I tell you all the meaning of certain customs with the aim that, despite the changes, understand their inception and so rate and reasons why not? rescue ...
And you'll wonder why celebrating the birth of Jesus?, As the history of this tradition dating back IV century AD the Christian Catholic Church instituted the birth of Jesus is celebrated on the 25th of December, according to the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar, ancient Roman emperor) that divided the year into twelve months.
In Mexico, the missionaries of different orders used the coincidence of the Indian festivals supported by the Catholic liturgical calendar and his missionary work was strengthened. Remember that the holidays prehispanic to the deities were gradually modified by European influences drawing on similar dates, so the saints, festivals and Christian themes were introduced shortly with little resulting cultural syncretism that today is reflected in the expressions of Mexico. Posadas
Can you believe that the Posadas are celebrated for over 400 years in Mexico?
Our ancestors celebrated at this time the arrival of Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, this happened in the month Panquetzaliztli that according to the Julian calendar this period comprises of 7 to 26 December.
English people to realize that these dates coincide with religious festivals, promoted the replacement of this deity and its task of evangelization, they followed the Christian tradition held on the same dates.
For 1587 Fray Diego de Soria evangelist Acolman convent of San Agustín (located approximately 40km from the city of Mexico) drove the indigenous people participate in the preparations for Christmas and asked for special permission to Pope Sixtus V to celebrate a novena of Masses morning in New Spain. Once obtained the permission of these calls of Christmas Masses are held from 16 to 24 December and would be carried out in the courts of the churches.
With good acceptance of the population, the masses were extended to the afternoon including the recitation of a rosary and then interspersed with passages and scenes of Christmas.
For the seventeenth century began to take processions out thereby causing Posadas where represented the journey of Joseph and Mary to their departure from Nazareth to Bethlehem and then heading for the birth of the baby Jesus. Remember that at the inns for pilgrims looking for a corner or a place to stop and recuperate, the pilgrimage of Joseph and Mary did for nine days as many of the inns, also referred to nine months pregnant with Mary.
Over time these celebrations was adding other elements they say: sparklers, fireworks, piñatas, Christmas carols, folk songs and activities of living. In the eighteenth century King Charles III banned these songs and celebrations, then they lost roots in the courts of the churches and the population was concentrated in neighborhoods and homes, and the festivities became more popular despite the King had died .
Las Posadas also known as "Days" acquired new elements such as dance, food varied according to region and request the bonus (which means gift) and this was offered to children.
Then in 1808 the church sent a letter to the mayor to keep the sessions in private homes because they had disorders, entertainment and dances that were not compatible with the religious concept, but the celebrations continued into the twentieth century becoming a pagan event and acquired contributions from the population.
a shelter in your home.
Although Posadas have been weakening, I invite you to rescue part of our traditions and still do in villages or neighborhoods of Mexico, where Posada is used to organize the traditional elements: the pilgrimage to the chanting of a litany colored candles, food preparation, the piñata, the use of scare-in-law and whistles, flares, snack baskets, decorate your home with a nativity or birth, paper lanterns and hay.
For these elements can be a traditional market such as the Merced or San Juan market in Mexico.
Al "asking for shelter," recalls that the tradition is to sing in verse form, you can buy some brochures on where they come from the litanies. To organize it must form two groups, some pilgrims will roam the streets singing and carrying candles are lit by hand (the holy pilgrims led the procession), the other to wait at home for lodging pilgrims and also answer the party singing corresponds to finally hold them all. So all together and start sharing snack in baskets or paper stick, whistles, flares and all to celebrate. 
then hang the piñata and sing a few verses in chorus as they break. The tradition is to distribute the fruit and Juri or snack even for those not reached. Also distributed food among the guests go with the times: fritters, tamales, punch, porridge, etc. All this will be the preamble to give entry to the dance you can not miss. The last house is the 24th of December, is usually with family or special guests as this date is the day before Christmas. Than usual on this special occasion is the act of cuddling the child and establish relationships of cronyism.
Pinatas
And since these getting ready for the inn can not miss the piñatas, these coffers full of surprises and are a centuries-old custom.
Pinatas came to our country by the colonists, and these in turn brought by the Italians. The merit of carrying in the twelfth century Europe was the traveler Marco Polo who met in the East, we know that the origin of the piñata comes from the Chinese who made a figure of cow, beef or buffalo cover and colored paper which hung some agricultural implements. The East held a ceremony to start Spring curiously coincided with Chinese New Year
The figures of these animals were filled with seeds that were shed when beaten with a stick of colors. Once broken the piñata, the role was a result of burning and destroying people could get the ashes that were considered good luck for the rest of the year.
