FIESTAS Y EVENTOS EN DICIEMBRE
Christmas Ornaments Fair
Date: September 24 to December 15
Location: Tlalpujahua, Michoacán
This Magical Town dresses up to celebrate and showcase some of the most beautiful blown glass Christmas spheres, as well as other holiday decorations. Over 300 artisans participate in the fair, displaying their exquisite Christmas ornaments.
All artisans gather at the Municipal Auditorium to showcase their products, but you can also find these beautiful ornaments in various shops throughout the town.
In addition to Christmas ornaments, there are other regional handicrafts available for purchase, including brass objects, rustic furniture, cantera stone pieces, and a wide variety of ceramics. Visitors can also enjoy a rich gastronomic display.
International Livestock Fair of Querétaro
Date: November 30 to December 8
Location: Guadalajara, Jalisco
This fair has become one of the most important in the country. It features an impressive livestock exhibition attended by the best ranchers in Mexico.
There is also a horse festival, quarter horse exhibitions, goat judging, beginner beekeeping, among many other activities.
Additionally, there is entertainment such as a mechanical rides circuit, children's shows, circus performances, and artisanal, commercial, and gastronomic exhibitions, along with musical performances by nationally and internationally renowned artists.
Guadalajara International Book Fair
Date: November 30 to December 8
Location: Guadalajara, Jalisco
This fair is the most important editorial gathering in Ibero-America and an extraordinary cultural festival.
It is a fair for professionals where the public is welcome, distinguishing it from other major fairs held worldwide. In addition to being a business meeting, the FIL is also a cultural festival, with a program featuring authors from all continents and different languages. Furthermore, it serves as a space for academic discussion on significant current issues.
The event includes music, art, film, and theater from the guest country.
The FIL takes place at Expo Guadalajara.
Pastorelas
Date: December
Location: Nationwide
Pastorelas are another deeply rooted December tradition in Mexico.
According to history, the first pastorela took place in 1527 in Cuernavaca with the performance of "La Comedia de los Reyes." Over the years, the story began to depict the pilgrimage of Joseph and the Virgin Mary, incorporating the adventures of shepherds and the challenges they must face to arrive in Bethlehem and worship the Baby Jesus. Pastorelas clearly depict the struggle between good and evil.
Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe
Date: December 12
Location: Nationwide
According to popular traditions, on Tuesday, December 12, 1531, the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared for the fourth time to the indigenous man Juan Diego on the Tepeyac hill. The native of Cuautitlán set out early to seek help for his sick uncle, and next to the Pocito, the Patroness of Mexico appeared to him and told him that his uncle was already healthy. The Virgin asked him to climb to the summit of Tepeyac Hill to cut some roses, which did not bloom at that time or in that place. These flowers were to be taken to Bishop Zumárraga as proof of the miraculous encounters and that she wanted a temple to be built nearby.
Whale Watching
Date: December 15 to April 30
Location: Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez beaches
During this time, gray whales migrate from the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas in Alaska to the coastal lagoons of Ojo de Liebre, Laguna Guerrero Negro, Laguna San Ignacio, and Bahía Magdalena in Baja California Sur, where this impressive mammal (over 14 meters long) gives birth and breeds. This journey covers a route of approximately 12,000 kilometers. They travel for three months with extraordinary punctuality in their arrival.
The refuges located within the Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve have allowed for the care and preservation of the species, as its warm waters are ideal for reproduction.
Due to its value as the best site in the world for gray whale reproduction and nurturing, the Vizcaíno Whale Sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gray whales can also be observed in Baja California Sur in the Loreto Bay National Park, the Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve, the Cabo San Lucas Flora and Fauna Protection Area, San José del Cabo, and Cabo Pulmo National Park.
A similar spectacle occurs in Banderas Bay and a little further north in Rincón de Guayabitos, where the humpback whale from Alaska arrives. These whales are known for their impressive jumps and large pectoral fins. They also come to mate and reproduce. The best places to observe them are San Blas, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, and Sayulita.
They can also be seen in Tenacatita Bay in Jalisco, the Mazatlán-Teacapan area in Sinaloa, and the Puerto Ángel-Mazunte area in Oaxaca.
Posadas
Date: December 16 to 24
Location: Nationwide
These are the December celebrations that take place during the nine days leading up to Christmas and have an ancient tradition.
In pre-Hispanic times, the advent of Huitzilopochtli (God of War) was celebrated from December 17 to 26, so when the Spaniards arrived, they adopted this custom and modified it to incorporate new beliefs into the festivities.
The Night of the Radishes
Date: December 23
Location: Oaxaca, Oaxaca
This festival is celebrated every December 23 in the Zócalo of the City of Oaxaca. Its origins date back to the colonial era, although the first exhibition as such was in 1897. It begins at five in the afternoon, but one can arrive a little earlier to see how artisans create their incredible works. It lasts only a few hours, but it brings together most of the city's residents and visitors.
Christmas Eve
Date: December 24
Location: Nationwide
One of the most established traditions among Mexican families is the Nativity scene. There are many types, from the most conventional with very elaborate figures to the more modern and stylized, but all have that artisanal and picturesque touch.
Calendas
Date: December 24
Location: Oaxaca
These celebrations were introduced by the Franciscans and take place in various towns in the state of Oaxaca.
On the night of December 24, all the Catholic churches in Oaxaca related to their Patron Saint or the allegory of Christmas usually have children as protagonists. Additionally, they are accompanied by neighborhood residents with lanterns, angels, shepherds, and a band. All these floats gather in the Zócalo, where they make three laps before returning to their church.
New Year's Eve
Date: December 31
Location: Nationwide
This is a celebration that gathers family and friends for dinner. Typically, sparkling wine is served, and just at midnight, the 12 grapes are consumed, which, according to tradition, should be eaten one with each bell toll, representing the 12 wishes for the coming year.