Christmas in Mexico has a great variety of traditions and customs such as the various family parties called Posadas, which serve typical dishes like tamales and ponche navideño (Christmas punch).

Within the Mexican culture, the Posadas are prepared on the nine days leading up to December 24th, on said day, festivities begin with the first Posada, a celebration with a huge religious connotation in which people partake in a procession for the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph while looking for a posada for baby Jesus to be born.

The party is celebrated in the streets and homes, where people gather to sing and pray litanies surrounded by sparklers used to decorate houses and handed out among those attending.

Once people have arrived at the chosen posada, a piñata awaits to be hit by someone with a stick and their eyes blindfolded. The piñata symbolizes sin and is colorful, bright, and pretty ¿ an attractive representation of sin. In addition, the piñata is usually in the shape of a seven-pointed star and each one exemplifies a capital sin.

The act of hitting it with a stick represents the strength God gives man to put an end to sins. The person who strikes the piñata is blindfolded, symbolizing how we blindly walk in the world. When the piñata is broken, candies fall which embodies the prizes God grants us for overcoming our sins.

The Christmas bonuses are another custom in the Posadas, which is the coalition where formerly godparents gave their godchild, whom are also central in Christmas celebrations in Mexico. These bonuses are given from the start of posada celebrations until the 24th along with seasonal candies and cookies which are distributed among those attending the party.

To experience Christmas in Mexico means to live by the values of solidarity while bearing in mind a person's worth and exchanging a small Christmas token with coworkers, participating in the community posadas, as well as, the value of love by sharing with loved ones displays of food and affection.

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