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December 12 2008 Page 2

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Nine days of Las Posadas:

Mexican Christmas Customs

By Tara Spears

In Mexico, the holiday season picks up momentum with the celebration of Las Posadas from December 16th to Christmas Eve. Traditionally, children perform the 'Posada' processions and families gather for fiestas. (Spanish for inn or lodging.) The Posadas days celebrate the part of the Christmas story where Joseph and Mary looked for a room in an inn but were turned away. For the Posadas, the outside of houses are decorated with evergreens, moss and paper lanterns. Inside, the usual holiday decoration is the nativity scene, El Nacimiento.

The focal point, naturally, is a stable where clay or plaster figurines of the Holy Family are sheltered. The scene may be further populated by an angel, Los Reyes Magos (the Magi), the ox and the ass, shepherds and their flocks, and assorted other people and livestock. It is not unusual to also find the forces of evil represented by a serpent and a grotesque Lucifer lurking in the shadows. The figures may be simply positioned in a bed of heno (Spanish moss), or scattered throughout an elaborate landscape.

A major masterpiece may occupy an entire room, often near the front of the house for convenient viewing by neighbors and passersby. The creation of the basic landscape begins with papel roca (paper painted in earth tones) draped over tables, taped onto boxes, crushed and shaped to form a multi-leveled, natural looking terrain that frequently includes a series of hills and dales, a cellophane waterfall, a mirror pond, artificial trees, cacti, palm trees, and little houses set to form an entire village scene. Colored sawdust and a variety of natural mosses may be spread out as ground cover before the addition of strings of Christmas lights and the assorted human and animal figures. The scene will not be completed until Christmas Eve when the newborn Baby Jesus is finally laid in the manger bed.

Today, a decorated Christmas tree may be incorporated in the Nacimiento or set up elsewhere in the home. As purchase of a natural pine represents a luxury commodity to most Mexican families, the typical arbolito (little tree) is often an artificial one, a bare branch cut from a copal tree (Bursera microphylla) or some type of shrub collected from the countryside, decorated with paper hand-made flowers.

Incidentally, Santa Claus and reindeer on the roof do not generally figure in the scheme of Navidad in this predominately tropical country. A Mexican youngster's holiday wish list is directed instead to el Ni�o Dios (the Holy Child) for Christmas Eve and the Reyes Magos (Magi) for Three Kings Day, which are the gift giving occasions. According to internet records, the world�s largest angel ornament was made in Mexico. It was made in January 2001 by Sergio Rodriguez in the town of Nuevo Le�n. The angel was 18' 3" (6 meters) high and had wing span of 11' 9" (4 meters)! Perhaps the most amazing thing about the angel was that it was completely made out of old beer bottles, 2,946 of them!! Humm, maybe this could become a new retired gringo tradition.... make your own recycled ornaments.

Contact Tara: terri_sprs.com

More articles by Tara Spears

Savor the Holidays with Tamales for Las Posadas
Cristian Salazar - Associated Press
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Packages of sweet or savory corn dough stuffed with meats and vegetables, and wrapped in banana leaves or cornhusks, tamales are a memorable part of the holiday feast.

Some may have visions of sugarplums as the holidays begin, but the dreams of Mexican immigrants such as Margarita Larios likely will be filled with zestier foods as they prepare for las Posadas.

That's the nine-day celebration during which Mexican and Mexican-American Roman Catholics pay homage to the biblical journey of Mary and Joseph in search of shelter in a foreign land.

For each of the days, from Dec. 16 to 24, families and friends re-enact the nativity story with singing, candlelit processions and pinatas for children.

And the celebration doesn't end until a meal to sate even the hungriest traveler is served: Dark moles churned from chocolates and chilies. Hot punch made from tejocotes, an apple-like fruit, and piloncillo, blocks of unrefined cane sugar. And a selection of sweet or savory tamales served steaming hot from huge pots.

"You should always have punch and tamales," says Larios, 60, who teaches a tamale-making workshop for las Posadas through the New York-based cultural organization Mano a Mano.

Manuel A. Vasquez, a professor of Latin American religions at the University of Florida, says rich foods are served during las Posadas because they symbolize abundance.

He compared it to serving heavy meals during harvest festivals such as Thanksgiving.

"It is connected with the good news of the birth of Christ," Vasquez says. "So there's lots of sugar and lots of fat to show that the New Year is a prosperous year."

Las Posadas dates to the 1500s, when Christian evangelists seeking to convert the indigenous people of Mexico realized they could teach them their faith through the ritual reenactment of Biblical stories.

One of the most important stories they sought to dramatize was the nativity. Out of this emerged las Posadas.

"One of the deep meanings of the Posadas is the struggle of the immigrant," says Timothy Matovina, a theologian and professor at the University of Notre Dame. Mexican immigrants can see their own stories reflected in the two biblical pilgrims' journey, he says.

Indeed, las Posadas are celebrated throughout the Southwest and almost anywhere a large community of Mexican immigrants has formed roots in the U.S.

One such place is Chicago, where chef Rick Bayless has ascended to the highest ranks of Mexican gastronomy. He says tamales - steamed cornmeal dough and other fillings wrapped in cornhusks or bananas leaves - are perfect for such special occasions.

Bayless even suggests hosting a pre-party - or a tamalera - before the Posada celebration to make the tamales.

"Usually, you get a group of people together to make tamales. You make your batch together and you're filling and you're standing around together," Bayless says.

The ingredients for the corn-masa cakes are straightforward enough. If you are not near a grocer that sells Mexican foods, probably the most difficult to find ingredients are the specially prepared cornmeal and corn husks, though they can be purchased online. Banana leaves sometimes can be found in Asian grocery stores.

Savory tamales usually are filled with meats stewed with chilies; sweet ones are made with pureed pineapple and burst with raisins swollen from the steam. But there are seemingly countless riffs on the tradition, with fillings using everything from seafood to pumpkin.

Danny Mena, the chef at the Brooklyn-based Mexican hipster restaurant Hecho En Dumbo, suggests combining mole poblano with duck confit, instead of the traditional turkey commonly served.

"I find duck more succulent and tastier," Mena says.

The type of fat you use - and the amount - determine how fluffy, rich and flavorful the tamales are, Bayless says. His favorite is fresh pork lard from a Mexican or German butcher. "It has a good, clean flavor to it," he says.

Bayless and other chefs say store-bought lard could be used if fresh lard was unavailable. Failing that, vegetable shortening is an alternative; unsalted butter is appropriate for sweet tamales.

When the base is blended until it has the consistency of cake batter, and a ball of it floats in cold water, you can be sure your tamales will turn out fluffy.

As you can imagine, tamales are not low-fat. Bayless says any time he goes somewhere and someone says, "Oh, I'm making olive oil tamales," they have been a disaster.

"It's like saying you're going to do diet croissants," he quipped.

Two Tales of the Riviera Nayarit
Denise Balkissoon - Metro Canada
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Riu Palace Pacifico - Despite its cushy trappings, it is definitely a family spot. (Steve Jenkinson/Metro Canada)

At Stoners Surf Camp, a low-key hostel and restaurant in San Blas, the affordable overnight rates include the use of charming, rickety old bikes.

On Mexico�s Pacific Coast, you can live the high life or go off-grid.The term �snow squall� is now in regular rotation on the weather report and just about every Canadian is ready to jump on a flight south. But while the desire for more degrees Celsius is widespread, winter travellers have many differences.

Some nine-to-fivers just want a week on the beach, period: This type of vacationer considers doing absolutely nothing the best antidote to the daily grind. Others are trying to inject some adventure and new experiences into a life made grey by routine.

Either way, the stretch of ocean dubbed the Riviera Nayarit offers enticements to every sort of sun worshipper.

Nayarit is a small province in central Mexico, just below the Tropic of Cancer. The southern point of its coastal region is Puerto Vallarta, legendary as a vacation spot ever since Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton made it their love nest in the 1960s.

Once tiny, Puerto Vallarta is now a bustling tourist hot spot, sometimes tacky, sometimes fabulous, full of little art galleries worth an afternoon�s perusal. For those wanting something more chilled out, head 20 minutes north of the airport to Nuevo Vallarta, where a strip of hotels caters to the weary beach bum. Most of these are full-service resorts, but keep in mind that every all-inclusive is not created equal. Even if your holiday itinerary reads only �beach, buffet, beer, repeat,� you don�t want to spend your precious week eating hotdogs on a poorly kept beach.

Check out Riu Palace Pacifico, the latest Mexican mega-resort opened by the Spanish hotel chain. My cohort and I spent four days here indulging our laziest selves. After sleeping through the morning, we�d enjoy chilaquiles at the buffet, an awesome local breakfast of fried tortilla bits, beans, tomatoes and cheese.

Next, it was time to tan, jump into the ocean for a bit and then wile away the afternoon in the pool sipping Red Eyes (a surprisingly delicious blend of Clamato juice and beer). With a total of 110 hotels worldwide, Riu has the resort game down to a science.

Although busy, the Pacifico always feels spacious, with enough lounge chairs, bartenders and � la carte restaurant seats to keep all the guests in the 445 rooms happy. One nice aspect of visiting a resort here (as opposed to an all-inclusive in a country like Cuba or the Dominican Republic) is the chance to mingle with Mexican vacationers.

I lost an embarrassingly bad game of ping-pong to Bernard, a dad from Guadalajara who had made the three-hour drive west to spend a long weekend by the beach with his family. Despite its cushy trappings, the Palace is definitely a family spot, with kids chattering in rapidfire Spanish holding raucous relay races in the humongous pool. Come dark, the children disappear and grownups learn salsa in the flashy lavender ballroom that evokes a Mexican Moulin Rouge.

After half a week of not lifting a finger, it was time for us to slip into backpacker mode. A three-hour drive through winding roads overhung with lush leaves brought us to the northern tip of Riviera Nayarit. Here, in a wee fishing town known as San Blas, our next four days had an entirely different rhythm.

At 8 a.m., we�d have the ocean to ourselves, so he�d practise surfing and I�d take a long swim. Next, a quick bike ride down the road to pick up a breakfast of piping hot banana bread. Ten more minutes of pedalling brought us to the boys peddling Jungle Boat rides through the mangrove swamp, a steamy paradise where blue herons and anhingas fly overhead and vibrant pink orchids sprout from fallen trees; after hunching quietly in our boat for almost an hour, we finally saw a few alligators, too. Satisfied, we�d be ready for lunch at one of the many amazing taquerias, where handmade corn tortillas filled with a pile of meat and toppings cost 15 pesos (about $1.50), max.

Our home base in San Blas was Stoners Surf Camp, a low-key hostel and restaurant run by a former Mexican longboard champion. A cabana with a double bed was just 200 pesos a night (including the use of charming, rickety old bikes). Sleeping just 15 feet from the crashing waves made afternoon siestas especially romantic, and we had front row seats when the local surfers hit the waves just before dusk.

We�d watch them show off their skills, then bike into town to grab dinner and avoid the swarms of tiny mosquitos that appear as the sun sets. The main plaza was good for an hour or two of people watching, its trees full of invisible birds that squawk incessantly at all hours. Since the sidewalks roll up pretty early here, by 10 p.m. we�d be back in our secluded beach hut.

Would I rather have been welcoming the dawn with the partying revellers at the Riu Palace? I�m just glad I got to fit in both.

Riviera Nayarit

� Riu Palace Pacifico, double suites including meals and drinks for two, from $1,800 a week; www.riu.com.

� Stoners Surf Camp, two-person cabanas from 150 pesos a night; www.stonerssurfcamp.com.

� Pan de Plantano Juan Banana, 219 Calle Canalizo Sur, San Blas. Fresh banana bread daily, 40 pesos a loaf.

� La Parrillada, west end of the main plaza, San Blas. Tacos from 10 pesos. Try the asada (steak) and camarones (shrimp), and pile on all six sauces and toppings.

� Mike McDonald, 75 Avenida Benito Juarez, San Blas. A nice restaurant for a sit-down meal. Try the pollo mole (chicken mole) enchiladas.

Mexico�s Holiday Season Lasts Well Into 2009
The Log
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Starting with the Virgin of Guadalupe Day, Dec. 12, Mexico�s winter calendar is full of cultural holidays that many may never have experienced.

Most of the street parades are religious in nature, but most of the parties are not � with the exception of Las Posadas celebrations. Don�t expect business as usual on Monday mornings following holidays, dubbed �San Lunes,� when some offices are functioning slower than normal.

This is not the time for major provisioning in Mexico�s big cities, because the grocery stores will be jammed. If you must buy a Christmas tree (typically trucked down from Oregon) or a string of lights in Mexico, realize that they will be expensive � and not easy to find outside larger cities.

In Mexico, the holiday season is not about Santa Claus. However, there is much to enjoy.

At pleasureboat marinas and yachting ports throughout the country, locals have grown to love the annual parades of lighted yachts, pangas and shrimpers. Boat parades are expected this year at Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, La Paz, San Carlos, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Barra de Navidad, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco and Huatulco. If you plan to join in the fun on the water, don�t forget to bring a portable generator, extension cords and your own strings of lights.

Here are Mexico�s major seasonal holiday celebrations, which continue through January:

Dec. 12: The Virgin of Guadalupe Day celebrates Mexico�s patron saint, with parades in which statues are carried around the church and town plaza, followed by celebrations with food.

Dec. 16-Jan. 6: Las Posadas, re-enactments of Joseph and Mary�s search for shelter in Bethlehem, feature candlelight processions visiting several homes. Participants sing a traditional song, are turned away at several stops, and then finally are welcomed inside, where they will find a nativity scenario and plenty of food.

Dec. 24: Noche Buena or Christmas Eve usually features a family gathering, and it is more popularly celebrated than Christmas Day. In southern Mexico, special tamales are eaten for the midnight feast. Dos Equis makes a special beer called Noche Buena, which is available only for Christmas.

Dec. 25: Dia de Navidad or Christmas Day is a time when just about everyone attends a religious service.

Dec. 31-Jan. 1: A�o Nuevo or New Year�s Eve and New Year�s Day starts with an evening feast that includes lots of toasts, and there are generally fireworks. At midnight, the church bells ring and everyone eats a grape. The food and libations continue throughout New Year�s Day.

Most Events are Clickable

DECEMBER 2008

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Market Day

7 pm Dance with Ramon @ Crazy Nellys
7 Enrique Plays the Bavarian Gardens

7:30 pm Karaoke at Crazy Nellys

6 pm Crazy Nelly's Anniversary Party
NFL @ Nelly's

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Market Day

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Death of Jos�
Mar�a Morelos
(1815)

Nochebuenas

Navidad

Los Santos
Inocentes

29 30 31

2009

JANUARY 2009

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 2 3 4

A�o Nuevo
Market Day

7:30 pm Karaoke at Crazy Nellys

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

D�a de los Reys

Market Day

7:30 pm Karaoke at Crazy Nellys

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Market Day

D�a de San Antonio Abad - Feast of San Antonio Abad

7:30 pm Karaoke at Crazy Nellys

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Birth of Ignacio
Allende (1779)

Market Day

7:30 pm Karaoke at Crazy Nellys

26 27 28 29 30 31

Market Day

7:30 pm Karaoke at Crazy Nellys

go to 2009 Calendar

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