With our students out on Easter Break we've been thinking about holidays in Mexico and thought it would be fun to share (an incomplete) list of some of our favorite holidays around Carrillo.

Three Kings Festival: 

Día de los Reyes Magos

If you come to Carrillo in the beginning of January be prepared to hear an awful lot of 

escándalo

! January 6 is the 

Día de los Reyes Magos

, the day honoring the Three Kings.In town you will experience a three-week-long carnival complete with shops, food, rides, and even bullfights. You may also find yourself at one of several discos held during that time, all-night, outdoor dances attended by many in the community.

Valentine's Day: 

Día del Amor y la Amistad

February 14th is celebrated in Mexico as 

Día de San Valentín

, but it's more commonly referred to as 

El Día del Amor y la Amistad

: the "day of love and friendship." People still give flowers, candy and balloons to their romantic partners, but it's equally celebrated to show appreciation and love for friends.

One celebration that is very particular throughout Mexico is the 

Boda Colectiva

, a large public wedding ceremony held in major towns across the country, inviting couples to say their vows in front of huge crowds of gathered well-wishers free of charge.

Carnaval

Officially, Carnaval is a Christian holiday that kicks off a five-day celebration before lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Beginning the weekend before lent, Carnaval is celebrated exuberantly with parades, floats, costumes, music and dancing in the streets.

Carnaval in Carrillo Puerto isn't quite as crazy as the famed celebrations of Rio de Janeiro but it's still a lot of fun. With a local dance school preparing all year for Carnaval, the celebration is certainly a wonderful event held in the town's central park. The town also sets up games, rides, and even has a few musical performances.

Easter: 

Semana Santa

 and

 Pascua

Mexico has a deep history of Catholicism which means Christian holidays are often key moments in the calendar. While the Spring holidays may have migrated away from Easter in the US and Europe it's still central here with students getting two weeks off for 

Semana Santa

 (Holy Week) and 

Pascua

 (Easter).The most notable religious part of the celebration are the often dramatic reenactments of the crucifixion that you'll see throughout Mexico on Good Friday. A volunteer will play the role of Jesus and drag a life-sized, wooden cross through the stations of the cross. Others may join the procession dressed as Romans. Others still may carry statues of saints, Jesus, or the Virgin Mary around the town.But some families have moved away from the heavily religious celebrations. In fact many Mexicans take advantage of these two weeks to travel. Some visit family or friends, others go to the beach. Anyway it's celebrated the holiday becomes a good time to step away from day to day life, relax, and maybe think of something bigger than yourself!

Children's Day: 

Día del Niño

In the U.S., it is not uncommon on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day for a kid to ask “But why isn’t there a Children’s Day?” The standard answer: “Honey, every day is Children’s Day.”

But in Mexico there is actually a commonly celebrated holiday: el Día del Niño (Children's Day) which has been on April 30th since 1925. Teachers and parents organize special activities for children, including games and parties. The United Nations has recommended the 20th of November to celebrate International Children's Day throughout the world, but as this day coincides with Mexico’s Revolution Day the nation stuck with April 30th.

At Na’atik we love taking part in this cultural celebration of children and always try to have lots of fun activities planned!

Cinco de Mayo

Since it is a list of Mexican holidays it seems only fitting to mention 

Cinco de Mayo

. But this isn't a huge celebration in our part of Mexico, in fact it's a much bigger deal in the US! The date is famous because it marks an important victory of the Mexican army over the French in the Battle of Puebla. For that reason Puebla is the main place in Mexico where you're actually likely to find 

Cinco de Mayo

 celebrations.

Teacher's Day: 

Día del Maestro

May 15th is 

Dia del Maestro

 (Teacher's Day) in Mexico, and is one of our favorites to celebrate. Last year we celebrated the wonderful work of our team of language teachers with a picnic and a visit to the beautiful cenote Zacil Ha.

Mexican Independence Day - 

Día de Independencia

Independence Day celebrations take place on September 15th mostly in the evening. Everyone in Carrillo Puerto goes to the central plaza to watch traditional dances, hear live bands, eat a 

marquesita

 and see the amazing fireworks exploding right overhead. The celebrating can go on into the early hours as many people don't have work the following day!

Day of the Dead: 

Día de Muertos

On November 1st and 2nd, Mexican families honor the lives of their deceased loved ones and welcome their spirits back home. This tradition dates back to precolonial times, and was celebrated by both the Mayas and the Aztecs. All over Carrillo families have erected alters with the deceaseds´ favorite foods usually including tamales, sweet bread, and hot chocolate. Families unite and make visits to cemeteries over the weekend to clean and decorate graves.

Christmas: 

Navidad

Christmas is truly an entire season in Mexico stretching through much of December and January.  The first celebration of note is 

El Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (

Virgin of Guadalupe Day) where people honor Mexico's patron saint with church services, celebrations and pilgrimages. In fact millions of pilgrims travel every year to the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Mexico City where Our Lady of Guadalupe was supposed to have appeared centuries ago.

However, many pilgrims choose their own destinations, traveling to churches around the country. Worshipers generally make the journey in teams, often running relays or traveling by bicycle, carrying a torch along the highways, wearing matching outfits and decorating their entourages to honor the Virgin.

Moving further into the Christmas season you're also likely to experience 

La Rama

 song. For this tradition children wander around town in groups carrying decorated branches signing a complicated song. If they sing well, you should give them a few pesos for their performance.Christmas, or 

Navidad

, itself is a family holiday marked by big dinners with friends, especially during 

Posadas 

which are the nine days leading up to Christmas. Children in Mexico may get gifts on Christmas day itself but many families still wait to give gifts on Three Kings day a few weeks later.

New Year's: 

El mundo del año viejo

In Carrillo, New Year’s Eve is celebrated with piñatas and the burning of effigies. The incineration at midnight on December 31 of a doll, is a ritual purification to ward off bad luck or negative energies from the past year, as well as transition as a celebration of the arrival of the new year.

If you would like to read more about Mexican culture, history, cuisine and language, check out our blog page for our latest monthly articles. You can also sign up to our newsletter to receive these straight to your inbox along with the latest news about our non-profit school for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto. 

The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.