Christmas is the favorite time of year for so many people around the world. For many like me, it’s also a time of remembrance and nostalgia that takes us back to our childhood and the special moments you’ve shared with your loved ones. Christmas will always remind me of the amazing celebrations my grandmother would host for the entire family and those happy moments full of tradition and love.
As a very traditional Mexican family, celebrations always begin on December 16th with the first of nine gatherings known as posadas. We would eat the delicious dishes of the season, drink the amazing ponche, and of course break the colorful, seven-spiked piñatas, all for nine days. But perhaps what I loved the most about these days were the really cute cards my grandma sent to all her grandchildren (and let me tell you we’re a really huge family of about 25 cousins). Not only did she make sure we all got a different card, but she also wrote special messages to each of us, which made them the best Christmas presents of them all.
Among the different cards we received, we had some that belonged to one particular collection that went around the world. The cards you’ll see below are full of those heartfelt traditions that have been around in Mexico for many, many centuries. Created by artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo, around the late fifties and early sixties, these weren’t only popular in Mexico, but actually all over the world, thanks to his widely popular collection of Christmas cards inspired by Mexican art and folklore submitted to UNICEF.
With angels inspired by the traditional attires and crafts of the thirty-two different states of the country, classic Mexican Christmas celebrations, and the main scenes of the festivity, these cards are definitely a real nostalgic and cultural treasure. If you really want to know what makes Mexican Christmas celebrations so unique and special, you only need to dive into the unique world Rangel Hidalgo portrayed in these cards.
Ángel Mexicano (Mexican Angel, 1958)
Virgen de Guadalupe (1983). This one doesn’t belong to the collection, but we can say that the festivities unofficially begin on Dec, 12th with the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Niño Dios nacido en Colima (Baby Jesus born in Colima, 1953) In Mexico, Baby Jesus is the one who brings the presents to children on Christmas Eve. Here you have an offering to honor him with traditional products from the state of Colima, the birthplace of Rangel Hidalgo.
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Ángel Huichol (1956) The Huicholes are an indigenous community from the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Durango, and Zacatecas.
Ángeles Mexicanos (Mexican Angels)
Al Mercado (To the Local Market, 1959)
Baltazar, el Rey Mago (Balthazar, one of the Three Wise Men, 1973). In almost all Latin American Countries and Spain, the Christmas celebrations end with the celebration of the arrival of the Three Wise Men to Bethlehem to meet the Messiah. We celebrate it with a sweet round bread that has small baby Jesus figurines inside. They also bring presents to the children, and families get together to celebrate.
Niñas de Colima (Girls from Colima)
Ángeles de la Paz (Peace Angels, 1962)
Navidad Mexicana (Mexican Christmas)
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