Itinerant artist Erwin Scherzer Garza has been temporarily living the settled life since he began work in earnest on the 19th-century La Rotonda Hotel, on Liceo street a half-block north of downtown Guadalajara’s famed monument, the Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres (Rotunda of Illustrious Jalisco Citizens).

Mexico may have its troubles these days, but at least you don’t find proponents of political correctness waging the so-called War on Christmas here.

Carmen Robles smiles as she surveys the four generations of her family assembled in her La Floresta garage on a recent Sunday afternoon. Conversation and laughter accompany the flying hands around the long worktables as her children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and sister measure treats into plastic bags. Little children play nearby and an eight-day-old great-granddaughter sleeps in her mother’s arms.

‘Tis the season … for piñatas, one of Mexico’s favorite symbols of the holidays.

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an English carol first published in 1780 that enumerates  a series of increasingly grand gifts given on each of the 12 days of Christmas.

The decade-long Mexican Revolution divided a nation, left thousands dead and spawned an authoritarian political system that dominates society even today.