Festivities
| Date | English Name | Spanish Name | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 6 | Epiphany | Día de los Santos Reyes | Celebrates the Biblical New Testament story of the arrival of the three wise men who each brought a gift to the Christ child. Traditionally, children receive toys, and people buy a pastry called rosca de reyes. Anyone who bites into the bread and finds a figurine of the Christ child must host a party for the Day of Candlemas (February 2). It is not a state holiday. |
| February 14 | Valentine's Day | Día de San Valentín | Celebrates amorous unions. On this day, traditionally, men give chocolates, flowers, jewelry, dinner and serenade to their special women, as well as to their female friends. It is not a state holiday. |
| April 30 | Children's Day | Día del Niño | Honors all the children. It is not a state holiday. |
| May 10 | Mother's Day | Día de las Madres | Honors all the mothers throughout the country. It is not a state holiday. |
| May 15 | Teacher's Day | Día del Maestro | Honors all the teachers throughout the country. It is not a state holiday. |
| May 23 | Students' Day | Día del estudiante | Honors all the students throughout the country. It is not a state holiday. |
| Third Sunday of June | Father's Day | Día del Padre | Honors all the fathers throughout the country. It is not a state holiday. |
| November 1 | All Saints' Day (Day of the Dead) | Día de Todos los Santos | Honors dead relatives and/or friends (who were less than 18 years of age and unmarried) with candles, food and flower offerings, altars, and pre-Hispanic and Christian rituals. It is not a state holiday. |
| November 2 | All Souls' Day (Day of the Dead) | Día de los Fieles Difuntos | Honors dead relatives and/or friends (who were more than 18 years of age or married) with candles, food and flower offerings, altars, and pre-Hispanic and Christian rituals. It is not a state holiday. |
| December 12 | Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe | Día de la Virgen de Guadalude | Celebrates the day that Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on Tepeyac hill to the native Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. It is not a state holiday. |
| December 16–24 | Las Posadas | Las Posadas | Commemorates the Biblical New Testament story of Joseph and Mary's search for shelter in Bethlehem. Consists of candlelight processions as well as stops at various nativity scenes. |
| December 24 | Christmas Eve | Nochebuena | Celebrates the eve of the nativity of Jesus, as both a secular and religious winter holiday. The traditional treats for this holiday are buñuelos, tamales and atole or champurrado. Sometimes they eat gelatina de colores (different flavors of Jell-O and a milk-based Jell-O mixed together to make a colorful treat) Las Posadas are celebrated nine days before Nochebuena, usually accompanied by a piñata party for children and dance music for adults. |
| December 28 | Day of the Innocents | Dia de los Santos Innocentes | On this day, people pull practical jokes on each other. It is equivalent to the U.S. version of April Fools' Day (April 1). People must not believe anything that other people say nor let them borrow any amount of money. If any person has fallen victim of the joke, the person pulling the joke will say ¡Inocente palomita...!, literally meaning 'Innocent little dove' (equivalent to saying April Fools!). |
| December 31 | New Year's Eve | Año Nuevo Vìspera | Mexicans celebrate New Year's Eve or locally known as Año Nuevo, by downing a grape with each of the twelve chimes of the bell during the midnight countdown, while making a wish with each one. Mexican families decorate homes and parties, during New Year's, with colors such as red, to encourage an overall improvement of lifestyle and love, yellow to encourage blessings of improved employment conditions, green to improve financial circumstances and white to improved health. Mexican sweet bread is baked with a coin or charm hidden in the dough. When the bread is served, the recipient whose slice contains the coin or charm is believed to be blessed with good luck in the new year. Another tradition is making a list of all the bad or unhappy events from the current year; before midnight, this list is thrown into a fire, symbolizing the removal of negative energy from the new year. At the same time, thanks is expressed for all the good things had during the year that is coming to its end so that they will continue to be had in the new year.
Mexicans celebrate by having a late-night dinner with their families, the traditional meal being turkey and mole, a tradition which has now spanned worldwide. Those who want to party generally go out afterwards, to local parties or night clubs. If you're in Mexico, you can still enjoy festivities in the street. In Mexico City there is a huge street festival on New Year's Eve; celebrations center around the Zocalo, the city's main square. You can expect a lot of firecrackers, fireworks and sparklers. At midnight there is a lot of noise and everyone shouts: "Feliz año nuevo!" People embrace, make noise, set off firecrackers, and sing Auld Lang Syne. |
Read more about this topic: Holidays In Mexico