Christmas in San Miguel

The Christmas tree is up in the Jardin so it must be Navidad. This post is written to answer a question from my sweet sister-in-law, Rhonda. She asked how San Miguel celebrates Christmas.

The celebration begins with 9 nights of posadas (which means literally "inns"). These are community processions where people walk each night from one church to the next asking to be taken in, recreating the experience of Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem.

We love to join in as they proceed through different neighborhoods each night, carrying candles and singing the special posada song which requests shelter for the night. Each night we are invited for ponche (a non-alcoholic punch loaded with traditional fruits like prunes and apples and others with names I don't know.) Usually there are piñatas along the way hanging in front of some houses for the children to break and it is very merry. We participate for the community feeling rather than the religious tradition and are wamly included.

Christmas is a time for family and not of gift giving, although that is creeping south of the border with some of the businesses even having jolly santas as you enter the store. The gift giving for the children in Mexico is on Jan. 6th, Three Kings' Day (Feast of the Epiphany) which commemorates the gifts the Magi brought to the baby Jesus.

On Three Kings' Day families eat rosca de reyes, an oval shaped bread made with dried fruit. Baked inside the bread is a tiny baby doll, representing the baby Jesus. Whoever gets the slice of rosca with the baby must provide tamales and atole (a sweet milky hot drink made with corn flour and cinnamon) at a party on February 2. I have gotten the baby (sometimes there are several in the fruitcake) but have never yet given the party since I don't know how to make atole or tamales.

We wish all our friends and family Felices Fiestas y un Prospero Año Nuevo in 2008.