Mexican Holidays & Food
Mexico is a culturally diverse country that is rich in colorful holidays and foods. Because Mexico is 95 percent Roman Catholic, it has many significant religious celebrations in addition to its official national holidays. Most months feature a variety of Mexican holidays, and food--a key part of Mexican culture--is an important part of every celebration.
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January and February
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On Jan. 1, Mexico celebrates Año Nuevo, or New Year’s Day, which is an official holiday. In addition to eating typical Mexican foods, it is a tradition to eat 12 red grapes as the clock strikes midnight. At each chime of the clock, one grape is eaten and one wish is said for the coming year.
Día de los Santos Reyes, or Three Kings Day, is Jan. 6. This holiday represents the day three wise men gave gifts to Jesus Christ. The day closes the Christmas festivities and is when Mexicans exchange presents. During Día de los Santos Reyes, Mexicans serve Rosca de los Reyes, or King’s Loaf. It is a sweet, doughnutlike cake containing a little plastic or ceramic doll that represents the Christ child. The person who gets the slice with the doll must host a party on Dia de la Candelaria in February.
Jan. 17 is the religious holiday Feast Day of San Antonio de Abad, during which the Catholic Church allows animals to enter for blessing. People eat a variety of typical Mexican foods, as no specific foods are associated with this holiday.
Día de la Candelaria, or Candlemas, is a religious holiday on Feb. 2. It includes processions, dancing, bullfights (in some cities) and a blessing of seeds and candles. Día de la Candelaria typically includes the Mexican drink of Atole and the food tamales.
Día de la Constitution is the official celebration of Mexico’s constitution. This holiday lands in the first week of February, but its exact date often changes. Typical Mexican foods are eaten during this celebration.
Carnaval begins the weekend before Catholic Lent. It is an official, five-day holiday celebrating the libido before Lent begins. Mexicans celebrate Carnaval with parades, floats and dancing in the streets; it is equivalent to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. Outdoor booths offer a variety of Mexican foods during Carnaval.
March and April
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March 18 is La Expropiación Petrolera, a Civic holiday celebrating the Oil Expropriation of March 18, 1938. On this date, President Lázaro Cárdenas secured Mexico’s oil profits for the country's citizens. Oil is Mexico’s most valuable natural resource. No specific foods are associated with this day, but Mexicans eat typical foods during the celebration.
The next day, March 19, is the religious holiday Día de San José, or St. Joseph’s Day. No specific foods are associated with this holiday.
March also includes the official holiday celebrating the birthday of Benito Juárez, a famous Mexican president and national hero. The nation celebrates with parties, dancing, music and a variety of Mexican foods. The date of this holiday falls in the final two weeks of March but changes depending on the year.
The only Mexican holiday in April is Semana Santa, or Holy Week. It ends the 40-day Lent period and includes Good Friday and Easter Sunday. A custom during this celebration is breaking confetti-filled eggs over the heads of friends and family. Celebrations also include typical Mexican food.
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May and June
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Primero de Mayo, also known as Día del Trabajo, on May 1 is a national holiday similar to U.S. Labor Day. No specific foods are associated with this holiday.
Cinco de Mayo, May 5, is probably the most well-known Mexican national holiday because U.S. cities with a significant Mexican population also celebrate the day. It commemorates Mexico’s 1862 defeat of the French army at Puebla de los Angeles. In U.S. cities, it is a celebration of Mexican culture. A variety of Mexican foods accompany every Cinco de Mayo celebration.
Día de la Marina, Navy Day, on June 1, is an official Mexican holiday celebrated with fireworks and parties that include many Mexican foods.
June 24 is St. John the Baptist Day, which is celebrated with religious festivities, food, fairs and jokes about getting dunked in water.
September and October
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Sept. 13 marks Los Niños Héroes, a day commemorating six young heroes of the Mexican-American War of 1847. The Mexican president takes part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to Los Niños Héroes in Chapultepec Park. No specific foods are associated with this day.
Mexican Independence Day is Sept. 16. Every year at midnight on Sept. 15, the president of Mexico leads Mexicans in shouting, “Mexicanos, viva Mexico,” which is the Cry of Dolores. This honors crucial action that catalyzed the country’s struggle for independence from Spain. During this holiday, hundreds of stands offer traditional antojitos, Mexican candies and punch. The punch, or ponche, is made of fruits that are in season: guayabas, sugarcane, raisins and apples.
Oct. 12 is Día de la Raza, which celebrates the historical origins of the Mexican race and Columbus’ arrival in the Americas. A variety of Mexican foods are included in this celebration.
November and December
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Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is another important and well-known Mexican holiday. Taking place on Nov. 1 and 2, it honors Mexico’s dead with a combination of pre-Columbian beliefs and modern Catholicism. It is believed that for these two days, dead relatives can return to the mortal world to visit loved ones. The people await the spirits in graveyards and welcome them with food and lighted candles. Día de los Muertos features symbolic foods. Pan de muerto, or bread of the dead, is a rich coffee cake decorated with meringues that are made to look like bones. Skull-shaped candies and marzipan death figures are placed near graves. Families also have a picnic of the departed’s favorite food and drink.
Día de la Revolucion, Revolution Day, is an official holiday commemorating the Mexican Revolution of 1910. The holiday's exact date changes yearly, but it falls around Nov. 20. No specific foods are prepared for this day, but typical Mexican foods are eaten.
On Dec. 12, Mexicans celebrate Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, or the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This holiday includes a feast honoring Mexico’s patron saint and pilgrimages to Mexico City to visit where the Virgin appeared to the Mexican people. Some parts of Mexico celebrate the day with traditional foods such as buñuelos, raspados and tortas.
From Dec. 16 to Jan. 6, Mexico celebrates Las Posadas, remembering Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter in Bethlehem. Mexicans take part in processions that end at various nativity scenes. This is a part of Mexico's Christmas celebration. Mexico celebrates Navidad, or Christmas, on Dec. 25. Various Mexican foods are associated with the Christmas season and may vary by city.
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