A Very Mexican Christmas

The next stop on our fantasy Christmas break is Mexico. The Mexicans celebrate Christmas from December the 16^th to January 6^th, and it is a jam packed festive season.  Mexico is a vast country with so many destinations, and so much to do! Here are some of the best places in this amazing country to spend your Christmas.

Mexico City

The thriving bustling capital city becomes a tinsel town, Christmas bonanza during the festive period. Expect lots of street parties with lots of traditional Mariachi bands, and plenty of markets selling traditional craftwork. You will see huge traditional Christian displays with reindeers, blown up biblical images, and lots of singing and dancing!

The bars in the Condesa and Roma neighbourhoods have a really nice bustling, warm Christmas atmosphere whilst retaining a true Mexican feel, expect plenty of Tequila!

Oaxaca

I would recommend Mexico City anytime apart from Christmas Eve due to it having some of the biggest traffic jams known to man. The local people will all be trying to get to the traditional late night Christmas Eve meal which is an important family custom.

Instead take the 2 hour drive to Oaxaca. Try to do so by daylight, due to the fact that you will be driving through some incredible volcanic landscapes that you wouldn’t want to miss out on being able to see. You can actually see the Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatepetl volcanoes during this amazing drive.

Ouxaca is very different to Mexico City, here you will be able to take a deep breath and be able to relax. You can get involved in some of the local traditions such as the Danza De La Pluma on the 16^th of December, where lots of different indigenous groups come together to perform various dances on the Church steps. Also, a strange as it may sound the ‘Night of the Radishes’ is a real experience. This occurs on Christmas Eve and involves a multitude of intricate art made entirely out of radishes. You can expect some true masterpieces and an almighty celebration.

San Cristóbal de las Casas

The main city in the state of Chiapas, this is a fantastic winter destination. Following the political unrest during the 1990’s with the uprising of the Zapatista farmers, today this charming colonial town couldn’t be more peaceful.

The city of San Cristóbal de las Casas is surrounded by autonomous indigenous villages, stunning churches, natural wonders such as the Sumider Canyon, and Mayan Ruins. You can expect a more traditional Christmas here where you will get to see some truly local traditions. It has a slightly cooler climate than Mexico City, but still lovely and warm in comparison to the UK!

It is an amazing experience to spend a special time like Christmas somewhere completely different, be it with family, group, as a couple or on your own. Mexico at Christmas is a truly unforgettable experience never to be forgotten.