The Holidays are a great time to take a vacation in Mexico. Not only is it the perfect excuse to avoid all the Christmas shopping stresses and complications of deciding which family members and friends you will spend time with, but December is full of wonderful Mexican traditions and warm hospitality around this time.
If you are looking to avoid the bitter temperatures back home and head for a little sunshine and relaxation, then Mexico is most definitely your choice at Christmas. The major beach destinations such as Cabo San Lucas and Loreto, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta are a fabulous choice for a winter getaway. The temperatures during December and January, are perfect by anyone’s standards: not too hot but warm enough to sit on a beach all day, and cool enough to sleep at night. In the evening you might see locals wearing sweaters, but it is a rare case when a foreigner feels particularly cold.
Mexico has a lot of traditions that are celebrated during the Holiday Season. Puerto Vallarta, for example has its most important festival from December 1 through December 12, celebrating the Virgin of Guadalupe. The main avenue in the downtown area is filled with processions and floats making their pilgrimage to the the Church of Guadalupe near the main plaza. It really is a spectacular event, with food stalls and memorabilia for sale everywhere.
In all destinations you will see colorful nativity scenes and in Cancun you will surely witness one of the many Pastorelas, which are reenactments of the Shepherds receiving news of Jesus’ birth from Archangel Gabriel. Mexico’s version of the Christmas party is the Posada; this social event takes place in someone’s house and there is a ritual where a group of guests (a little like carol singing ) arrive to the door signing a special song, whereby the guests ask to be granted entrance. The delightful ritual is supposed to represent Joseph and Mary’s arrival to the 3 inns in Bethlehem, having no place to stay. Many hotels will perform some kind of reenactment of this scene, entertaining guests with this fun tradition.
Another reason to take a vacation to one of Mexico’s beach destinations during the Holiday Season is because of the great offers and deals you can find at all inclusive and room only hotels and resorts. Mexican hospitality is among the best in the world and the resorts there really know how to show you a great time at Christmas. Moreover, places like Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas have some amazing gourmet restaurants that deliver wonderful cuisine at very reasonable prices – Perfect for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.