans included the flowers in their Christmas celebration. There is a legend connected with the flower. A little boy named Pablo was walking to the church in his village to visit the Nativity scene, when he realized he had nothing to give to baby Jesus. He saw some green branches growing along the road and gathered them. Other children scoffed, but when he laid them by the manger, a brilliant red star-shaped flower appeared on each branch.

Mexico

Conchero dancer,
Aztec, with feathers and shells.

Did you know that chocolate was introduced to the world by Mexico? They even used cacoa beans as money. The world’s smallest dog, the Chihuahua, is from the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

Life in Mexico

Children playing in a Mexican square.
Family is an important part of Mexican culture. Sometimes three or four generations of family meet for afternoon lunch (la comida), sit around the table, talk, gossip, laugh and joke with each other. This is not a special event: this is family life as usual! On the weekends, parks, museums, and local attractions are packed with families enjoying their free time.
Mexican children are given both their father's last name and their mother's maiden name, keeping the parents’ heritage. Fathers often weave a symbolic “God's Eye” when their children are born. A God’s Eye is a weaving made across two sticks, and is a symbol of the power of seeing and understanding unknown things.

Favorite Foods
Preferred desserts are sweetbreads (including iced buns and oversized cookies), chocolates and dulce de leche (caramelized milk). On city sidewalks and streets, little bells announce palateros, traveling vendors whose small insulated carts are filled with frozen paletas, popsicle-like treats made from creams or juices and ice cream.
A paletero pushes his cart down the street! It is filled with delicious
paletas!

Nature
Few nations have as many plant
and animal species as Mexico.
Located part way between the
Equator and the Arctic Circle, it is
a refuge for animals fleeing
extreme cold in the north and
intense heat in the south. In
northern Mexico, deserts are full
of plant and animal species that
have found ways to survive
the harsh environment. On Mex-
ico's west coast, gray whales
swim thousands of miles each
year from Alaska to breed in the
waters off Baja California. Rainfo
rests and coastal wetlands ar
home to thousands of tropical
plant species and elusive animals
like jaguars and quetzal birds.

Here is a graph that shows high and low temperatures for the year in Mexico.