Have you ever wondered what the best season is to enjoy Mexico’s most iconic traditions? If you’ve ever thought about eating real tacos, tasting every corn based dish in existence, spending a vacation in mild weather, or simply immersing yourself completely in Mexican traditions, these are the best months to experience Mexico.

September: The Mexicans’ Patriotic Month

On the night of September 15th, Mexicans celebrate our Independence Day. Back in 1810, in the state of Guanajuato, in the town of Dolores, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called upon the people to rise up in arms against the Spanish rule that had mistreated and governed the Indigenous population for three centuries.

Okay, cool story, beautiful... but what actually happens this month? Well, every year we celebrate being an independent country with food, dancing, food, singing, dancing lots of partying! And even more food! We decorate our towns and cities with the colors of our flag, honor our local products and identity, and on the night of this day we gather for a special dinner while we watch the President deliver the “Grito de Independencia” from the center of the country (called the “Zócalo”), remembering the heroes who made our independence possible. And after that, the skies of Mexico fill with colorful fireworks.

Recommendation: Come one or two weeks before September 15th, try all the traditional dishes (plsss order the chile en nogada!), enjoy the city’s decorations (don’t miss the light displays in the Zócalo!), and soak up the festive Mexican spirit (and eat until you burst).

October: Day of the Dead Wait, Isn’t That in November?

Day of the Dead is one of Mexico’s most famous traditions. It reflects a view of life and death in which, on November 1st and 2nd, we create altars with orange flowers (cempasúchil), sugar skulls, colorful paper cutouts, and photos of our loved ones (and sometimes a famous person or two) so they can return to our world and… eat! (Yes, again. Eating is our unofficial favorite activity.)

But if this happens in November, why do we recommend October? Because the weeks leading up to November are when we begin preparing to welcome the spirits of our loved ones and fill the country with vibrant colors, especially orange.

It wasn’t always like this, back then Day of the Dead used to be considered a private family event. But over time it became so popular that we started offering workshops to make sugar skulls, then themed markets increased, and eventually we ended up creating all kinds of parades: there are Day of the Dead parades, Catrina parades, Alebrije parades, and even zombie parades!

Mexicans don’t love death, they make fun of it.

Recommendation: If possible, visit the Mexico city during all of October. There are so many dishes to try (especially the sweets, OMG), and many activities to experience (there’s even a boat ride in the southern part of the city where the legend of La Llorona, a ghost from Mexican folklore, is performed). And although it’s not originally Mexican, we also celebrate Halloween, and many people dress up throughout the entire month.

December… Posadas!

We’ve finally reached the last month of the year, the best one according to some and, definitely the month in which most Mexicans gain at least 4 kilos in a single stretch.

Christmas! Yes, Mexico celebrates Christmas, but in its own way, which means… food and parties! As expected, in December Mexicans bring out the last (and most delicious) dishes of the year: pork loin, cod, romeritos, and my personal favorite: guajolote (turkey). We also break piñatas filled with fruits and candies, and we even put on theatrical plays called pastorelas! Besides being fun, they work like fables that remind us to do good and avoid temptations or deceit (usually represented by a devilish character… though sometimes even he chooses to do good).

Recommendation: Visit at the beginning of December and watch how the city slowly dresses itself in colorful lights, pine trees, and ornaments. Make sure to drink ponche at night and attend the many Christmas related events, such as the pastorelas, which may be adapted depending on the theme, for example there can be wrestlers fighting demons while baby Jesus is tossed around like a soccer ball. Yep, it gets that crazy 😶.

In short, these are the main seasons in which Mexicans express their best creative and festive spirit. But remember, this entire experience becomes even richer if you understand what people are saying so we always have classes available! Check out our courses and join one of our groups to learn more about Mexico!