NEW Poinsettia oilcloth tablecloth
Perfect red holiday tablecloth will transform a room into a FIESTA room! No need to buy that crunchy garland - just add tequila!

NEW Retro Poinsettia Apron
Nice gift for mamacita or hostess gift. These are custom made for us by a local artisan.

Feliz Navidad – Oaxacan Posadas

Next to Day of the Dead, Christmas and Easter are the most important holidays of the Mexican calendar. Yes, Christmas is another excuse to eat tamales! But folks in Mexico are much less commercial about Christmas than we Americans. Christmas trees are rarely seen, although some families might have an artificial tree they bought from the US. Most folks are much more religious and more likely to live in place where they grew up. Families are less far-flung than in the US, which makes it easier to have family gatherings of 75 people or more! Gifts are rarely exchanged between adults, as limited money is spent on good holiday foods and drink.

In traditional Mexican families, children don't receive presents until King's Day, the 6th of January but this is changing a bit in the big cities. Their thought is that the symbolism of the gifts to Christ, (remember the frankincense and myrrh?) should be made after the birth of Christ. Most parents enjoy the thrill and crushing rush of buying their kid's presents on the 5th of January with 30 million other parents! Not one day before.

Christmas Eve, December 24, is full of joyous fun, card playing, catching up and playing with all the little kids. It culminates with Midnight Mass, to which most people walk. It's like pedestrian traffic jams to get to church on "Noche Buena." Memorable times.

Christmas feels different than in the U.S. It's not about presents. It's about getting together with friends and big family groups. Folks first celebrate the "posada" as a community, singing and walking from the Church to a specific family home. Crowds of 50 to 200 people show up in front of a home and sing the traditional song of basically, "Do you have space in the inn for this pregnant woman and her donkey?" And the family inside replies, singing "No, go away." That's all I really understood when I was invited to join in a posada in several Oaxacan villages over the years.

The group keeps wandering down the street, singing, until one family finally lets the cold posada singers in and serves them wonderful warm refreshments. In some far off villages the men make bamboo or cariso candle holders in the form of big stars (like the size of piñatas) on tall poles which are carried in the processions. These beautiful, hand made colorful tissue paper covered parade lances are very hard to import!

The food served is always a delicious treat! Sometimes it's just spiked punch with guyabas and other times the host family goes all out and serves pork tamales. In Oaxaca, posadas are always a fun way to feel the Christmas spirit during the days leading up to Christmas.

We wish you a Feliz Navidad and a big fiesta with those that matter most!
Angela Villalba
& the entire crew at MexicanSugarSkull.com

NEW Purple Pillow Skull Ornament

Traditional Loteria
(Mexican bingo)

Skeleton nativity
in a red tuna can

Day of the Dead Skull Socks

Margarita Skull Ornament

Vida/Muerte Sugar Skull
Pink Rose earrings