Christmas Decorations

The malls, stores, schools and houses are decorated for Christmas. The decorations are not as elaborate as those in the USA. There are the traditional Santas and Christmas trees but with a Mexican influence. Piñatas and papel picado are side by side with the Christmas trees and shiny balls.

I have been working with the teachers at the Cipactli kindergarten for the past two weeks and the pictures below show their decorations.






Hanging outside the classrooms are piñatas. Each point of the star piñata has a meaning but at this moment I can´t remember what it is.

Sorry, I forgot to turn this picture around but Santa swings happily in front of the classroom door.

The manger scene is ready for the Pastorela play that the students will do today for their parents. The stable is made from dry palm leaves.

Inside the classroom there is a little bit of holiday cheer.

I know the picture is dark but I want to show you the tree and Santa in the window at the house of my neighbor across the street. He put this up on Nov. 15th! Since they don´t have Thanksgiving here, decorations don´t wait until the weekend after Thanksgiving to be displayed!

St. Michael the Archangel Church is outlined with lights. It is such a beautiful church. There are 2 very tall steeples (out of the picture) which are lined with lights too and a huge piñata between them. You see the tree on the right, and on the other side of the church is a very large cross with lights.

Inside the church there is no cross over the altar, but this huge statue of St. Michael which looks like he is coming away from the wall, with his hand outstretched. The church is decorated with piñatas and papel picado and gorgeous flowers are in front of the altar and by the statues on either side of the altar.

Most Christmas trees in the stores, malls and homes are sparsely decorated, lots of lights but very few balls or tinsel. Many homes and some stores have the "icicle lights" hanging from the roof. There are lots of poinsetta plants being sold on street corners and most restaurants use the poinsettias as decorations.

There won´t be a tree at our house this year since I won´t be home until 4 days before Christmas but we will enjoy the trees and decorations at MJ and CA´s house on the 24th and at AE and C´s house on the 25th.

Hasta luego.