Another great story, Jeanine. This is my third expat Christmas with my Mexican family, my first with full immersion. As you describe, the holiday is long, non-stop and all about friends, family, food and music and drink. Very few, if any, decorations. No Santa. Only the youngest kids received a present on noche buena. Everyone hugged with a "feliz navidad" at midnight, then out came the pinata! So far removed from the commercialism and competitive greed I've known for my entire life, I can only look forward. Felices fiestas y un rico año nuevo!
Dave, Please forgive me for this BELATED response! Yes, Mexican Christmas is so different than that up north. I'm glad you liked it. It was such an awakening for me. And once I understood it, so beautiful. Happy New Year! And thanks for your support, truly!
Thanks ... you so capture the spirit of Mexico and the differences in culture that always make understand a bit about what we've lost ... or maybe never had. "Family" is such a much bigger concept in Mexico.
Love this recounting of a Christmas past, at a time before consumerism elbowed its way in. What a treat for the soul that Christmas in Progreso must have been. Thanks for sharing this reminder of the original spirit of this holiday. Feliz Ano Nuevo a ti tambien!
I was a “tumbleweed” at Shakespeare & Company way back in 1984 - George Whitman was such a delight to know. What a happy surprise to find this post as I browsed Substack for ideas for my upcoming visit to Merida this Christmas! I spent a gorgeous Christmas week alone in Guanajuato two years ago & have been smitten with the Mexican experience of the holiday ever since. What other resources or connections would you recommend as I plan for Merida? I arrive Christmas day & leave NY Eve.
George was a man apart. I wrote about our meeting years ago At Shakespeare & Co. in another post that I’ll eventually include here. So cook you knew him. There’s so so much to do in Merida. Do remember as mentioned in this post that holiday hours sometimes last 3 weeks until Jan 6. Though looser now but not everywhere. Strolling around the plaza, the streets there and seeing the shops. The huge market that is a city block long and filled with everything! Paseo de Montejo for walking. The Maya Museum on Paseo. Old style Yucatán restaurants with the real Yucatan food. Maybe a drive to progreso to see the Gulf. I’ve written a post on Merida and will post way before Navidad. Subscribe to stay tuned and thank you for reading!
The Christmas season has passed, but the Whitmas quote is everlasting, such a nice way to end your story. It sounds like you had a great experience and it made me so happy reading about you and a stranger creating an unforgettable Christmas. Although things have changed since NAFTA, I find that food and family are thankfully still the hallmarks of this season which I agree, appears to go on forever. I would even venture out to say that the last day is February 2 with the day of the Candelaria. My family has never celebrated it, but I hear it is still a pretty important one being that it is connected to Three Kings Day and when people dress their baby Jesuses. It still involves one person making tamales and having a family dinner around it. I love how your story didn't take us to Chichen Itza, but instead took us to a lone eatery somewhere in town. Have you gotten to try the cochinita pibil?
Thank you, Esperanza! I'm glad you enjoyed it. We very much loved how it turned out. Thanks for info about Feb. 2. I wasn't aware of that. Yes, love cochinita pibil! And meeting George Whitman of Shakespeare&Company was a highlight for me. We bonded as both 'independent bookstore owners.' Mine considerably smaller than his famous one in Paris, since before WWII ): He was 89 when we met him. I have another story about him and The Lost World of Quintana Roo book, by Michel Peissel, which I'll post in not too far future. He was quite the guy.
He was really a cool older guy. He'd really been through it! He took a liking to me and Paul and we got invited to his Sunday afternoon 'tea.' It was crammed to the eyeballs w/ other travelers. He traveled extensively in southern Mexico. That too was a bond for us.
I just realized I have missed reading this story and it did my heart good! for a number of reasons. One because we have only now gotten our Christmas decorations put away. It was February 1st and we were beginning to feel like we could be flirting with a shift to being "those people" who leave up Xmas light all year. But your description of the colors and food and family and welcoming spirit in Mexico for a long, long season of Christmas was very comforting and sweet. And "lest they be angels" is a good quote and policy to live by.
Well I might avoid Christmas unless I can stay with a family! My ambition is to go for Day of the Dead but how wonderfully joyous this all sounds. And I love the Whitman quote!
Day of the Dead is the best. Choose a large city, CDMX if you're going to central MX, or if in the Yucatán, Merida is simply fabulous (even if you're not there for DOTD. The festivities and parades and costumes and fun are over the top)! Keep me posted on your area and I can offer some tips if you like.
Another great story, Jeanine. This is my third expat Christmas with my Mexican family, my first with full immersion. As you describe, the holiday is long, non-stop and all about friends, family, food and music and drink. Very few, if any, decorations. No Santa. Only the youngest kids received a present on noche buena. Everyone hugged with a "feliz navidad" at midnight, then out came the pinata! So far removed from the commercialism and competitive greed I've known for my entire life, I can only look forward. Felices fiestas y un rico año nuevo!
