Christmas festivities come to a peak on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), as Mexican families look towards a long night of last-minute shopping, traditional religious celebrations, and the lively gatherings that will spill over from Sunday, December 24 into the 25th.
Local stores and shops will be staying open late that night to accommodate those still in the market for holiday gifts or grocery items needed to complete the customary cena navideña (Christmas Eve dinner). Churches will fill for the traditional Misa de Gallo, a festive late night mass celebrated to commemorate the birth of the Messiah.
Christmas Eve festivities center around family get-togethers. Some households begin celebrating as soon as the sun is down. Others wait until they come home from church. The fun will continue long into the wee hours as family members sit down together to enjoy a late night feast, exchange gifts and bust piñatas in the patio or street, all to a backdrop of music and general merry-making.
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