Learning about the traditions at Christmas in Mexico is always a highlight for my class in December. In this post, I’ll share fun facts and activities to do with your students as they learn about the unique customs and holiday traditions at Christmastime in Mexico!
Christmas in Mexico is a full month of celebrations with family, friends, and neighbors. It is a colorful time with candlelit processions, elaborate nativity scenes, pinatas, delicious food, and fireworks.
H2 Fun Facts About Christmas in Mexico
- Christmas is observed from December 12 to January 6 in Mexico
- Poinsettia flowers originated in Mexico and are known as Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) flowers
- Mexican hot chocolate is made with cayenne pepper and ground chilis that make it taste very spicy!
Holiday Traditions At Christmas in Mexico
Las Posadas
From December 16-24 people in Mexico hold a series of processions and parties called Las Posadas. The procession ends at a different home each night with a Posada party.
Three Kings Day
Three Kings Day celebrates when the three Wise Men visited baby Jesus to bring gifts. On the night of January 5, children leave a shoe by the doorway for it to be filled with a gift. In the morning after opening the gifts, a sweet bread called rosca or “cake of kings” is served. It is baked with dried fruit and a tiny baby Jesus trinket inside. Whoever gets the baby Jesus in their slice, must host a tamale party on Candlemas Day on February 2.
Christmas in Mexico Classroom Activities
Take your students on a virtual field trip to see holiday traditions in Mexico! Disney’s Epcot Center has a wonderful video in their storytelling series that you can watch right here or on YouTube.
Christmas in Mexico PowerPoint
Take your students on a virtual field to learn some of the special events and holiday traditions in Mexico. This ready-to-use teaching PowerPoint is the one I use to teach about Las Posada, Nochebuena, Three Kings Day, the Legend of the Poinsettia, holiday foods, and many more Christmas traditions in Mexico.
PowerPoint source here or on TPT
Have a Classroom Posada procession
🎄Try this classroom idea: Similar to a roam-the-room activity that you might do with task cards taped around the room, have a procession for students roam to different areas of the room to color a part of a las posada picture or have each student add to a drawing of a pinata, a poinsettia flower, or draw an ornament on a large outline of a Christmas tree.
Hang Papel Picado Flags
Most celebrations in Mexico include music, flowers, and papel picado. Papel picado means “punched paper”. The tradition of hanging papel picado flags originated with the Aztecs. It is used on special occasions in Mexico, including Christmas, to decorate streets, homes, and parties to make them look festive.
🎄Try this classroom idea: Make papel picado squares to decorate your classroom!
Making these decorations is similar to making snowflakes by cutting folded white paper. Give each student a sheet of colored paper. Have them fold it in half and then in half again a few more times. Next, cut triangle shapes, diamond shapes, and even circles in the folds. Open the paper and there you have it! Punched paper decorations!
String the papers on a long piece of yarn and hang it above your whiteboard or across the ceiling of your classroom!
Make Poinsettia Craft
This poinsettia postcard craft is part of the Christmas traditions in Mexico lessons we do during our holidays around the world unit.
Our students travel to different classrooms to learn about the unique customs and holiday traditions in countries around the world.
They make postcard crafts for each country before stamping their passport and departing! See more of how we do it in my classroom and all the magical ways to teach holidays around the world.
🎄Try this classroom activity: Make a poinsettia ornament! Make the poinsettia craft above but instead of gluing it to the postcard template, make an ornament by punching a hole at the top and tying yarn through.
H2 Christmas in Mexico Lesson Plans
Are you looking for Christmas in Mexico lesson plans? I’ve created a 14-country unit for teaching winter and Christmas holiday traditions around the world. Each country has detailed, scripted lesson plans with a travel suitcase, passport, teaching PowerPoint with actual photos of the countries, and even a short quiz as an exit ticket before students depart!
This unique holidays around the world unit is available here in the Around The Kampfire Shop and also in my TPT shop.
Christmas inMexico Reading Comprehension
Add comprehension practice with leveled passages about holiday traditions in Germany! These passages also include a digital version that you can project on your whiteboard and use during a lesson or make it a partner game during your literacy center time.
Holidays Around the World Math Games
💡Try this classroom idea: Set up holiday-themed math centers around the room so students can “travel” to different countries and practice math skills!
With these holiday math centers, (available in three grade levels) students carry a “mathport” and stamp it when they finish the game at each country’s table. Pictured is the 2nd grade Mexico game to practice place value.
For a fun day with your students, use the games for a math around the world holiday party! This post has some fun holiday math party ideas to do with your students!
Books About Christmas in Mexico
Now that you know about holiday traditions in Mexico, let’s talk about holiday traditions for your classroom! Here are 10 holiday classroom traditions to start this year that your students will love! (And I really do mean it!)
10 Holiday Traditions to Start in Your Classroom This Year!
Visits this post to learn all the ways to make teaching holidays around the world magical for your students! Be sure to grab the freebies while you’re there!
10 Magical Ways to Teach Holidays Around the World!
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