Dave, Please forgive me for this BELATED response! Yes, Mexican Christmas is so different than that up north. I'm glad you liked it. It was such an awakening for me. And once I understood it, so beautiful. Happy New Year! And thanks for your support, truly!
Thanks ... you so capture the spirit of Mexico and the differences in culture that always make understand a bit about what we've lost ... or maybe never had. "Family" is such a much bigger concept in Mexico.
So true Joyce. So different in thought process and such an awakening for me.
Love this recounting of a Christmas past, at a time before consumerism elbowed its way in. What a treat for the soul that Christmas in Progreso must have been. Thanks for sharing this reminder of the original spirit of this holiday. Feliz Ano Nuevo a ti tambien!
Mil gracias. It was an awakening for sure to a CA gringa.
Muchas gracias, Jeanine! I feel like I'm strolling the streets of Mexico with you as my guide every time I read your enchanting life stories.
Thank you! We'll stroll arm in arm of course!! As we have many times before.
A great holiday story that perfectly captures the warm hospitality we always received in Mexico. Gracias y feliz ano nuevo, amiga!
Thank you, Jennifer! Feliz ano to you too!
I was a “tumbleweed” at Shakespeare & Company way back in 1984 - George Whitman was such a delight to know. What a happy surprise to find this post as I browsed Substack for ideas for my upcoming visit to Merida this Christmas! I spent a gorgeous Christmas week alone in Guanajuato two years ago & have been smitten with the Mexican experience of the holiday ever since. What other resources or connections would you recommend as I plan for Merida? I arrive Christmas day & leave NY Eve.
George was a man apart. I wrote about our meeting years ago At Shakespeare & Co. in another post that I’ll eventually include here. So cook you knew him. There’s so so much to do in Merida. Do remember as mentioned in this post that holiday hours sometimes last 3 weeks until Jan 6. Though looser now but not everywhere. Strolling around the plaza, the streets there and seeing the shops. The huge market that is a city block long and filled with everything! Paseo de Montejo for walking. The Maya Museum on Paseo. Old style Yucatán restaurants with the real Yucatan food. Maybe a drive to progreso to see the Gulf. I’ve written a post on Merida and will post way before Navidad. Subscribe to stay tuned and thank you for reading!
The Christmas season has passed, but the Whitmas quote is everlasting, such a nice way to end your story. It sounds like you had a great experience and it made me so happy reading about you and a stranger creating an unforgettable Christmas. Although things have changed since NAFTA, I find that food and family are thankfully still the hallmarks of this season which I agree, appears to go on forever. I would even venture out to say that the last day is February 2 with the day of the Candelaria. My family has never celebrated it, but I hear it is still a pretty important one being that it is connected to Three Kings Day and when people dress their baby Jesuses. It still involves one person making tamales and having a family dinner around it. I love how your story didn't take us to Chichen Itza, but instead took us to a lone eatery somewhere in town. Have you gotten to try the cochinita pibil?
Thank you, Esperanza! I'm glad you enjoyed it. We very much loved how it turned out. Thanks for info about Feb. 2. I wasn't aware of that. Yes, love cochinita pibil! And meeting George Whitman of Shakespeare&Company was a highlight for me. We bonded as both 'independent bookstore owners.' Mine considerably smaller than his famous one in Paris, since before WWII ): He was 89 when we met him. I have another story about him and The Lost World of Quintana Roo book, by Michel Peissel, which I'll post in not too far future. He was quite the guy.
Ooh! Can’t wait to read that story. What an amazing experience it must’ve been to meet Mr. Whitman.
He was really a cool older guy. He'd really been through it! He took a liking to me and Paul and we got invited to his Sunday afternoon 'tea.' It was crammed to the eyeballs w/ other travelers. He traveled extensively in southern Mexico. That too was a bond for us.
I just realized I have missed reading this story and it did my heart good! for a number of reasons. One because we have only now gotten our Christmas decorations put away. It was February 1st and we were beginning to feel like we could be flirting with a shift to being "those people" who leave up Xmas light all year. But your description of the colors and food and family and welcoming spirit in Mexico for a long, long season of Christmas was very comforting and sweet. And "lest they be angels" is a good quote and policy to live by.
Mil gracias!
Well I might avoid Christmas unless I can stay with a family! My ambition is to go for Day of the Dead but how wonderfully joyous this all sounds. And I love the Whitman quote!
Day of the Dead is the best. Choose a large city, CDMX if you're going to central MX, or if in the Yucatán, Merida is simply fabulous (even if you're not there for DOTD. The festivities and parades and costumes and fun are over the top)! Keep me posted on your area and I can offer some tips if you like.
That would be amazing, thankyou. I’ve subscribed to your Substack anyway!
Likewise to yours! And thanks!