Food is an essential component in Mexican holidays and no self-respecting Mexican would celebrate one of his national holidays without enjoying the very best Mexican cuisine and Mexican drinks. One holiday that you might have heard about is Day of the Dead, which is on November 1 and 2. This holiday is when families get together to remember their dead loved ones.
Day of the Dead traditions include visiting loved ones' graves to leave gifts of their favorite foods and drinks and building altars to honor them.
Another well-known Mexican holiday is Cinco de Mayo. This is a regional holiday all over Mexico, but especially in the area of Puebla. This holiday celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla, which was fought in 1862.
A lot of people are under the impression than Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence Day but that is another holiday altogether and it is on September 16. Mexicans would say that Independence Day is their most important national holiday.
Mouthwatering Mexican Holiday Foods
Mexicans are very proud of their culinary heritage, which blends Mayan, Aztec, traditional Mexican, Spanish, French and Caribbean influences and more. Some Mexican holidays have special foods associated with them but with others, like Cinco de Mayo, people just make their favorite dishes to enjoy.
It is common for the women to get together and make lots of food for the festivities. Tamales are associated with Mexican festivals because they are time consuming to make. This is why tamales are usually only made several times a year in big batches. You will see steamed tamales at Mexican celebrations.
Mexican wedding cookies and Mexican wedding cakes are popular at many holidays, not just weddings like the name implies. Rosca de Reyes is a festive bread made for January 6. The bread, which is shaped like a wreath, contains cherries, candied figs, mango, and lemon and contains a baby Jesus figurine. The person who gets the figurine in their slice has to make the food for Candlemas, which is on February 2.
Delicious Mexican Drinks
A lot of people wrongly assume that Mexicans only drink Mexican beer and tequila. These drinks are popular but there are some equally delicious Mexican drinks which people like to treat themselves to on Mexican holidays. One great example is rompope, which is a frothy, thick drink. Rompope is a bit like eggnog and it is flavored with cinnamon, rum, and almonds.
Atole is another rich, thick drink, which you might enjoy on a Mexican holiday with any meal. It is sweetened with brown sugar, flavored with cinnamon, and topped with fruit slices.
Traditional Mexican food is surprisingly easy to make and you do not have to wait until holiday time to enjoy Mexican delicacies. The ingredients are easy to find too. Mexicans love to eat with their families and the real gems of Mexican cookery are something that not many people are aware of, such as the delicious creamy Mexican drinks and their authentic tamale recipes.
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