45 Mouthwatering Mexican Christmas Foods & Drinks You Need on Your Holiday Table

Curious about Mexico Christmas Foods & Drinks?

You’ve come to the right place because I’ve been living in Mexico since 2018, and am about to share all the unique Mexican Christmas foods you need to know about.

While Christmas dinner in Mexico isn’t too dissimilar to the U.S., there are some foods you’ll find on many Mexican Christmas dinner tables that you likely won’t in other countries — like tamales, romeritos, pozole and ponche navideña.

This article covers all the most beloved appetizers, main dishes (including the popular roasted meat dishes, like lomo and pierna).

You’ll also find desserts and drinks, both non-alcoholic and festive Mexican Christmas cocktails.

Ready to get to this list of 45 authentic Mexican Christmas foods? Let’s dive in!

1. Traditional Tamales

If there’s one Christmas food Mexican people love, it’s the tamal (or, tamales in plural).

They’re part of most traditional Mexican Christmas dinner spreads, and a food that’s been consumed in Mexico for centuries.

Tamales are made from masa (maize dough, or corn cough), the same dough used to make corn tortillas.

The masa mixture is then wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf, and steamed (or in some cases, baked, like with mucbipollo).

The leaf can also serve as a plate for eating the tamales 🫔 just like it has been done in centuries past by several Mesoamerican civilizations.

Below, you’ll find some traditional Mexican tamales to add to your Christmas dinner — though there are so many other kinds of tamales, like these:

• Tamales en salsa verde (Tamales in green salsa)
• Beef tamales
• Vegan tamales

2. Mexican Pork Tamales

In Central Mexico and Southern Mexico, the meat of choice is pork — and one of the most beloved dishes is the tamal. Here, you get the best of both worlds.

To make pork tamales, a staple at most Mexican Christmas meals, you’ll simmer pork in a red chile sauce.

Next, stuff your masa dough (corn dough) with the cooked pork, and finally, steam the tamal to cook the masa 🫔

3. Chicken Tamales

Of course, not everyone eats pork, so there are plenty of other types of Mexican tamales for all diets.

Among the most popular, Mexican chicken tamales are a crowd-favorite.

There are a few types, but the staple variety is tamales de mole negro con pollo (black mole chicken tamales), which has a wonderful spicy-sweet flavor combo.

4. Tamales de Rajas (Vegetarian Tamales)

Rajas (pronounced rah-hass) are essentially just roasted poblano peppers, which aren’t very spicy.

With tamales, these roasted peppers are then added to the masa mixture, and steamed for tamales con rajas poblanas.

In my opinion, they’re one of the best vegetarian tamales — and bonus, they’re gluten free too!

The rajas can also be peeled, sliced into strips, then simmered in a creamy sauce of Mexican crema, cheese and spices.

With the preparation, you get rajas con crema, which is one of the most popular Mexican guisados (stews).

🫔 History of Tamales as a Mexican Christmas Food

It is said the incorporation of tamales into present-day Mexican Christmas meals is a nod to prehispanic traditions.

For the ancient Maya and Aztecs, corn was a staple food and one of the most important crops they had.

Tamales are made of masa (corn dough) and cooked in corn husks or banana leaves, depending on where you are in the country.

Corn husks are used in most places, but in Yucatan cuisine and Oaxaca cuisine, you’ll see banana leaves.

7. Romeritos con Mole

Romeritos con mole negro (black mole) is a beloved Central Mexico Christmas dish, but one few outside of Mexico have ever even heard of.

First off, you probably want to know — What are romeritos in English?

In English, romeritos translates to “little rosemary,” but this green plant is not the same as the rosemary herb.

There’s also potato, nopal (cactus) and camarón (shrimp) added to the mixture.

The most popular variation is Romeritos con Mole y Camarón, which is romeritos with black mole and shrimp.

Like most foods in Mexico, this is usually served with tortillas on the side.

8. Bacalao a la Vizcaína (Bacalao Navideña)

Wondering, What is bacalao and how is it prepared during the Christmas season in Mexico?

Bacalao (pronounced bok-allow) is a Mexico Christmas food that comes from Spain.

It is often called Bacalao a la Vizcaína, named after the region in Spain it comes from, but can also go by Bacalao Navideña (Christmas bacalao).

Bacalao is salted cod fish that’s cooked with roasted tomatoes, potatoes, onions, olives, almonds, chili peppers, garlic, herbs and spices — a very flavorful dish!

The day after Christmas dinner in Mexico, the flavors in the bacalao can taste even better because they have time to marry.

Some people even make delicious bacalao tortas (sandwiches) from the leftovers.

9. Pozole Rojo (Hominy Soup)

One of the most traditional foods from Mexico is pozole (pronounced poh-zoh-lay), a maíz soup (or, hominy soup) with a lot of flavor.

Pozole is a pre-colonial dish that dates all the way back to the Aztec in the 1300s. Today, pozole is one of the most beloved dishes throughout Mexico.

It is a popular food during the holidays, but also year-round.

You’ll find pozole eaten at many Mexican holidays, like Day of the Dead and Mexican Independence Day on September 16th.

Traditional Mexican pozole is made with meat and hominy, and cooked in broth with plenty of spices, like cumin and chili powder.

Many garnish their pozole with diced white onion, lime juice, avocado, shredded lettuce, radishes and dried oregano.

10. Chicken Pozole Verde (Green Pozole Soup)

While traditional Mexican pozole is red pozole made with pork, there’s also chicken pozole, vegetarian pozole and vegan pozole.

🌱 Looking for vegan Mexican Christmas foods? Then pozole vegano (vegan pozole soup) is a great option.

Beyond differences in meat, there are actually three different types of pozole: red, green and white.

• Pozole blanco (white pozole) doesn’t have any added green or red chilis.
• Pozole verde (green pozole) is made by adding tomatillos (green tomatoes) and green chilis to the broth.
• Pozole rojo (red pozole) has red chilis, like chili ancho and chili piquín, in the broth.

11. Mole Negro (Black Mole)

Oaxaca mole (pronounced moe-lay) is one of the best traditional Mexican foods.

While you can get mole throughout the country, the state most associated with mole is Oaxaca, Mexico.

Within the state, there are actually these seven moles in Oaxaca, with varying combinations of ingredients.

The most popular of all is mole negro (black mole), which gets its color from chocolate and the black chilhuacle chiles.

🦃 Mole Negro con Pavo

You’ll find mole negro con pollo (black mole with chicken) in Mexico, but pavo (turkey) is also a popular protein served with mole.

Since turkey is a common Christmas dish, this makes a nice change to the typical chicken mole.

12. Mole Poblano

Mole poblano (AKA mole rojo, or red mole) is more associated with the state of Puebla, Mexico than with Oaxaca, though you’ll find it in Oaxaca and other Mexican states too.

The word poblano in the dish’s name is a reference to the state of Puebla, and if you ever see Poblano cuisine referenced anywhere, that is also traditional Puebla food.

This red-colored mole has ingredients including mulato chiles, ancho chiles, and pasilla chiles, raisins, almonds and peanuts.

🐓 Pollo Almendrado Mole

One of the best variations on mole poblano is mole almendrado, which uses only almonds instead of a mixture of nuts.

This also happens to be my personal favorite mole in Mexico, as I love almonds.

Want to see for yourself how it stacks up for you? Buy some mole almendrado here on Amazon and add it to your traditional Mexican Christmas meal.

If you add in some chicken, you’ll have yummy pollo mole almendrado.

13. Pavo Rostizado (Roast Turkey)

Not everyone knows this, but turkey is a staple food in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

Pavo (turkey) is consumed year-round in many dishes, and of course, it’s also the main star at many Mexico Christmas meals in Yucatan.

Really though, turkey is a popular Christmas food everywhere — and commonly eaten across all Mexico and Latin America during the holidays.

For a unique Mexican twist on turkey this Christmas, there’s pavo en escabeche oriental, pavo en relleno negro, and pavo navideño en pipián.

You can also slather the whole bird in adobo seasoning or Yucatecan pibil marinade before roasting it.

14. Lomo de Puerco (Roasted Pork Loin)

Roast pork, a versatile, and relatively-lean cut, has become a staple in Mexican Christmas dinners, and those in many other countries as well.

To add a Mexican twist to your pork, stuff it with Mexican chorizo sausage (the spicy or non-spicy variety), or add pineapple for a sweet element.

This may make you think of tacos al pastor, which are pork tacos with pineapple.

16. Pierna de Puerco (Roasted Pork Leg)

Trying to do anything other than the usual honey-glazed Christmas ham this year?

Then pierna de puerco (roast pork leg) is a popular Christmas food Mexico has — and might be just what you’re looking for.

The pierna (leg) is a popular cut in Mexico, and there are a bunch of recipes you can try out, like these:

🐷 Pierna de Puerco Adobada

The adobo marinade used to make this dish will really WOW you.

A virtual flavor explosion, adobo has it all, paprika, onion powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and black pepper.

🐷 Yucatecan Pierna de Puerco

Part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is in the Caribbean, and this Yucatan pork leg recipe perfectly highlights those Caribbean flavors.

A combo of sweet and tangy, the recipe has everything from fresh orange juice to banana leaves — and a near-perfect 5 Star recipe rating.

17. Ensalada Navideña (Mexican Christmas Salad)

There are a few variations on the popular Mexican ensalada navideña (AKA ensalada de noche buena, or Mexican Christmas Eve salad) dish.

The first one is more of a traditional salad, served on a bed of lettuce.

It usually contains ingredients like beets, jicama, apples, carrots, oranges, pineapples, nuts, and pomegranate seeds, and then gets topped with a sweet, citrusy dressing.

There’s also a version of Mexico Christmas Salad that’s similar to a chicken salad.

Recipes vary, but one usually has diced chicken breast, apples, grapes and cucumber, and is tossed in mayonnaise.

As apples are a main ingredient, this version can also be called ensalada navideña de manzana (Christmas apple salad).

No matter which version you choose, ensalada navideña makes a great addition to any traditional Mexican Christmas menu.

18. Birria

In Mexican slang, birria basically means “something of low value.”

However, this is among the most beloved Mexico foods — and nowadays, you’ll find birria stew, birria tacos and quesabirrias outside the country as well.

There are many types of birria in Mexico, and the recipe varies by region.

In some parts of Mexico, beef birria is the most common, but in others, you’ll only find lamb birria or goat birria stew.

No matter the protein, the preparation is basically the same.

To make birria, you slow-cook the meat in broth that contains quintessential Mexican spices, like adobo, oregano, cumin, chili ancho, onion and garlic.

Birria stew is served in a bowl with warm tortillas on the side, for you to make your own tacos.

It can also come served as a taco or quesabirria, with meat, diced white onion, cilantro and salsa.

19. Pancita (Menudo Soup)

Menudo can go by various names, like pancita (belly) or mole de panza (stomach sauce), as the main ingredient is tripa (tripe, or cow stomach).

For those who can get past the tripe, menudo soup is rich and delicious — and also, known to be a Mexican hangover sure.

🍲 Looking for other famous Mexican soups you can eat at Christmastime — that aren’t made with stomach? Caldo de colita de res (oxtail soup) is another option.

20. Hojarascas (Mexican Christmas Cookies AKA Mexican Wedding Cookies)

Looking for Mexican Christmas desserts — and the best Mexico Christmas cookies?

Look no further than hojarascas (pronounced ho-jah-ras-cahs). These are a type of shortbread cookie, sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

They can be a bit dry, so many will wash them down with hot chocolate or cafe de olla (a beloved type of Mexican coffee).

21. Buñuelos

Around Christmas time in Mexico, you’ll start seeing buñuelos (pronounced boun-you-ell-los) being sold by street vendors.

These are pieces of fried dough, topped with a sweet syrup.

You’ll find Mexican buñuelos in various shapes, including larger disc-shaped buñuelos and buñelos de viento, which have a snowflake shape.

No matter the shape, this is considered one of the best Mexican Christmas foods recipes — and one of the best Mexican desserts for Christmas.

23. Arroz con Leche

Arroz con leche is Mexican rice pudding, which is sweetened with cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, and even raisins.

Besides caramel flan, it is arguably one of the most common of all traditional Mexican desserts, which you can find all over the country.

24. Rosca de Reyes Cake

Besides the presents, one of the main traditions on Dia de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day) is eating a rosca de reyes.

This is a ring-shaped sweet bread that’s somewhat similar to an Italian Panettone cake.

Inside each ring, there are a few small, plastic figurines in the shape of a child — called a muñeco (little doll).

If your slice of rosca has one of these little plastic doll figures, you’ll have to buy the tamales on the next holiday, which is Día de la Candelaria on February 2nd.

🫔 Yup, tamales are one of the most important holiday foods in Mexico!

Many say the best roscas come from a local panaderia (bakery), and not supermarkets or the grocery store.

To experience one of the best Mexican holiday food traditions the right way, always “shop local” for your rosca.

25. Camote Enmielado (Candied Sweet Potatoes)

Camotes enmielados (sweet potatoes candied in honey) is a popular Mexican Christmas dessert — though Mexicans consume a version of it all year.

🍠 Mexican Camotes — A popular street food

Known simply as camotes (sweet potatoes), you’ll hear the loud whistle of a Mexican street food vendor selling steamed camotes and platanos (sweet plantains) long before you see them.

Pushing a unique cooking device, the foods are steaming in real time, and when they’re done cooking, you’ll hear the loud steam whistle blow!

You can get your camotes and platanos as is, or topped with condensed milk.

26. Flan Napolitano

Flan is consumed in a few European countries, like France, where it’s called ​​crème caramel and Spain. In fact, flan was brought to Mexico by the Spanish.

It is a simple dish, with only a few ingredients — egg, milk and sugar — though it requires some technique to perfect.

Essentially a custard dessert topped with caramel sauce, there are a few variations of traditional flan in Mexico.

• Flan de cajeta replaces the standard caramel with cajeta, a thicker goat’s milk caramel.
• Flan napolitano uses cream cheese to give the flan a creamier consistency.
• Jericalla is a cross between a flan and traditional crème brûlée, and sometimes referred to as Mexican creme brulee. It is commonly found in Jalisco state.

27. Gelatinas (Gelatin Cakes & Cups)

Gelatin desserts in Mexico are taken very seriously — from entire cakes made of gelatin to colorful, individual cups — this is not your grandparents’ Jello.

There are a few types of Mexican gelatina, including an opaque milk gelatin made with condensed milk, and the clear-colored version made with water.

During the holiday season, dessert-makers go all out with gelatinas, from carving intricate designs patterns into their gelatin cakes to adding alternating layers of red and green gelatin, and fresh fruits.

28. Sopaipillas 

Similar to a Mexican buñuelo or beignet in New Orleans, sopaipillas (also spelled as sopapillas) are another Mexican Christmas dessert you’ll want to try.

They consist of fried dough that’s topped with simple ingredients like cinnamon, chocolate or honey.

The fried dough is ideally served warm, so the toppings don’t overpower its crispy-chewy goodness.

29. Calabaza en Tacha (Candied Pumpkin)

In many places throughout the world, the pumpkin is one of the most recognizable foods associated with the autumn and winter seasons.

For pumpkin lovers, Mexico’s calabaza en tacha is a must-try.

Calabaza en tacha (pumpkin in molasses, or pumpkin in syrup) is a traditional Day of the Dead food, but it usually sticks around through Mexico the Christmas season since pumpkins are still in season.

Different regions in Mexico have a special way to make their calabaza en tacha variation — but essentially, it’s pumpkin cooked in piloncillo syrup (cane sugar syrup), cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and more.

30. Conchas 

Of them the pan dulce in Mexico (sweet breads), there’s none more popular than the traditional Mexican concha, which means “shell.”

It’s a traditional breakfast pastry, but you’ll also find conchas at many Mexican fiestas (parties) and holidays celebrations.

During the holidays, you’ll often find Christmas conchas that are decorated like Santa, a snowman, an ornament or just in Christmas colors of red, white and green.

31. Churros y Chocolate (Churros with Chocolate Sauce)

When making a list of Mexico famous foods you have to have at Christmas, there’s no way to leave off churros.

In fact, they’re one of the most beloved Mexican desserts all year-long.

While many people the world over also know about churros, not everyone knows to opt for churros y chocolate (churros with chocolate dipping sauce).

You can also get your churros with hot chocolate to dunk them in ☕️

32. Niño Envuelto

There are a few versions of the niño envuelto in Mexico and Latin America — namely a sweet rolled cake, and a savory rolled sandwich wrap.

In fact, niño envuelto means “wrapped child.”

The Mexico Christmas dessert version is similar to a Swiss Roll, and consists of a yellow cake that’s rolled with strawberry jam in the middle.

Once rolled all the way, you add a sugary icing to the outside, and some shredded coconut for another layer of flavor and texture. 

33. Ponche Navideño (Mexican Christmas Punch)

To drink during a Mexican Christmas celebration, you’ll usually ponche (pronounced pon-chay) — one of the best non-alcoholic drinks from Mexico.

Sometimes called “Mexican sangria,” ponche is a bit different, and it’s also served warm.

Ponche uses fruits like tejocotes (mini apples), pears, oranges and guava, as well as jamaica (hibiscus flower), tamarind and piloncillo (raw cane sugar).

Often, Mexican ponche is served with a sugar cane stick to stir it. You can also enjoy it as is, or spiked with some brandy or dark rum.

34. Chocolate de la Abuela (Mexican Hot Chocolate)

Chocolate has been a Mexican staple food since prehispanic times — and fun fact, cacao (the plant used to make chocolate) comes from Mexico 🍫

Traditional Mexican hot chocolate drinks are made with chocolate and water, unlike chocolate and milk in the U.S.

It is hand-spun using a wooden whisk called a molinillo, and usually contains cinnamon.

There are several chocolate drinks in Mexico, including tejate, atole, tascalate, chilate, tejuino and champurrado.

While these are mostly regional drinks, Chocolate de la Abuela (grandma’s chocolate), is one of the most popular brands consumed all over Mexico.

35. Rompope (Mexican Eggnog)

Rompope (pronounced rom-po-pay) is also known as Mexico eggnog.

As with U.S. eggnog, adults sometimes spike the rompope with rum or fruit brandy — which makes this one of the best Mexican cocktails.

A seasonal drink, you won’t usually find this Christmastime cocktail year-round, though it is served throughout the country.

However, rompope is most closely associated with the state of Puebla, Mexico.

36. Atole

Atole (pronounced ah-toll-lay) is a traditional masa-based drink, and one of the most popular Mexican drinks.

It is served hot, and especially delicious on those chilly nights. You can usually only get atole two ways: vanilla or chocolate.

The vanilla atole is the more traditional way, but there’s also chocolate atole which you might see called atole chocolate or champurrado.

🎃 atole de calabaza

For a unique twist, opt for atole de calabaza. This pumpkin atole is sometimes called a “Mexican pumpkin spice latte.”

You can get authentic Mexican atole year-round, but it’s especially popular in winter months and during festivals like Day of the Dead and Las Posadas, one of the best Mexico Christmas traditions.

37. Cranberry Margaritas

Looking for Mexican Christmas cocktails to serve with your meal? Look no further than the yummy cranberry margarita.

There are several recipes for this festive cocktail, but essentially, it uses just four ingredients: tequila, triple sec, cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice.

To cut through the tartness of the cranberries, opt for a sugar-rim or candy cane stirrer.

You can also garnish with some fresh cranberries if you have those on-hand to create one of the most beautiful Mexico Christmas drinks.

38. Champurrado

Champurrado (pronounced champ-pour-ah-doe), like Chocolate de la Abuela, is a type of Mexican hot chocolate.

If you love chocolate (🤔 who doesn’t?), this is one of the best Mexican hot chocolate recipes.

It’s a bit richer than regular Mexican hot chocolate because it’s prepared with masa de maíz or masa harina (corn flour), piloncillo (raw cane sugar) and cinnamon.

Champurrado has been around since prehispanic times, and really useful to keep people warm on the cooler Central Mexico nights.

Yes — Central Mexico has many more cold days than the beaches of Mexico.

Still popular today, champurrado’s thick texture makes it the perfect drink for dipping your churros in.

🇲🇽 Mexico Fun Fact: Chocolate comes from Mexico, and the Mayans in the Yucatan Peninsula were the first to cultivate the cacao plant, which is what chocolate is made from.

BONUS: 7 Other Traditional Mexican Foods for Christmas

Looking for even more of the best traditional Mexican food you can incorporate into your holiday meal?

While the options listed below aren’t traditional Mexican Christmas foods per se, they’re crowd-pleasers make a great addition to your holiday spread — especially if you’re planning a themed Mexican Christmas dinner.

39. Carne Asada

Unlike other types of beef, true Mexican carne asada is cooked over charcoal, which imparts a delicious, smoky flavor into the meat.

It is one of the most famous and best Mexican meat dishes for good reason.

40. Chile en Nogada

Chile en nogada is one of the most unusual, yet most delicious Mexican foods.

It is considered a patriotic dish, as the green, white and red colors mirror the colors of the Mexican flag, and chiles en nogada are usually only available around the Mexican Independence Day holiday.

The dish consists of a giant poblano chili pepper, and stuffed with a meat and fruit picadillo hash.

It is then topped with a creamy walnut based cream sauce, parsley and pomegranate seeds.

The origins of chile en nogada are unknown, but some say it was invented by nuns at a Puebla, Mexico convent to impress an important general visiting town.

🇲🇽 Mexico Fun Facts: Chiles en nogada are the national dish of Mexico! Well, they actually share this honor with mole, so they’re technically the co-national dish because there are TWO national dishes of Mexico.

41. Mixiotes

Mixiote in English translates to “mix” — and mixiote is pronounced as mish-she-oh-tay (the “x” has an “sh” sound).

Mixiote is similar to Mexican barbacoa, though instead of one type of meat, it’s often a mix of several meats including lamb, beef, mutton/sheep and pork.

The meat is slow cooked in its own juice within a little pouch, which imparts a lot of flavor and also gives you a very tender, juicy meat.

42. Mexican Carnitas

Carnitas meat is essentially fried pork confit — meaning the pork is cooked in its own fat and lard.

While no one’s saying this is healthy, it certainly is delicious, and it’s one of the most beloved types of Mexican tacos.

Some call carnitas the traditional Mexican food equivalent of pulled pork, because the meat is fried in large chunks and then shredded after cooking.

Pork shoulder is the most used cut, as its high fat content produces the best carnitas. This pork preparation is most associated with the state of Michoacan, Mexico.

There, the meat is cooked in a large cazo de cobre copper pot over an open flame.

Copper craftsmen in Michoacan state have handmade these pots for centuries, and they are said to enhance the flavor.

43. Enchiladas

You don’t need to have visited Mexico to have heard of an enchilada — which are tortillas that are rolled like a cigar, sometimes stuffed with meat, cheese or veggies, and then covered in salsa.

However, have you heard of emnoladas and enfrijoladas — the enchilada’s lesser-known siblings?!

Here’s the scoop:

🍽 Enmoladas

Like enchiladas, the enmolada dish is made with rolled corn tortillas, sometimes stuffed, sometimes not, that are smothered in mole sauce, instead of salsa.

🫘 Enfrijoladas

Another popular variation is enfrijoladas.

As the word frijol (meaning “bean”) in the name might have cued you in on, these enchiladas are covered with a bean puree, instead of salsa or mole.

For those who don’t want the sweetness of mole, enfrijoladas work perfectly.

44. Elote or Esquites (Mexican Street Corn)

Elote is quite simply corn on the cob.

However, Mexico brings it up a notch and covers a grilled ear of corn in mayonnaise, cotija cheese, chili powder, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

The street food is so beloved that it has made its way to Mexican restaurant menus in the U.S. and beyond.

And what’s not to love about traditional Mexican elote!? It’s portable, and has smoky, spicy, and salty flavors that mix well with the sweet corn.

🌽 Mexican Esquites

Esquites is basically the same as elote — but the corn is served in a cup so you can eat it with a spoon.

Since it’s in a cup, you can add in even more toppings, like corn nuts and crushed up potato chips.

You can eat it on a street corner while taking a break from visiting all the sites in Mexico, or serve it at a Mexican Christmas dinner party.

45. Queso Relleno

Queso relleno (stuffed cheese) is a regional specialty from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

This traditional Yucatan food is heavily influenced by the European and Dutch expats and immigrants who moved to the Yucatan.

Never knew there were European influences in regional Mexican cuisine from the Yucatan?

You’re not alone — but this beloved Yucatecan fusion dish is made with Edam cheese, a well-known Dutch cheese.

The newly-formed ball gets wrapped in banana leaves and steamed until the cheese semi-melts.

It is then topped with a red sauce and a white sauce, which makes for a very rich dish.

In my opinion, queso relleno is the best thing to eat in the Yucatán Peninsula — and will make an amazing addition to your Christmas table.

Since most have never heard of it, you’ll wow everyone with your Mexican food knowledge.

It begins on December 12 with Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe), and ends on January 6 with Día de Reyes Magos (Three Kings’ Day)

Some jokingly call this the Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon instead of the Mexican Christmas Season.

To learn about more about all the Mexican holidays during Christmas (and beyond), check out 35 Festive Mexico Holidays & Traditions — and don’t miss this Mexico Christmas Gift Guide 🎁

After this, the entire family would eat their Christmas dinner together.

Even if less and less people are attending church these days, the December 24th gathering tradition continues — and this is definitely the main event of all Mexico Christmas traditions.

While parties for Noche Buena will begin on December 24, they don’t end until the morning hours on December 25, and there are lots of fun activities and meals going on in-between.

These posadas are in-home and city-wide social gatherings and parties that begin December 16.

The last Posada is held on December 24, and there can be a party each night in-between.

They’re often lively parties, and usually involve singing Spanish Christmas carols, like Pedir Posada Navideña — arguably the most famous Christmas song from Mexico.

December 25th is more of a quiet day of rest, but the real celebrations take place on Noche Buena (Christmas Eve).

Of course, there’s no “one size fits all” when to comes to traditional Christmas foods in Mexico — as traditions can vary by region, by town, and even by family.

On some dinner tables, you might also see other Mexican favorites like enchiladas, tacos, flautas and empanadas.

There’s no definite answer to the How does Mexico celebrate Christmas? question, because the holiday means different things to different people.

This means that how Mexico celebrates Christmas can vary greatly, though most people do celebrate in some form or another.

An important icon of Christmas in Mexico, you will see both large and small Santa figures displayed prominently in public places.

He is a popular Christmas decoration in Mexico, along with others like lights and candles.

Though a less-popular option than Santa Clos, some people in Mexico call Santa Papa Noel.

However, in Southern Mexico and some other parts of the country, the kiddos receive presents on January 6 for Dia de los Reyes Magos.

The Dia de los Reyes Magos (AKA Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Magos), which is Three Kings Day in English, honors the Three Wise Men from the Bible.

In this story, the three brought presents on January 6th to honor the Baby Jesus — so some Mexican kids don’t get presents till this day.

If so, you’re probably going to need to know where to find the best Mexican Christmas recipes — and the blogs I recommend checking out are:

• Kiwilimon, one of the biggest and best Mexico cooking blogs
• Mexico In My Kitchen, run by Mexican chef, Mely Martinez
• Isabel Eats, run by Mexican-American cook, Isabel Orozco-Moore
• Cooking con Claudia, a Mexican cooking YouTube channel with more than 1 million subscribers, if you prefer video

If you want to actually eat these Mexican Christmas foods in Mexico and experience the best Mexico winter holidays and traditions — you must visit Mexico in December.

This is when many cities have winter celebrations and Christmas celebrations, and most towns are festively-decorated.

In fact, Christmas in Mexico City is one of my favorite times to visit the capitol.

Check Out These Related Mexico Christmas Blogs

Beyond famous Mexican Christmas foods, you might be looking for even more information Mexican Christmas customs…

Or, maybe you’re planning on visiting Mexico for Christmas 🎄

If any of these apply to you, here are some related articles to learn even more about all things Mexican Christmas:

• 50 Best Christmas in Mexico Traditions & Customs
• 33 Best Mexico Christmas Gifts & Ornaments
• 35 Holidays in Mexico & Their Traditions