Mexican restaurants in Amherst are ready to celebrate the holidays! Our decorations are up at Monarquia, and we are in a festive mood.
Everyone has their special holiday decorations, whether they’re unique to your heritage or your family. Christmas is a very important holiday in Mexico, with a long list of traditions, including food, celebrations, and decorations. As you would expect from a celebration in Mexico, most things associated with Christmas are bright and festive, especially the decorations. Mexican Christmas decorations aren’t just decorative; most of them have special symbolism.
Let’s take a closer look at some traditional Mexican Christmas decorations and the meaning and symbolism behind them.
Nacimiento
A Nacimiento is a Nativity scene. Nativity scenes aren’t unique to Mexico—you’ll find them in homes, churches, and holiday displays all over the world—but they are much bigger in Mexico. And when we say “bigger,” we mean it in more ways than one. First, they are bigger in size. Rather than being a small display that will fit on a table, a Nacimiento is a huge scene set up outside in a town square. In churches and homes, they are scaled down a little bit but are still prominent displays. In many homes, a Nacimiento takes the place of a Christmas tree. That brings us to the other sense of “bigger.” In Mexico, Christmas is still primarily a religious celebration, so depictions of the birth of Christ are central to the decor.
Piñatas
We tend to think of a piñata as something you get for a child’s birthday party, but in Mexico, they are a traditional decoration at Christmas. Traditionally, the shape of the piñata is a seven-pointed star or a ball with seven spikes. This shape represents the star over Bethlehem, and the seven points represent the seven deadly sins. The act of breaking open the piñata carries symbolic meaning, too. The stick signifies virtue, the blindfold represents blind faith, breaking the piñata enacts overcoming sin, and the treats inside are the reward for faith in God.
Poinsettias
Poinsettia plants are common in the United States as well as Mexico. Their bright red and green leaves are the perfect naturally occurring Christmas decoration. The ancient Aztecs were the first to cultivate these plants, and in their culture, red symbolized purity. This symbolism fits in with Christian traditions, and the white variety matches the Western association of the color white with purity. Other stories have sprung up around the flower, solidifying it as a symbol of Christmas.
Mexican Restaurants Amherst | Monarquia
Join your favorite Mexican restaurants in Amherst in celebrating the holiday season! Monarquia is the perfect place to gather and catch up with friends and family over lunch or dinner. Enjoy authentic Mexican food and a margarita while you celebrate the season.