Mexico Festivals

Epiphany (Twelfth Night, Dia de los Reyes Magos,Three Kings Day) is the day when gifts are exchanged in a traditional manner. In the distant past, January 6th was the day when the Three Kings arrived at the Nativity to give their gifts to baby Jesus. On this day, the Rosca de los Reyes (King's Loaf) is served, a round doughnut-like cake, which contains a little plastic doll somewhere inside. By tradition, if you are served the slice that contains the doll, you must host a party on Dia de la Candelaria in February.

This event is celebrated on third Monday in March, to celebrate the birthday of one of Mexico's most famous and revered heroes and the first president of the country, Benito Juarez. The day is marked with a public holiday along with political and social events, fireworks, contests, etc.

This festival takes place 46 days before the Easter Sunday (3rd day preceding Ash Wednesday). The carnival kicks off a five-day celebration before the Catholic lent. Beginning on the weekend before Lent, the carnival is celebrated with full enthusiasm accompanied with parades, floats and dancing in the streets.

The Holy week or the Semana Santa starts on the Palm Sunday. One can watch a variety of celebrations throughout the Mexico City during this holy week. Semana Santa is one of the most important and popular festivals of the city which is preceded by festivals like the Lent, the Virgin of the Sorrows and the Carnival.

Lent is celebrated with great fervour and energy in all parts of Mexico. This religious festival of 40 days starts from Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter. This is a period of temperance and self-restraint for the Christian community. Some Mexicans observe meatless Fridays, some of them eat seafood or some people give up eating sweets. The ‘empanadas de vigilia’ is the popular dish prepared during lent.

September 16th is Mexico's most important and revered National Holiday. It is an official holiday that commemorates Mexico's Constitution. From the evening of September 15th, festivities begin in the city. At 11pm, the president of the Republic shouts the Cry (El Grito) of "Viva Mexico" from the balcony of the National Palace - an event televised and broadcast on radio to every nook and cranny of the nation, as Mexicans cry back with "Viva!" in a deeply traditional annual ritual. The Zocalo in Mexico City brims and buzzes with unabated excitement. Celebrations are particularly lively at the revolutionary Colonial centres, especially Queretaro and San Miguel de Allende - important and significant places before, during and after the war of Independence from Spain.

The day of dead also called as Día de los Muertos is a public holiday in Mexico City and the celebration starts from 31st October to 2nd November. This day is dedicated in the memory of deceased relatives and friends, and people decorate shrines and graves of their loved ones. In some parts social events and parades are also organised.

This is a major national holiday, which commemorates the end of the revolution in 1910 after the defeat of Dictator José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori, after ruling for 35 years. The day is celebrated on the third Monday in November, and is marked with social events, and the festive parties are as loud and significant like the Independence Day celebrations.

Not a public holiday, but it is probably Mexico's biggest religious festivals celebrated on 12th December. The people of Mexico celebrate this day with a mass ceremony and a traditional fair in honour of the Lady Guadalupe. The day is packed with free concerts on the Basilica de Guadalupe plaza.

Everyone’s favourite festival the Christmas is observed on December 25 which celebrated with enthusiasm in all parts of the world and Mexico is no exception to it. The city lights up with colourful lights and people celebrate the festival with family get-together, parties, dinners. The shops in Mexico City also get decked up, and people rush to buy gifts for their friends and families.