Preview

Christmas in Mexico

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
455 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Christmas in Mexico
Introduction
Thesis (Purpose Statement): The purpose of this paper is to define what Christmas is, explain how it is celebrated in some parts of Mexico, and describe some typical Christmas foods associated with it.
Body
Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence: Studying the definition of the word "Christmas" can help us understand the background behind this holiday.
Supporting Sentences

Christmas, coming from Old English Cristes maesse or "Christ 's mass," is a celebration of the nativity of Jesus Christ.
Celebrations of the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere have been a time of rejoicing among many ancient cultures.
The reason for celebrating Christmas on December 25th is still unclear.
Paragraph 2
Topic Sentence: Cultural traditions have had an influence on the Christmas celebrations of today in Mexico.
Supporting Sentences

The celebration of the winter solstice in Mexico even proceeded the arrival of the Spanish who brought Christianity with them.
One of the oldest traditional events in Mexico, Las Posadas (meaning "lodgings").
Other non-religious activities are also held during that season including parades and piñatas.
Paragraph 3
Topic Sentence: In addition to Christmas activities, many food dishes are served during this period.
Supporting Sentences

Perhaps the most popular of all Christmas foods in Mexico are tamales.
Other pastries are also eaten as well.
Conclusion
As you can see from my paper, Christmas is an important in the lives of the Mexican people.
References

California Mall. (1999). MEXICO "Feliz Navidad". [Online]. Available: http://www.californiamall.com/holidaytraditions/traditions-mexico.htm (2000, April 16).

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. (2001). Available: http://www.bartleby.com/65/ch/Christms.html (2001, March 29)

Collins, C. (1999). An introduction to "A Christmas kitchen in Mexico". [Online]. Available: http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/recipes/christmasintro.html (1999, November 1).



References: California Mall. (1999). MEXICO "Feliz Navidad". [Online]. Available: http://www.californiamall.com/holidaytraditions/traditions-mexico.htm (2000, April 16). The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. (2001). Available: http://www.bartleby.com/65/ch/Christms.html (2001, March 29) Collins, C Devlin, W. (1999). History of the piñata. [Online]. Available: http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/wdevlin/wdpinatahistory.html (2000, April 16). Gonzales, Juanita (juanita@compuserve.com.mx) Klebanow, B., & Fischer, S. (1986). American holidays. Brattleboro, VT: Pro Lingua Associates. Marshall, A. (1999). Christmas In Mexico. [Online]. Available: http://www.nacnet.org/assunta/nacimnto.htm (2000, April 15). Jasmine, J. (1994). Multicultural holidays. Huntington Beach, CA: Teacher Created Materials. Palfrey, D Perez, Jose (perez@mexl.com). (1998, December 17). Christmas in my city. E-mail to Masako Arai (arai@hotmail.com). Perton, Marvin The Presidency of Mexico (2000). Christmas in Mexico. [Online]. Available: http://world.presidencia.gob.mx/pages/culture/note_christmas.html (2000, April 16).

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Sadly, we do not have the luxury of visiting our relatives every year but, we have gone twice during Christmas and New Year, and Christmas was celebrated quite differently. During these trips I learned a lot about my heritage and the importance of tradition. You don’t hear the words Santa Claus, and children don’t receive presents on Christmas Day. Instead, we celebrate Dia de los Reyes, or Three Kings’ Day which is celebrated on January 6th .This special holiday commemorates the three wise men who traveled a distance to bring gifts for the infant baby Jesus. Aside from this holiday, we also participated in las posadas, it is a reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s arrival in Bethlehem, performed just before Christmas. Young adults perform these reenactments as they ride on donkey in the rancho, searching for hospitality. Once they are turned away three times, the entire community gathers together at the local church for warm bowls of pozole and mugs of chocolate (Mexican hot chocolate). This reenactment is crucial to our tradition as it is performed several times leading up to Christmas. During my stay in Mexico and participating in all these holidays I learned that there is much more to life than receiving the most gifts during the holidays. My stay there taught me to be humble and to value the important…

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Christmas a day of giving and recieving , a day that prioritize love about all else. Suck a day is celebrated by giving meaningful presents not excessive gifts with no significance. But the Rodriguez’ celebrates christmas differently they shower their love done with gift not love so much so that their…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Christmas in Puerto Rico

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Starting from “Noche Buena” (Christmas Eve) and continuing throughout the holidays, there is much food to be had. “Pasteles”-grated green bananas are formed into a dough like paste with meat folded in, wrapped in banana leaves and placed in parchment leaves and boiled for about 45 minutes. “Lechon asado” (roasted pig,) Arroz con dulce” (rice pudding) and “coquito”, an alcoholic beverage are other delicacies reserved for the holidays. Neighbors make these dishes and pass them on to their other neighbors, so it’s not uncommon to have pasteles in your refrigerator, for example, from three different households, or different versions of coquito.…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Christmas in Mexico is celebrated from December 12 to January 6. The weather is sunny and does not impact their traditions at all. The people decorate their houses with with evergreens, moss, and paper lanterns. There is a Nativity scene in every house. At 12:00 p.m. on December 25, bells are rung, whistles are blown, and fireworks are shot into the sky to announce the birth of Jesus.…

    • 259 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Mexican Independence Day

    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Food is always a very important part of these festivities. Literarily hundreds of stands are set up several days before and offer the traditional antojitos, most aptly described as a variety of finger foods, Mexican candies, and punch. Ponche is a drink made of fruits that are in season: guavas, sugarcane, raisins and apples.…

