I've always been interested in traditional Mexican culture, so why not travel south of state side and see how they celebrate Christmas: (as an fyi I'm getting all this information straight from Santa's Net). There's a whole lot of other cool holiday traditions, so feel free to peruse the website link for the rest.
~Their main Christmas celebration is called La Posada, which is a religious procession that reenacts the search for shelter by Joseph and Mary before the birth of Jesus. During the procession, the celebrants go from house to house carrying the images of Mary and Joseph looking for shelter.
~Instead of Santa Claus being a big deal, their representation of Santa's red suit is represented by the poinsettia plant. The story is that a boy was walking to church to see a nativity scene and realized that he had nothing to offer the Christ child. On the way he gathered plain green branches. Despite being laughed at, he put the branches near the manger and they bloomed into a beautiful, red poinsettia
~The Mexican children receive gifts. On Christmas day they are blindfolded and taken to try and break a decorated clay piñata that dangles and swings at the end of a rope. Once the piñata has been broken, the children clamber to recover the candy that was inside the piñata. Those children who have been good also on January 6th receive a gift from the Three Wise Men.
~In the northern states of Mexico Santa Clause "Santo Clos" brings children big presents,while the "Reyes Magos" bring the small presents in Janurary. In the southern states the gift giving is inverted and "El niño Dios" (Jesus) brings a few presents, while "Los Reyes Magos" (the 3 wise men) bring the equivalent of Santa Clause's presents.
~Instead of Santa Claus being a big deal, their representation of Santa's red suit is represented by the poinsettia plant. The story is that a boy was walking to church to see a nativity scene and realized that he had nothing to offer the Christ child. On the way he gathered plain green branches. Despite being laughed at, he put the branches near the manger and they bloomed into a beautiful, red poinsettia
~The Mexican children receive gifts. On Christmas day they are blindfolded and taken to try and break a decorated clay piñata that dangles and swings at the end of a rope. Once the piñata has been broken, the children clamber to recover the candy that was inside the piñata. Those children who have been good also on January 6th receive a gift from the Three Wise Men.
~In the northern states of Mexico Santa Clause "Santo Clos" brings children big presents,while the "Reyes Magos" bring the small presents in Janurary. In the southern states the gift giving is inverted and "El niño Dios" (Jesus) brings a few presents, while "Los Reyes Magos" (the 3 wise men) bring the equivalent of Santa Clause's presents.
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