We have learned that people all over the world celebrate holidays with traditions, ceremonies, festivals, and special events.  Sometimes these holidays are similar to those we celebrate in the United States.  Other celebrations are very different from ours.  It would be fun to travel around the world and participate in these special days in faraway lands.  Let's visit the country of Mexico and join in some of their holiday celebrations.

Christmas is a special time of year in Mexico, just as it is in the United States.  In Mexico, however, people celebrate many different traditions, making the Christmas celebration last three weeks.  They call it Navidad (Nah-vee-dahd).  In a tradition called the posada (po-sah-da,) which begins on December 16th,  children walk through their neighborhood dressed as Mary and Joseph, looking for shelter.  The children repeat their walk every night for nine nights, until December 24th, when they reach a certain home where a fiesta (fee-es-tah) is held.  

December 24th, of course, is our Christmas Eve here in the United States, but it is also very special for the people of Mexico.  They hold parades and fireworks, along with a special feast.  Remember, the weather is warm all year in most parts of Mexico, so outdoor events such as these can take place in the wintertime.  Children break piñatas (pin-yah-tahs), and it is a fun time for all.  Navidad is a special time for families in Mexico.

La Dia de los Tres Reyes (The Day of the Three Kings)

Navidad, or the Christmas season , comes to an end on January 6th, with La Dia de los Tres Reyes (lah dee-ah day lows trace ray-ace).  The Day of the Three Kings is a tradition that honors baby Jesus, and the three kings that brought him gifts.  This is also the day when Papa Noel visits all the Mexican children who were well-behaved during the year.  Do we know Papa Noel???

Cinco de mayo

Cinco de Mayo (sink-o day my-o) in Spanish means "the fifth of May."  Many people think that May 5th is the Mexican Independence Day.  This is not true, although Cinco de Mayo is a special day.  This holiday honors the poor farmers who fought for Mexico against the more powerful French, in the Battle of Puebla (Pweb-lah) on May 5th, 1862.  Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in cities and towns around Mexico by acting out the Battle of Puebla, where the Mexicans fought so hard to gain their freedom.

Cinco de Mayo is also very important to Mexican-Americans.  This is a day to celebrate Mexican culture with special food, drink and parades, as well as music and dancing.   Cinco de Mayo is a day for Mexican-Americans to have fun, and show that they are proud of their heritage.

Click on the dancers below to hear
Cinco de Mayo music

 Mexican Independence Day

September 16th, is Mexican Independence Day, and it is much like our Fourth of July celebration, here in the United States.  Mexican Independence Day shares many of the same traditions such as parades, fireworks, and other public festivities, to celebrate their independence.  The Mexicans also hold bullfights and rodeos to celebrate this important day.

The colors of the Mexican flag are red, white, and green.  During the Mexican Independence Day celebration, these colors are displayed everywhere.  Red, white, and green flowers, lights, and other decorations can be seen throughout the cities and towns.  Many people even dress in these colors to show that they are proud of their country. 

La Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)

La Dia de los Muertos (lah dee-ah day lows mwear-tose) is a day in November, when Mexicans honor their ancestors and family members who have passed away.  This is not a sad time, however.  The "Day of the Dead" is a time for families to remember the good times they shared with their relatives who have died.  The families share in the things that they enjoyed with their past relatives, such as making that relative's favorite food.  They also take time to visit and decorate grave sites of loved ones with beautiful flowers.

We would certainly have fun visiting Mexico
and celebrating their holidays along with
our Mexican friends.
To learn more about Mexico
click on the picture below to learn
how to make a piñata, .