Yahoo Lifestyle My Big Fat Mexican Christmas
From the moment you enter the outskirts of Mexico City in the crush of noisy and impatient traffic, the energy sweeps you up. This city seems to breathe you in and quickly out again. Street sellers tap the window selling cigarettes, lighters and gum, on every corner there are makeshift taquerias food trolleys trucks dishing out tacos, sweet colourful drinks and even battered chicken feet with chili sauce for just a handful of change.
Weaving between lanes I kept reminding myself to be confident in Javier, our driver; "he's a local, he anticipates the danger faster than you can.” I kept that phrase on repeat with every jolt and sudden stop. Eight lanes are quickly slashed to four, drivers dart in between each other, semi trailers bully their way in front, narrowly missing bikes snaking up through closing gaps. The pattern continued until we arrived at our hotel, the Sheraton Maria Isabel in the downtown suburb of Reforma.
We arrived in Mexico City a few days before Christmas. It was our first trip to Mexico and the prospect of spending Christmas with good friends with their family had us very excited. Spending the holidays with locals meant we got an authentic feel for the way Mexicans celebrate the holidays.
Festive Season Shopping
Once settled, we took an Uber to Avenida Moliere in the trendy Polanco area for a quick lunch. Afterwards, we peeked through gaps in the walled gardens of the grand houses and window shopped in the pricy street boutiques on our stroll to join the well-to-do scouring the shiny malls for gifts. Shopfronts brandished with familiar names like Gucci and Louis Vuitton dominate Plaza Moliere. Head to Antara Fashion Mall just up the street for more affordable chains like Zara and Sephora.
Our preferred shopping spots were the local marketplaces. Arriving across the road from the gates of the Mercado de Artesanias La Ciudadela one afternoon, we took a moment to join a group of curious spectators. They were captivated by couples dancing to music blaring from a small speaker in the plaza. The market itself is a labyrinth of narrow rows of shops and covered stalls.
Like everything in Mexico, colour catches your eye from every corner. Brightly painted ceramics, children’s toys, clothing, rugs, leather goods and other hand made pieces are stacked in every available space. Despite attracting the tourist crowds, the goods are very cheap and the shop owners are friendly.
Cultural Sightseeing
On Christmas Eve morning, we made our way to the Zócalo, a large central plaza in downtown Mexico City. As we walked through the beautiful 16th century Metropolitan Cathedral with a wave of other visitors, a priest began to say a prayer. Casting a tiny figure in his overwhelmingly grand surroundings, his purple robes helped worshipers locate the voice at the pulpit. He finished and a few minutes later, another took the spot to deliver another prayer. No doubt this was the warm up for the main event; midnight mass is a popular Christmas Eve tradition in Mexico.
Just a short walk away we arrived at the National Palace, taking in an outdoor photography exhibition we then went on to find Diego Rivera’s famous murals (dating back to 1929). A seafood feast with a view over the city from rooftop Restaurante Balcón de Zócalo at The Zócalo Central Hotel was the perfect way to recharge before the busy night ahead.
Christmas Traditions
You’ll encounter nativity scenes at every turn if you are in Mexico in the lead up to Christmas - from plazas and cathedrals to family homes. The nativity is an important part of Las Posadas, a nine day traditional celebration carried out in the evenings between 16th December through to Christmas Eve. Las Posadas can include community reenactments of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter, Las Pastorelas or plays reenacting the shepherds’ journey, other processions, piñata breaking and plenty of eating and drinking. Ponche, a warm fruity punch is the typical tipple.
Our Big Fat Mexican Christmas saw us celebrate with our friends, their family and their family’s friends. Big indeed! We sipped on mezcal with fresh orange slices and Sal de Gusano (salt, chili and agave worms, ground together), played gift-giving games with the other guests and enjoyed a delicious midnight meal of mole with prawns, cod cooked in a spicy tomato sauce, fresh chopped salads and chocolate cake. In a cosy Condesa apartment in the middle of Mexico City, surrounded by strangers speaking in a mix of Spanish and English we could not have felt more at home.
Tips for travel in Mexico
Hailing a taxi on the street isn’t the safest way to get around Mexico City, Prepay your Yellow Cab from the airport online or inside the terminal. If you want to grab a cab later, call and book one or if you must hail one on the street, check their number begins with a B or an A and also ensure their licence is displayed and the driver’s picture matches up. We generally used Uber in Mexico though. We also track our trips with offline map, Maps.Me.
Learn a few basic Spanish phrases. Unless you’re in a resort town, you’ll find many people don’t speak any english.
Carry an antibiotic, just in case the delicious street food brings you unstuck.
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