When this practice came to America, the missionaries used the piñata to attract people in religious ceremonies, the people have adopted as well use them for other celebrations.
As you can see, the piñatas in Mexico is a cultural mix. The tradition of breaking a piñata symbolizes our population control using the man holding the faith and strength of God that is embodied by a stick to destroy the evil that has seven points and these in turn represent the capital sins.
is why the popular piñata shaped like a star, but there are various figures over time are depicted with animals, fruits, flowers and some characters from cartoons, movies, and politicians.
In our country, piñatas are used throughout the year either in birthday celebrations and festivals, are also made with other materials such as cardboard and paper.
tradition to link you to remind you that decembrinas piñatas are filled with seasonal fruits such as peanuts, jicama, orange, lime, hawthorn, reeds, and sometimes they add sweet. Piñatas there are jokes and are filled with confetti or flour, imagine the surprise of those who strikes! Buy your traditional pinata into a market or if you prefer you can elaborate as in the markets also sell clay pots to keep the fruit. Decorate the piñata to your taste with aluminum foil, china and crepe.
not forget that the people who will break, should have covered their eyes, give him a few laps prior to losing the notion of space and invites the audience to sing traditional verses to revive the tradition. Births
Another important element in these traditional holiday is the birth or nativity scene is also an influence of the old continent. Did you know that the founder of the Franciscan order San Francisco de Asis who started this tradition? This happened around 1223, when Francisco doing his work as an apostle on a tour of the town of Rieti in Italy, he was surprised the winter in the chapel of Greccio and was where he had the idea of \u200b\u200brepresenting live birth of Jesus.
Francisco built a house of straw as a portal, put a manger and borrowed an ox and an ass, and I invite a group of people to stage the moment when the shepherds worship the baby Jesus.
This idea became popular and circulated throughout the Christian world. Subsequently, rather than people were used as figures in the first birth with figures prepared clay in Naples in the fifteenth century. At first the figures were limited only to the manger, San Jose, Virgin and the Child Jesus and the animals (beef, sheep and mule), later added the angel shooting star, the shepherds and kings.
births today are so large that they include other animals, shepherds working in different offices, lakes or rivers, mountains and scenery complete. At home, you must put the birth with all the characters at the beginning of inns without the baby Jesus to be lulled and placed on 24 December (day of birth) at midnight and will remain there until The "raised" on 2 February.
The tradition in our country has been enriched by the talents of Mexican artisans who make these works of art from different materials such as clay, wood, cloth, corn husk, wax, straw, paper, glass, wire and all material which can demonstrate their ingenuity.
If you want an original birth recommend you go to Tlaquepaque in Jalisco Acatlán Metepec Puebla and in Mexico State in which they do in the very tree of life. Pastorelas
It should be mentioned that one of the entertainment traditions of this holiday are Pastorelas, people tend to see or organize these demonstrations of popular theater.
These works were promoted by Jesuit missionaries in 1572 who took the representations that the Indians and engaged in various rites and invited to participate in the evangelization of the population of a didactic, this is how the natives were encouraged to represent them.
Pastorelas originally religious in nature, are recreating the adventures and obstacles faced by pastors to come to worship the baby Jesus born in Bethlehem. The main characters are a Christmas Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the Archangel, pastors and the demons that represent the capital sins and make traps for shepherds desist search of baby Jesus. The general idea of \u200b\u200bthe pastorals is the struggle between good and evil.
Previously, pastorals were staged in churches but as people also wanted to participate, it was then that works out to the plazas and streets making it a popular show. Today these works contain an unintended humor and mischievous, and serve as an instrument of social and political criticism that is reflected in the scripts product of artistic creativity. 
A curious fact is that the pastorals have been presented for years in places that were of a Jesuit, and as the vestige of that heritage we enjoy in places like the Museo del Carmen in Mexico City and The National Museum of Viceroyalty in Tepotzotlán State of Mexico. The truth is that these plays have transcended the time and always provide pleasant surprises for those attending to see them.
