By Alvaro Ramirez
Many Mexicans who grew up in the sixties and seventies remember when Las Ardillitas (Alvin and the Chipmunks) used to sing Christmas songs in Spanish, and Pánfilo, the bad chipmunk, was always making funny comments that undermined the Christmas message of the songs. The manager in the Spanish version, Lalo Guerrero, found his comments inappropriate and admonished him: “I’m absolutely certain that Santa Claus will not bring you anything.” To which Pánfilo responded: “Who cares, I’m not a client of that man; the Three Kings bring me my toys.” Back then, many people sympathized with Pánfilo and saw Santa Claus as an exotic American foreigner. Nowadays, though, it seems that sentiment has disappeared, but is this really the case?
Anyway you look at it, the Mexican holiday season has taken an American turn, especially after the arrival of NAFTA. Every year we see the spirit of the American Christmas traditions gaining ground in Mexico and giving the old Mexican yuletide traditions a run for their money.
Photo: @stuganihagen
You can find Christmas trees (fake and not that attractive) in most downtown areas of big cities, usually surrounded by an ice rink in an attempt to recreate the ambiance of cities like New York. Colorful lights and decorations, easily available in every supermarket, hang uneasily from roofs, walls, and around windows, or from the artificial trees in many homes. Walk through any mall or supermarket, and you can merrily shop along aisles decorated with wreaths, mistletoe, silver bells, and Christmas carols (sung in English) swirling all around, seducing you to shop for the perfect gift for your loved ones. Television programs and movies like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer also stir up the holiday cheer, American style. And of course, you will find a Mexican Santa Claus somewhere in a mall ready for a photo you can then post to Instagram and Facebook to relive the memory forever.
Yet, far away from downtown areas, malls, and transnational stores, in the barrios, you can still hear the beautiful sounds of the posadas with their traditional Spanish Christmas songs, piñatas, aguinaldos (gifts of candy), and great food. Christmas Eve (called Nochebuena in Spanish, which sounds better – the words strike a beautiful chord within us) still brings the family together to share a special meal of tamales and other traditional foods. Many people attend the midnight mass to witness the birth of Baby Jesus (almost always a little too white, but who cares) to Mary and Joseph in a manger surrounded by shepherds, sheep, an ox, and a mule; and overlooking it all a beautiful angel. It is a ritual that reinforces the bonds of family and community.
Photo: @exotericus
Even more far away, over in the East, Three Magic Kings (or Three Wise Men), Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar, get ready to battle the laughing, merry, old Nordic Man. In the days before Santa Claus invaded their territory, the Kings began their trip around the world early to arrive and deliver gifts to every home during the magical morning hours of January 6th. Throughout the previous afternoon and night, radio disc jockeys announced their regal whereabouts: a plane spotted The Three Kings over the Pacific Ocean; they have just passed the islands of Hawaii; soon they’ll arrive at the Baja California Coast. Go to sleep, children, and leave hay for the camels. The Three Wise Men are riding laden with gifts, which they’ll stuff into millions of shoes. The excitement of the anticipation made it difficult for children to restfully sleep on this enchanting night.
Nowadays, the situation is a little tough for these wise men from the East. Santa Claus is a tough act to follow, but the Three Kings still have their magic. In the old days, children used to imagine them loading up somewhere in the East even though it was popularly thought that Melchor was Spanish, Gaspar an Arab, and Balthazar an African (religious authorities saw them as learned men; Melchor as king of Persia, Balthazar king of Arabia, and Gaspar king of India). The star they now follow takes them through the Far East and they make a stop in China. That’s where they pick up the toys, probably put together by underpaid Chinese children for Mexican children. The toys may have a little too much lead content, but who cares, they’re cheap, and this is all the Three Kings can afford to deliver to many households in Mexico. The same toys you can find being sold on the sidewalks surrounding town centres and public markets, teeming with people on January 5th. These are the gifts that will find their way into many shoes throughout Mexico, with the help of the Three Wise Men, to bring happiness to millions of children.
Photo: @jmsssj
Yes, Pánfilo, despite the fact that globalization has helped Santa Claus gain followers by the millions, there are still many Mexicans like you who are faithful clients of the Three Kings. Mexicans are not as separated as it might seem: some may look toward the mall and others toward the sidewalk and public market vendors to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but still they are united by the magic of the magi when both groups buy the yummy rosca de reyes (a sort of oversized pastry donut or bagel) to share with family. In this way, the Three Kings bring Mexicans together on January 6th, as they gather round “la rosca” to break bread, literally and figuratively, as a nation.
And it does not end there. Inside these oversized donuts, there are several, tiny plastic Baby Jesuses. If you get one in your slice, you are bound to continue the harmony brought by the Magi. You will gather everyone again on February 2, Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), to eat tasty tamales, paid by you.
Photo: @materiasprimas_panypas
In spite of globalization and the expansion of Santa’s influence, the visitors from the East are still quite relevant in our lives: the three Magic Kings still rule!
Cover photo: @amantesdelanavidad
Do you have an idea for an article like this? Do you have a story to tell about the Latin American traditions disappearing? Write a 500 word article and send it to storyteller@culturacolectiva.com for a chance to be published in our platform!
***
More articles about the holidays? Click here:
New Year’s Resolutions: 7 Easy Tips To Save Money And Finally Travel
Why Christmas Markets Are The Only Reason I Venture Into The Cold Winter In Europe
10 New Year’s Resolutions That You Can Accomplish On January 1st
***
