Editing Culture of Mexico (section)

==National holidays==
{{Main|Public holidays in Mexico}}
{{see also|Christmas in Mexico}}
[[File:Mexico_City_New_Years_2013!_(8333128248).jpg|thumb|left|Fireworks in Mexico City for [[New Year's Day]].]]

Mexicans celebrate their [[Mexican War of Independence|Independence from Spain]] on September 16, and other holidays are celebrated with festivals known as "Fiestas". Many Mexican cities, towns, and villages hold a yearly festival to commemorate their local patron saints. During these festivities, the people pray and burn candles to honor their saints in churches decorated with flowers and colorful utensils. They also hold large parades, fireworks, dance competitions, and beauty pageant contests, all the while partying and buying refreshments in the marketplaces and public squares. In the smaller towns and villages, soccer, and boxing are also celebrated during the festivities.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QMyL9Dpp378C&dq=holidays+in+mexico+%C2%A0Independence+from+Spain+on+September+16&pg=PA67|title=Independence Days|page=67|isbn=978-1-4381-2795-8 |last1=Blackwell |first1=Amy Hackney |date=2009 |publisher=Infobase }}</ref>

Other festivities include Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe ("Our Lady of Guadalupe Day"), [[Las Posadas]] ("The Shelters", celebrated on December 16 to December 24), [[Nochebuena|Noche Buena]] ("Holy Night", celebrated on December 24), [[Christmas|Navidad]] ("Christmas", celebrated on December 25) and [[New Year's Day|Año Nuevo]] ("New Year's Day", celebrated on December 31 to January 1).

"Guadalupe Day" is regarded by many Mexicans as the most important religious holiday of their country. It honors the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico, and it is celebrated on December 12. In the last decade, all the celebrations happening from mid-December to the beginning of January have been linked together in what has been called the [[Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vQ_jipqnS4IC&dq=mexico+holidays%C2%A0Guadalupe+Day&pg=PA22|title=Mexico: The Culture|page=22|isbn=978-0-7787-9295-6 |last1=Kalman |first1=Bobbie |date=2008 |publisher=Crabtree Publishing Company }}</ref>

[[Epiphany (holiday)|Epiphany]] on the evening of January 5 marks the [[Twelfth Night (holiday)|Twelfth Night]] of [[Christmas]] and is when the figurines of the three wise men are added to the nativity scene. Traditionally in Mexico, as with many other Latin American countries, Santa Claus does not hold the significance that he does in the United States. Rather, it is the three wise men who are the bearers of gifts, who leave presents in or near the shoes of small children.<ref>{{cite web|first=Ricardo|last=Botto|url=http://www.mexonline.com/history-lostresreyes.htm|title=Dia de Reyes, the story of Los Tres Reyes Magos|publisher=Mexonline.com|access-date=September 26, 2013}}</ref> Mexican families also commemorate the date by eating ''[[Rosca de reyes]]''.

The [[Day of the Dead]] incorporates pre-Columbian beliefs with [[Christianity|Christian]] elements. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. An idea behind this day suggests the living must attend to the dead so that the dead will protect the living.<ref name="mexican halloween">{{cite web |last1=Franco |first1=Gina |last2=Poore |first2=Christopher |title=Day of the Dead is not "Mexican Halloween"—it's a day where death is reclaimed. |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2017/11/01/day-dead-not-mexican-halloween-its-day-where-death-reclaimed |website=America Magazine |access-date=12 November 2018 |language=en |date=1 November 2017}}</ref> The celebration occurs on November 2 in connection with the [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] holidays of [[All Saints' Day]] (November 1) and [[All Souls' Day]] (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased, using [[sugar skull]]s, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. The gifts presented turn the graveyard from a dull and sorrowful place to an intimate and hospitable environment to celebrate the dead.<ref name="mexican halloween"/>

In modern Mexico, particularly in the larger cities and in the North, local traditions are now being observed and intertwined with the greater North American Santa Claus tradition, as well as with other holidays such as [[Halloween]], due to Americanization via film and television, creating an economy of gifting tradition that spans from Christmas Day until January 6.

A [[piñata]] is made from papier-mache. It is created to look like popular people, animals, or fictional characters. Once made it is painted with bright colors and filled with candy or small toys. It is then hung from the ceiling. The children are blindfolded and take turns hitting the piñata until it breaks open and the candy and small toys fall out. The children then gather the candy and small toys.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20170331-the-mysterious-origins-of-the-piata|title=The mysterious origins of the piñata|website=BBC|date=25 February 2022 }}</ref>

{{multiple image
| direction         = horizontal
| width             = 200px
| header            = 
| align             = center
| image1            = Ceremonia del Grito de Independencia 2023 - 3.jpg
| caption1          = President of Mexico giving the "[[Grito de Dolores|grito]]" of "Viva México" at the commencement of Independence Day festivities in 2023
| image2            = Dulces de amaranto.jpg
| caption2          = Skulls made of [[amaranto]], given during the [[Day of the Dead]] festival.
| image3            = ¡Feliz Dia de la Revolucion Mexico!.jpg
| caption3          = [[Revolution Day (Mexico)|Revolution Day]] marking the start of what became the Mexican Revolution.
| image4            = Poinsettia_thumbnail.jpg
| caption4          = Since the 16th century, the [[poinsettia]], a native plant from Mexico, has been associated with [[Christmas]] carrying the Christian symbolism of the [[Star of Bethlehem]]; in that country it is known in Spanish as the ''Flower of the Holy Night''.<ref name="Hewitson2013">{{cite book |last1=Hewitson |first1=Carolyn |title=Festivals |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781135057060 |quote=It is said to resemble the star of Bethlehem. The Mexicans call it the flower of the Holy Night, but usually it is called poinsettia after the man who introduced it to America, Dr Joel Poinsett.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = The Legends and Traditions of Holiday Plants|url = http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1995/12-8-1995/trad.html|website = www.ipm.iastate.edu|access-date = February 17, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160122071614/http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1995/12-8-1995/trad.html|archive-date = January 22, 2016|url-status = live}}</ref>
| image5            = Museo de Arte Popular- pinata of traditional doll.jpg
| caption5          = piñatas are use during [[birthday]]s and [[Las Posadas]]. Christmas tradition where communities reenact Mary and Joseph's search for lodging.
}}