La Noche Buena
is a national custom, on December 24 entire families gather to celebrate Christmas and the traditional Christmas Eve dinner, previously used a small food based on water gruel with roasted cocoa beans and pancakes with honey, people attending midnight mass midnight or back is used to lull the child. Also the bonuses were distributed to children and served Christmas dinner to the candlelight.
Today some of these elements are missing but families continue the tradition of meeting, enjoy dinner together and living together of loved ones.
At the dinner dishes are usually rich, some depend on the region, tastes and resources of the family, the most typical are: cod, turkey or turkey mole, rosemary, pork, donuts, Christmas salad, tamales and delicious punch.
And speaking of the hot and sour drink mix of seasonal fruits, nectar is a delicious addition, it serves to keep a proper temperature and to counteract the cold of the season. Punch Drink is a result of the combination of indigenous and European cultures that coexist in a clay jar, for example, use tropical fruits such as tamarind and guava are combined with those of Europe as apple and orange, the result is a bittersweet taste to say the color and odor! Some people are accustomed to the punch with a little liquor such as tequila, mezcal or rum.
The Eve is an excellent excuse to live with loved ones, expressing the best wishes and making gifts to show affection.
Los Santos Inocentes
And along with the traditional festivals I want to tell the tradition of the Holy Innocents is celebrated every December 28 on this day it is customary to ask friends jokingly something borrowed and receiving the object or the money should cover: "innocent dove let you cheat, knowing that in this day nothing is to be provided." The custom is to return a borrowed item
Earlier in the day he gave away a tin charolitas with miniature toys were delivered cards with other verses, such charolitas maybe you can find on the market in Merced, but people do not know much about this tradition is almost lost.
is said that the date of the Innocents is the order of Betlemitas, religious who settled in Mexico in 1673 and celebrated her feast on December 28. With the deletion of this order in 1820 and allowed to hold this custom. Another interesting fact is that this date is remembered is remembered is the fact when Herod killing the children in Bethlehem in order to kill the baby Jesus, these child deaths are the Holy Innocents.
New Year
The Maya, Zapotec and Aztec used two calendars, one of them was the lunar calendar that consisted of thirteen months of twenty days with a total of 260 days, the other solar calendar was the agricultural or eighteen months was twenty days to 360 days and to which they added 5 days lost or rest.
For missionaries it was difficult to introduce the Julian calendar of 365 days in twelve months that corresponded to the same number of pre-Columbian solar calendar.
Europeans, meanwhile long used the Gregorian calendar used by the church to determine the dates of religious holidays phones as carnival and Easter.
So the start of an annual cycle is a festival traditionally celebrated in our home with family or friends.
The memorial consists of a dinner at midnight Christmas-like, in this case you add a fruit bowl with grapes which are distributed to attendees. Each grape represents one month of the year and at the stroke of twelve strokes, you will eat the grapes as the bells are bells and ask your twelve wishes.
This feast is also customary to hug loved ones, to wish good fortune and health with a delicious meal and make a list of resolutions for the New Year begins. Epiphany
Another important date is the day of Reyes especially for the taste of Mexican children, as toys are surprises every year.
This date is linked to the birth and adoration of Christ at the time of King Herod, at the time of the East three wise men arrived they were following a star that led them to the place of birth.
Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar crossed the sky mounted on a camel, a horse and an elephant. To get your cargo down to offer the baby Jesus, he gave gold by being a king, myrrh and frankincense to be a man to be God. In return the three wise men were joy, love and peace.
The tradition for Epiphany is that children are rewarded for good behavior but this should leave a letter to the Three Kings on January 5. Before going to bed the children put the letter in one of his shoes and placed close to the manger of birth or in another visible place. With this the wise men visit the homes and leaving gifts and toys for when the kids get up caught on January 6 and playing with the gifts that gave the Kings. That same day
6 adults and children usually from the rich taste and rosca de reyes, a bread made especially for this date.
Did you know that once the custom was that the breaking of the bread had a bean representing royalty and baby Jesus figurines were ceramic?
Well today the tradition is that the figurines are plastic child, what has not changed is that the thread from the lucky to take out the plastic children should invite the tamales to all appellants on February 2 that according to the story is when you meet Mary quarantine.
This day February 2 or Candlemas rises at birth and have to bless the candles to the church where he also will present the baby Jesus to the temple As you will notice in Mexico We traditions alive, happy, warm and above all meaningful. I invite you to rescue these old practices in the company of yours, if you agree with me, because traditions are who we are and what we do not cease to be.
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