"Christmas Around The World, Oaxaca, Mexico"

By: Luis Rasgado

I'm Hispanic, and I'm originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, but I don't know much about the Mexican tradition and I wanted to know more about how the Mexicans celebrated Christmas . I had the opportunity to interview an old friend of the family, Don Ramon, who goes to Mexico every December, to tell me how is Christmas is celebrated in Mexico and I was surprised that in December, Christmas is not the only thing that our neighbor Southern Country celebrates.

"Every year, in every street of Oaxaca, the people decorate them with amazing artistic displays of lights"

I asked Don Ramon what he thought about the first time he celebrated the Christmas holidays in the United States. "Whenever I first came to the United States, everything was different. I walk around and everything looks the same to me. It wasn't like in Oaxaca were you would walk one block and you could see colorful buildings in different shapes and sizes."

I was getting even more curious so I asked him to give me an example of one of the traditions that they did during the month of December.

"On December 11 there is an interesting custom that honors the Virgin of Guadalupe that takes place on the eve of her feast day, in the Llano Park in front of the Church of Guadalupe. Throughout the day, parents take their young children to the church to be blessed by the priests. The boys are dressed as Juan Diego and the girls as simple native girls of that period. Carnival rides and food stands fill the park." Here in the United States there are rare occasions were I see people do this. Usually people would just go to church and do a simple Mass and that would be all for the eve before the big day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. It is not a bad thing to do a simple Mass, but I got used to the big parties and the band playing before December 12 which is when its the big day."

"Children dress up as Juan Diego and as native girls"

Then I asked him to explain to me what was the big day about? What was so special about December 12? and this is what he said:

On December 12 it is the day where The Virgin of Guadalupe is revered as the patron saint and Queen of all México and in Oaxaca. Usually Las Mañanitas, a song for birthdays and Saints' days, is sung before the rosary at dawn, about 5 a.m. There are many activities associated with this day, some religious, as well as music, fireworks and the carnival rides."

"This is "El Zocalo" its the center of Mexico City, it is mainly where the Mexican people gather to celebrate the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe"

Then he told me that in school they taught him the history of December 12. He said it was dumb for the students to learn about the history of it, but that this was a long time ago. Not many religious subjects are banned from schools in Mexico.

A Brief History:

"La Virgen de Guadalupe celebrated position dates to December 1531 - a scant 12 years after the arrival of Cortés - when the Catholic Virgin Mary appeared to a humble native Juan Diego near what is now the City of México and directed that a church be built on that spot. Juan was not taken seriously by authorities who didn't believe his vision until, on a subsequent appearance, the Virgin told him to fill his cloak with roses which miraculously sprang up in that rocky place, and to take them to the bishop. When he emptied the roses at the feet of the bishop, they remained as if painted on his cloak the image of the Virgin as she appeared to Juan and as she is still depicted. This was taken as a sign from heaven and the church was built and special devotions instituted to the Virgin of Guadalupe, as she was named.

Don Ramon concluded with the Christmas Day Celebration.

Christmas Eve as its known in Mexico as "Nochebuena". It is a time for family members to gather together to rejoice and feast around the Nativity scenes that are present in nearly every home. The Christmas Eve celebration is interrupted at midnight by the ringing of bells calling the families to "La Misa Del Gallo." The people would go to Mass in the morning then head home, to enjoy the rest of CHRISTMAS DAY!!

"Christmas in Mexico is not any difference than in the United States. The only big difference is the food that we eat." he continued, "While the Americans are eating turkey and those other things, we are eating Tamales, Mole, Tacos, Gorditas, well you can basically name the whole menu from a Mexican Restaurant and that would be on the table."

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