It’s Christmastime again, and Mexico, like the rest of the
world, is celebrating. Here in our home of Playa del Carmen on
Mexico’s Caribbean coast we have found that celebration is a
unique mixture of holiday customs drawn from America, Europe and
Mexico. Mexico’s historical Christmas traditions have usually
been centered around the religious nature of the holiday and
have focused more on church, family and friends and less on the
commercial rush to buy things so often seen in the United
States. That’s something we enjoy. While the stores are more and
more filled with holiday gifts and toys, there still does not
seem to be the near hysterical feeling that one must find the
perfect gift or buy the latest electronic gadget in order to
make the holiday special. Instead there is an emphasis in Mexico
of taking time to enjoy people during the holidays. Schools,
city offices and many businesses shut down from the middle of
December until after the new year to allow people to spend more
time at home. Christmastime i