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1st New Year's Day (Ano Nuevo)
National holiday: a day of celebrations, parties and festivals throughout
the country.
1st San Juan Chamula, Chiapas
This lovely village is worth a visit on New Year's Day, as each
December 31st men in the village are selected to take responsibility
for one particular saint for the whole of the next year, taking
care of its statue and paraphernalia and organising festivals and
rites. On the day after special celebrations take place for the
occasion of the change in tribal governors, with the captains dancing
and riding horses.
1st – 6th Tlaxcala - The Walking Cane Fair (Feria
del Bastón)
Colourful walking canes made in the nearby town of Tizatlán
are displayed and put on sale in a vibrant market.
1st Jan to end of March - Whale Watching, Baja California
Sur
This is the time to arrange an expeditions to follow the
Gray Whale migration along Baja California Sur. Amongst the most
famous locations are the Ojo de Liebre lagoon, near Guerrero Negro,
the San Ignacio Lagoon, near the omonimous village, and Madgalena
Bay, a bit further south the Baja Peninsula near Ciudad Constitucion.
Black and Blue Whales can be spotted also in the warm waters of
the sea of Cortez, on the Baja east coast, from November to April.
6th Epiphany / The Three Kings Day (Dia de los Reyes)
Catholic holiday celebrating the day the three Kings visited and
brought their gifts to the baby Jesus. Presents are given to children,
and parties are organised where a ring-shaped cake, called “Rosca
de los Reyes” is served with hot chocolate and tamales. When
this cake is baked a small plastic doll is put in the dough, which
represents the Christ child being hidden from Herod’s army:
who gets the slice with the doll must host a tamales-and-atole party
on February 2nd, Dia de La Candelaria.
15th – 23rd Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas - Feast of Saint
Sebastian
To pay homage to their saint, these days in January are set-aside
to party, when the town fills up with tourists admiring the legendary
Parachicos: masked characters shaking tin rattles and singing ritual
chants. This religious festivity in fact has its roots in pagan
healing rituals, and it’s a fascinating example of the multi-cultural
fusion of this amazing country. Among the celebrations, there is
a re-enactment of a naval battle along the river.
17th Feast of San Antonio Abad
The Catholic Church allows animals, usually adorned for the occasion,
to enter local churches to be blessed.
18th Taxco - Feast of Santa Prisca
She is the patroness of this beautiful city, capital of silver.
Dances and celebrations all over!
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JANUARY