One long-ago year, my Dad was out of work, much as fathers are today, but he was determined we'd have a tree just the same. All four of us, Dad, Mom, my sister and I, went to McNally's, the local man who sold trees just once a year. We couldn't afford any of his trees, except the worst looking thing on the entire lot. To call it "scrawny" would've been a compliment. It had a skinny trunk an 8-year-old could put her thumb and forefinger completely around and it was not blessed with more than half a dozen nearly bald branches. Besides all that, it tilted like the Tower of Pisa. My sister and I looked at each other in teary dismay. read more

Dreaming of a white Christmas? If you're spending December in Mexico, forget it! The closest you'll come to frosty is to reminisce on winter wonderlands while sipping an icy margarita. You can expect t... read more

End of year holidays in small Mexican towns have a very special meaning. Folks come home. Milking cows and growing corn or coffee isn't everybody's idea of making a good living, so they try to realize their golden dream and head for the cities, but Christmastime and Mother's Day call them back home. read more

In Mexico, the Christmas season is a month-long fiesta, starting with the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12th, and continuing through the posadas, Noche Buena and Navidad, right up to the Three Kings Day on January 6th.

During this celebratory month, preparing seasonal dishes is an important part of the festivities, with each occasion having its own specialties. These can be easily adapted to holiday menus everywhere, and a Mexican culinary theme is fun, festive, and versatile. read more

The Spanish made the most of the New World ingredients they found in Mexico, using potatoes, tomatoes and chiles in this dish, in addition to the olives they imported from Europe and the salted, dried ... read more

This salad is open to individual interpretation, with the only constants being the beets and the lettuce. Pineapple and bananas are frequently added in tropical climates, apples and jicama in cooler regions. The ingredients should be artfully arranged on a large platter and tossed after it has reached the table. read more

Like any other day weekday, I took the train to work. Like any other day at the office, I made myself a cup of hot tea before settling in at my desk. But — unlike any other day — there was a cardbo... read more

Holiday poinsettias are as much a part of the Christmas fabric as the Nativity scene or the traditional wreaths. Native to Mexico, poinsettias are classic winter bloomers. Commonly known here as flore... read more

The usually bustling Mexican markets become even more so in December, when the mountains of fruit for ponche navideño (Christmas punch) compete with a wild array of tinsel-y decorations for shoppers' attention, and the excitement leading to the posadas and pastorelas builds up. The culmination of all this preparation is, of course, Noche Buena — Christmas Eve — when one of the most festive dinners of the year is served. A Mexican Christmas dinner is abundant and varied, with foods that range from tamales to turkey and tejocote. read more

Once upon a time in Mexico, a little boy was walking to church to see the Nativity scene. He thought hard about a gift to bring the Christ child, but had no money to buy one. Jesus will understand, thought the little boy stopping to gather a few bare weedy branches lying at the side of the dusty road, because my gift will be given with love.... read more

When reenacting Mary and Joseph's quest for shelter in Bethlehem, participants in the traditional Posada processions stop to sing a litany at several designated homes. The verses alternate one by one b... read more

The other day Deovijilda Lara, who owns a tacos al vapor stand in a nearby pueblo Mercado Municipal, was regaling me with tales of her family's Christmas last year. These mostly had to do with comicall... read more

Everyone who relocates to Mexico sooner or later cooks a big holiday dinner for visiting family and friends. My first Christmas, everyone I ever knew, casually met, or went to high school with, showed ... read more

In the current edition of Guinness, the Mexican responsible for most records is Sergio Rodriguez Villarreal from the northern state of Nuevo León. He specializes in creating giant Christmas figures an... read more

This Christmas will really test a person's ability to stretch a dollar, especially a U.S. dollar, since we've been watching it shrink for quite awhile now. It certainly isn't necessary for big-mouth m... read more

Beginning on December 16, Mexican children have their nine days of posadas before Christmas. Two are chosen to dress up like Joseph and Mary and lead the other neighborhood children from house to house singing a request for a place to rest. There are singers inside the houses they pass who are programmed to sing a refusal of lodging. Finally, they arrive at a house where they are received and refreshments are served. read more

December has been a celebratory month in Mexico since pre-Hispanic times, when the winter solstice, one of the two most important holidays of the year (the other being the spring solstice) was celebrat... read more

The Christmas season in Mexico is a time filled with delightfully colorful customs, among which one of my personal favorites is the traditional piñata -breaking that highlights most holiday festi... read more

"What is Christmas like in Mexico?" asked my friend, Edward. It didn’t take much encouragement for me to eagerly share this experience: Once upon a Christmas nighttime, in a tiny village on the shor... read more

One hour north of Manzanillo, Colima, the Primero Plus gave one final jolt in front of Melaque’s bus station. From air-conditioned comfort, we stepped down into the afternoon warmth. By arriving mid ... read more

The trailer was packed, the three kids and the dog were loaded into the van as final preparations were made for the "journey to the end of the earth". For us, Baja truly seemed land's end. Nobody we kn... read more

Few North Americans recognize that the roots of these treasured “Christmas” traditions were active long before the birth of Christ. In fact, most evolved from pagan winter solstice rituals of the Celts, Druids, Scandinavians and indigenous groups, and the much older Jewish Festival of Lights.

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