Christmas in Mexico is full of rich traditions and is a joyous time of year. Dia de Guadalupe on 12 December is the official kickoff to this holiday and people attend mass followed by fiestas where they set off fireworks and eat buñuelos.From 16 December to 24th are the nightly posadas, Christmas parties that mimic the Christian story where Mary and Joseph search for an inn.Children process through a neighbourhood led by a costumed Mary and Joseph, singing the posada song, looking for somewhere to spend the night (or in this case, have a party).Each night, the posada is hosted by a different house and these fiestas are full of food, music, and fun with piñatas and Christmas carolling.These parties typically serve tamales, buñuelos, bacalao, and ponche.Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena, is when children traditionally receive gifts from the baby Jesus, not Santa Claus.The posada on this night typically lasts all night long and does not end until Christmas morning.
