Atole:  A typical beverage  made with cornmeal, milk, and fruits.

Chocolate Caliente: Hot Chocolate.

Colación: Sweets, fruit, peanuts inside the Piñata. Also, candy and peanuts given after the piñata is broken in little baskets.

Cascanueces: Nutcracker

Farol:   Lamp made of colorful paper to adorn streets and houses.

Flor de Nochebuena:      Pointsettia flower.  In pre-Hispanic times this flower symbolized the “new life” awaiting warriors who died in combat. Its name comes from Joel Pointsett, US ambassador to Mexico in 1882 who liked it so much that he introduced it to the world!        

Navidad: Christmas Day.

Nacimiento:     Nativity Crèche.

Noche Buena:   Christmas Eve.

Pastorela:       Theatrical representations of the shepherds on their way to honor baby Jesus.

Pastores:    Shepherds.   

Piñata:    The traditional Christmas piñata is star shaped and has seven peaks, symbolizing the seven capital sins that should be destroyed.  The stick with which it is broken symbolizes faith.

Ponche:  Punch. Beverage made of fruits such as sugarcane, raisins, prunes, oranges, guavas,  served during the Posadas.

Posada:    The Nine fiestas celebrated during nine consecutive days, from December 16 till December 24.  fiestas, which represent Joseph and Mary's arduous pilgrimage on their way to Bethlehem, and there are nine posadas, from the 16 to the 24 of December, because they symbolize Mary's nine months of pregnancy.

Pre-Posada:     Un-oficial posadas celebrated before the posadas!

Tamales:     Traditional Mexican dish made with corn dough, chicken, turkey, pork, chile, cheese...fillings and mole or salsa, wrapped in corn husks or banana leafs.

Villancicos:   Traditional Christmas songs.

Advertisement