The Christmas Season in San Miguel

Trip Start Jan 01, 2006
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Trip End Feb 28, 2006


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Flag of Mexico  ,
Friday, January 6, 2006

Although we didn't arrive until late at night in San Miguel de Allende, we found that the Christmas season was still underway. In fact it doesn't end until Candelaria, 40 days after the birth of Jesus. In Mexico, the day of the Three Kings, the magi who brought gifts, is the big day for gift giving--January 6th. While modern times now influence the pattern somewhat so that children receive some gifts at Christmas itself, the night of the three kings is more important. Many parents don't buy gifts until the last minute--more of a cash flow problem than tradition--but leading up to the 6th the shops and stores were crowded with families buying toys and other presents. Los Tres Reyes is celebrated with a special circular cake, a rascos, sort of like a coffee cake in texture with some dried fruits in it. Also baked inside are small plastic babies to symbolize Jesus. If you get the piece with a plastic doll, then you are the godfather or godmother and on Candelaria you have to give a party where you serve tamales to all your family and friends 01 Christmas Season in San Miguel de Allende
01 Christmas Season in San Miguel de Allende
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As we drove up to San Miguel in the dark on Jan. 1, we could see the lights of the city in the distance for about 1/2 an hour before we arrived, but they kept appearing and disappearing as we wove around the hills and along the ridges. Finally, on the last sweeping curve into town they appeared again and lighting up the night sky were New Year's fireworks. Just to welcome us!

Fireworks play a major part in every celebration, public or private, religious or secular, traditional or modern. We got used to the sound of them in the middle of the night, sometimes just to celebrate a private party. But there were several pretty spectacular displays of them during our two months there. One major scene for fireworks is right in front of the Parroquia, the main parish church, that dominates one side of the jardin or main zocala. In fact they have fireworks there so frequently that they have permanent holes dug into the pavement to erect the castillos, or castles, the structures on which the fireworks are displayed. A typical castillo has four or more sides with a vertical arrangement of fireworks and each side is lit in turn and then revolved to the next. Roman candles are hung from sawhorses. The amazing thing is that these displays are set up right in the middle of the streets, next to buildings and cars and people and when the sparks start to fly you are right in the middle of the whole action. Quite a change from having the fireworks safely set up on barges in Lake Michigan and activated by remote control!

For the first three weeks we were here, the Christmas decorations were still up, trees, lights, and nativity scenes kept the spirit of the holiday season alive. It was be great to be here for Christmas itself as every night for a couple weeks there are posadas, parades of the statues from the Churches, through the streets, re-enacting the journey of Mary and Jospeh looking for a place to lay their heads.
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