Christmas in Mexico: Holiday Celebrations Around the World

I love learning about different cultures and traditions and with living in Houston, Texas, I get to celebrate the Hispanic culture that is all around me and witness how other cultures may celebrate Christmas. It is so exciting to learn new things and to be able to share them with my children and have them exposed to the whole wide world of holidays. While teaching my children about Christmas and other December Holidays around the world I found out that the poinsettia flower and its traditional use during Christmas originated in a Mexican tradition. With these lesson plans you can teach your child about the Christmas holiday around the world and in the United States

Christmas in Mexico

Los Posados is a cherished tradition of Mexican culture. It is a celebration of the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and their search for lodging and shelter. The celebration takes the form of a children's parade which takes place 12 days before Christmas. Traditionally there are two children at the beginning of the parade carrying small statues of Mary and Joseph. They are followed by other children in the parade, who are holding candles. They travel from house to house within their neighborhood asking for shelter, and the parade then ends at the local church. The parade is followed by the families of the area attending a church service and festive piñata party.

The Legend of the Poinsettia
The poinsettia was named over 100 years ago by Dr. Joel Poinsett, the first US Ambassador to Mexico. It is also called the "Flame Leaf," or "Flower of the Holy Night."

The story goes, in a small town in Mexico, children would bring gifts to the church to lie before the nativity scene. Long ago, there were two children, brother and sister, who could not afford anything, so they decided to bring a gift from the heart - a beautiful plant that many in their village referred to as weeds. They placed the "weeds" before the manger even though all their friends were teasing them. Suddenly the weeds changed in color from green to a brilliant flaming red, blooming into the poinsettia "flower" that we use today to decorate during the Christmas holiday season. The petals of a poinsettia are star shaped, so it was said that the petals represent the Star of Bethlehem.

Story time: "A Mexican Version of the Night before Christmas" Anyone can read this story to the children, even if you do not speak Spanish.

"All Kinds of Children," By Norma Simon

"The Night of Las Posados" and "The Legend of the Poinsettia," by Tomie dePaola

Snacks: Parents this one is for you, try the hot chocolate recipe below for the children
Ponche Navideño: Punch

12 quarts water
10 oz tejocotes
6 oz walnuts
5 oranges juiced
8 guavas
4 sugar canes
10 oz prunes 3 sticks cinnamon
2 lb. Sugar

Directions: Wash fruit. Cut the sugar cane into strips. Cut guava. Boil everything together, except the sugar. When cooked add the sugar and brandy.

Chocolate Caliente (Hot Chocolate)

6 servings
6 cups of milk
6 oz sweet chocolate
6 oz semi sweet chocolate
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash of cinnamon

Directions: Heat the milk over medium flame. Break the chocolate into pieces. When the milk is hot, dissolve in it the chocolate pieces, moving constantly until everything is dissolved. Increase heat and let the mixture slowly boil. Add the vanilla and the cinnamon. Continue beating until frothy. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Gross Motor: Help you child create their own parade. If you have a classroom, allow the children to take turns holding a baby doll to symbolize the baby born in a manager. Those with one or two children in their house can do as I do; both girls take their babies for a walk, pushing their "baby" down the street in a play stroller.

Art: You can create your own piñata. Blow up a balloon and cover it with paper mache. To make paper mache, mix three parts water with one part flour. Dip newspaper strips in the flour and water mixture and cover the balloon. Let dry. Cut a small hole and fill with candy. Cover the hole with tape or more paper mache. Paint the piñata, use lots of red and green and be sure to use paint smocks! Attach a string and hang it. Watch carefully and help the children with breaking the piñata. If doing it with your family/friends let everyone take a turn, but it's more fun if one of the children actually causes the break -even if you have to help it along.

Create your own art/Process craft: I love process crafts; the children can use their own imagination and creativity. Allow the children to draw, paint, stamp, glitter or use any other age appropriate items in your craft box that will exhibit the colors red and green.

You can also tear off pieces of red and green tissue paper and allow them to practice their gluing skills. See if they can glue them in the shape of a flower or star. You may want to draw a star or flower shape on the paper to guide them.

Make a star collage, to remember the stars that shine on Christmas. You can do this craft whether or not you believe in the birth of Jesus, you can change it to represent the starry night that Santa flies across the sky. Cut or die cut out different sizes of stars in silver and gold. You may also use star stickers. If you prefer you can create a Christmas ornament ball collage, using round cut outs in red, green, yellow and silver or white. You child may glue whichever you choose on black paper for stars or on green paper cut in the shape of a tree for ornaments. This project also helps your children with the concept of opposites by utilizing the different sizes of large and small as well as reinforces color recognition.

Color Recognition: Red and green of course! Use this opportunity to emphasize red and green. By using it now, you can also carry the concept over into the traditional Christmas lesson plans and reinforce the full spectrum of primary color recognition you may have already done this year. You may also want to bring in a poinsettia plant, a fake one, not the real thing. If you can, get the felt poinsettias; they are wonderful to touch and will also stimulate memory from the sense of touch and sight.

Shape Recognition: Show your children the star shaped leaves and then compare the star shapes to other shapes, naming them as you go along.

Just for Fun: Sometimes in Mexico children leave their shoes out instead of stockings. For nap time have your children remove their shoes (those at home do anyway) and whle they are asleep put a treat in there for them to find when they wake up.

Costs: Library books are free, or $6.99 each for those by Tomie dePaolo. The hot chocolate recipe is approximately $5.00 but it makes a lot of cocoa.

Talk to your children about the story of the poinsettia. Maybe there is something they could do or give for Christmas that would be a special gift instead of going shopping. What are they willing to give to someone else as a special gift? Discuss how gifts are actually expressions of happiness and love and not just getting something. If you have older children, you may also wish to include the concepts of feelings and how it feels to give (happiness) or to not be able to give a gift (sadness). You can also introduce the feelings of happiness, love and generosity.

Feliz Navidad

If you need ideas to suggest to your child what they can do instead of gifts or ideas of gifts you can create with your child visit What Gifts Can You Make for Christmas - 15 ideas and instructions or Teach Your Children to Give.