Días de Fiesta: Día de Gracia y la Navidad

Holidays in México are given enormous pageantry.
Around me this Sunday in the home of my host family, whilst I update my blog, the house is being transformed into Santa´s Village! A lack of snow is made up for by the excessive attention given to decorating for Christmas.
It started back in early November when we arrived in Playa del Carmen, the GAP group´s first stop in México. The signs of Christmas always begin in department stores, as prominant shelves are cleared and replaced with green, red and white merchandise. Barely having said our goodbyes to loved ones on the Day of the Dead, lights and other artificial bric-a-brac were making their way into the window displays of all sorts of businesses. As we moved northward toward Mexico City and more inhabited areas, the decorations got thicker.
Of course, in the US, most families were preparing for Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, our Mexican friends were into the swing of Christmas -- the outdoor markets are flooded with Navidad, such as plastic manger animals and porcelain holy families. Earlier this week, my host family took me on a mission to prepare for their own decorating venture. This morning, the set the artificial tree up on a glass table in front of the picture window with the Nativity scene on the floor below resting on a bed of live moss. NocheBuena (poinsettia, which I am told is native to México) appears in several groupings in and outside the house. Santa and Mrs. Claus dolls are tucked next to books, the phone, ontop of speakers and coffee table, and reindeer are hanging from the curtain rods.
A cozy feelings sets in, as we begin to get festive. Why, it seems like just last week we were preparing for the Thanksgiving feast. The Pinedas insisted we celebrate the US holiday. We managed to find a giant smoked turkey, which I filled homemade stuffing, thanks to an internet recipe. I made garlic and herb mashed potatoes with the help of Manuel. Everyone helped with chopping and such, plus Maestro Pineda baked an apple pie!
No shortage of absolute kindness and genuine respect in the household and language school here in sunny Cuernavaca.
The rest of my days have been filled with visits to local museums, gardens, waterfalls, and other favourite village sites. Beyond the afternoon excursions, at least once per week, I am treated to accompanying Maestro and Mrs. Pineda to fiestas in the homes of his Mariachi band members. I am learning several folk favourites during these sing-a-longs!