    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mexico Research Paper

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Mexico has a very interesting Christmas. In Mexico they say Feliz Navidad that means Merry Christmas. The Posada is party that begins the celebrations. The celebrations start on December 16th and end on February 2nd. Most kids don't believe in santa they believe in The Three Kings which are the wise men. They decorate with flowers moss and evergreens, poinsettias and a nativity scene. A nativity scene is the story of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The poinsettia is a plant that is red,pink and white. Both Mexico and the USA celebrate Christmas but in very different ways.…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Chicano/Latino Holidays

    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages

    12/07/13 Chicano Studies Chicano/ Latino Holidays Holidays are days of festivity or recreation in which work is normally canceled and families or friends get together and celebrate for a certain purpose. Within separate cultures the holidays or celebrations may be different. For example within the Jewish culture those who follow that religion may celebrate Hanukkah. Within my research paper I will be covering the holidays that the Chicano or Latino culture celebrates. For example holidays such as Cinco De Mayo, Cesar Chavez Day, Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), and Quinceaneras are celebrated heavily within the Chicano/ Latino communities.…

    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    I have learned a great deal by researching and gathering information about They like to celebrate major life events, and they do so very elegantly with bright colors, music and dancing. It is very common at Hispanic/Latino celebration to see Mariachi’s; these are dancers and musicians playing Mexican folklore music and having dancers in native bright colorful dresses. It really is quite beautiful to see and hear. Other things that Hispanics and Latinos have brought to American culture are things like crafts, such as terra cotta pots or planter and sculptures and also piñatas, a paper mache decoration that hold candies and toys. Hispanics and Latinos have added a so much to American culture not only with their traditions but also with their religious beliefs. Hispanics and Latinos are very religious, majority share the religion of Catholic. The main celebrations of Hispanic religion are: Lent called, Cuaresma; Holy Week called, Semana Santa; Christmas called, La Navidad; Three Kings Day or Los Tres Reyes Magos. Some Americans and other races/ethnicities also share and celebrate these holidays as…

    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Family Stereotypes

    • 1257 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In Mexico, the celebration of Christmas is also known as “Las Posadas”, when celebrating this holiday some people volunteer to reenact the scene before Jesus is born on Christmas Day, which is also known as “The Holy Family’s nine-day journey to Bethlehem and their search for shelter”. In this play, the actors go door to door asking people to give them shelter before the baby arrives, For the eight days before the baby is born two children are chosen to carry a small statue of the parents as they carry the candles in their hands asking people for shelter. After they finally find a house that will give them shelter, the families and everyone who participated in the reenactment throw a party. However unlike other cultures, the kids wait to receive presents until January 5th, instead of receiving them on Christmas Day like others might do. Sarah Toast in the online article, Christmas Traditions Around the World, notes how this tradition is celebrated by explaining, “Many children receive gifts on the eve of Twelfth Night, January 6, from the Reyes Magos, the Three Kings who passed on their way to Bethlehem. Children leave their shoes on the windowsill and find them filled with gifts the next morning”. Commonly in the United States, when children receive presents for christmas, they usually find the presents under the christmas tree. However in Mexico, when the children receive…

    • 1257 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Chilean Essay Topics

    • 321 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This paragraph is about how Chileans celebrate the holiday season. Chileans celebrate the holiday season by having Asada, chicken, turkey, and pork. Also, they drink Cola De Mono also known as monkey tail. Catholics usually go to church for nine…

    • 321 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Three wise men day January 6th is a special day in Mexico, because it is the three wise men day, this holiday represents the height of the Christmas season. Three Kings Day is a Christian holiday also known as Día De Los Reyes Magos and Epiphany. It revolves around the adoration of the three wise men, or magi, who visited the infant Jesus after his birth.…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The government holidays are different in the Mexican culture. Labor Day is on May 3rd, Independence Day is on September 16th, Veterans Day is on November 20th. Virgin de Guadalupe is a Mexican culture holiday which is celebrated on December 12th; this day is celebrated in this culture more than Christmas. The “Die De Muertos”, day of the dead, is celebrated on November 2nd; this is a tribute to all their loved ones who passed away. In Mexico, they build altars like a month before and include pictures of the dead person, their favorite foods and things. Dendi ended by saying that she “feels blessed to be here and be able to…

    • 113 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Christmas is an annual festival celebrated in remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ. In this essay I will be attempting my own Sociological analysis of Christmas Day, through the gender perspective. First part of the essay will be looking at the ‘traditional’ Christmas through gender roles. By that I can then move on to my own experience on the festive season. Through out the essay I will be trying to link the work up with bodies of theory and how Christmas has changed through out the years.…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A wonderful voyage

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The next day, 25th of December, first day of Christmas, we woke up early. The breakfast was waiting for us and so the city. We didn’t need to much time to get ready. Mom’s conference would had to begin at 7 p.m. We had the whole day to explore the town. So there we are, walking on the Timisoara’s streets, making pictures with happy men dressed like Santa, eating gingerbread and listening to street carolers.…

    • 424 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Is Christmas Pagan?

    • 1504 Words
    • 7 Pages

    But, what if Christmas is not what it appears to be? What if we just imagine it to be this great celebration of Jesus birth, but in reality Jesus Christ was not in Christmas at all? There is a snare inside this honeycomb we call Christmas. It lays dormant, unseen, it appears harmless, and when one partakes in it, it tastes sweet in the mouth but is really bitter in the spirit. The following essay will emphasis the pros and cons of what hides behind Christmas, and will explain the roots of the traditions, rituals and celebrations that people practice over Christmas.…

    • 1504 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays