Celebrating the holidays in Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya.

Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya is known to many as an international community for both year round residents and visitors. With this multi-cultural community comes many different customs and traditions of how to celebrate the holidays, but most of us have Christmas in common. So if you hear fireworks, music and gaiety over the next couple of weeks check out what everyone is celebrating!

The following are just some of the different countires that make up our home and community and the holidays they celebrate (in no particular order).

Mexico-

• December 12: Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, or the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe is celebrated with a feast honoring Mexico's patron saint.

• December 16: Las Posadas celebrates Joseph and Mary's search for shelter in Bethlehem with candlelight processions that end at various nativity scenes. Las Posadas continues through January 6.

• December 25: Navidad, Mexico celebrates the Christmas holiday.

• January 6: Día de los Santos Reyes is the day when Mexicans exchange Christmas presents in accordance with the arrival of the three gift-bearing wise men to Jesus Christ. This day culminates the Christmas time festivities.

*Many modern Mayans celebrate the traditional Mexican holidays as well as their seasonal festivals and celebrations

Sweden-

• December 13th: St. Lucia Day (Sankta Lucia, also known as St. Lucy's Day) is a holiday dedicated to St. Lucy. It marks, together with Advent, the beginning of the Christmas season in Scandinavia. It is celebrated in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Bosnia, and Croatia. Before the reform of the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century, St. Lucy's Day fell on the winter solstice. Bar Ranita, which is owned and operated by Thed and Pia from Sweden will be celebrating Santa Lucia this Wednesday December 13th. So come and join the fun and experience holiday festivities with a different culture then your own! Practice the Sankta Lucia song here!

Holland-

• December 5th: Sinterklaas A predecessor of Santa Claus, Sinterklaas gives presents to the children. This is not an official holiday but it is widely observed.
  
• December 25th: First Christmas followed by Second Christmas on December 26th.

Italy-

• The Christmas season is so anticipated that the religious celebration begins early in December and continues throughout the month. Gifts are sometimes exchanged on December 25, but some families wait until Epiphany, a holiday celebrated on January 6, to formally exchange presents.

Germany-

• December 25: Christmas Day

• December 26: St. Stephen's Day
  

Argentina-

• December 8: Immaculate Conception Day Día de la Inmaculada Concepción Also known as Día de la Virgen ("Virgin's Day")

• December 24: Christmas Eve Nochebuena the holiday usually begins at noon, so the morning is worked like a regular workday.

• December 25: Christmas Day Día de Navidad International Catholic holiday

The United States-

• December 25: Christmas Day Celebrates the Nativity of Jesus which (traditionally) took place 25 December 1 BC. Some people consider aspects of this religious holiday, such as giving gifts and decorating a Christmas tree, to be secular rather than explicitly Christian.

Canada-

• December 25: Christmas Noël Statutory. Celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ; traditionally 25 December 1 BC.

• December 26: Boxing Day lendemain de Noël Statutory in Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland & Labrador. Day when shops sell off excess Christmas inventory. It is not an official Holiday in Quebec.
  

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment