Christmas in Mexico City is not one day. It is a month with a shape: a pilgrimage on the 12th, nine nights of singing at doors, a family dinner that starts at ten on the 24th, a quiet 25th, and a cake on January 6 that decides who is cooking in February. Here is what a visitor sees, what is open, and what to pack.
The calendar#
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| December 12 | Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe: pilgrims fill the Basilica from the night of the 11th |
| December 16–24 | Las Posadas: nine nights of processions, songs, piñatas and ponche |
| December 24 | Nochebuena: the Christmas Eve dinner, late and long; the city closes early |
| December 25 | Navidad: a quiet public holiday, reduced opening |
| December 28 | Día de los Inocentes, Mexico's April Fools |
| December 31 | New Year's Eve, with twelve grapes at midnight |
| January 6 | Día de Reyes: rosca de reyes cake, gifts for children |
The season's full month, weather and markets by week: Mexico City in December.
Posadas, December 16 to 24#
Every night for nine nights, neighbourhoods, families, schools and offices re-enact Mary and Joseph asking for shelter: a procession with candles, a sung exchange at a door, then the piñata, ponche and tamales. Visitors are often invited; say yes. Las Posadas in Mexico explains the song, the piñata's seven points and what to bring.
What's open on the 24th and 25th#
December 24. A normal morning, then the city empties from mid-afternoon as everyone goes home for Nochebuena. Restaurants that open for dinner do a set Nochebuena menu, booked weeks ahead; most close. Markets shut by early afternoon.
December 25. A public holiday. Museums and most restaurants are closed or open late; markets are closed; the metro runs on a holiday timetable. Hotels, chain cafés, cantinas around the centre and a share of restaurants in Roma, Condesa and Polanco open for lunch and dinner. Book ahead, and treat the 25th as a day for walking the lit centre and Chapultepec.
December 26 to 31. Everything reopens. Many chilangos leave for the coast or their home towns, so Roma and Condesa are quieter than usual and the centre is busy with visitors.
Markets, lights and where to go#
- The Zócalo. The city dresses the square for December and in most years sets up a festival with an ice rink and events; check the programme when you arrive.
- Christmas markets. Piñatas, nativity figures, heno moss and the poinsettias, native to Mexico and called nochebuena here, fill the markets: Jamaica for flowers and piñatas, Sonora and the markets around the centre for nativity scenes, and the seasonal stalls that appear in Coyoacán and along the Alameda.
- Lights. Paseo de la Reforma and the historic centre are lit through the season; Coyoacán's two plazas are the prettiest small version.
- The Basilica of Guadalupe on and around the 12th is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world. Go with patience and keep valuables close.
- Nacimientos. Nativity scenes, often enormous, in churches, hotel lobbies and public buildings.
What to eat#
Nochebuena dinner: bacalao a la vizcaína, romeritos in mole with shrimp cakes, turkey or a roast pierna, ensalada de Nochebuena with beetroot, and ponche, the hot fruit punch with tejocote, guava and sugar cane, with a splash of rum if you ask for piquete. All month: tamales, buñuelos with syrup, and on January 6 the rosca de reyes; whoever bites the figurine hosts the tamales on February 2.
Weather, honestly#
Dry, clear and sunny by day, often around 20°C, but Mexico City sits at over 2,200 metres and December nights drop to single digits. Many homes, restaurants and small hotels have no heating. Pack a real jacket and layers for the evenings; a posada is held outdoors.
New Year's Eve#
Hotel galas, the Zócalo, Roma and Condesa's bars, and the twelve grapes at midnight. Compare the city with the coast in where to spend New Year's Eve 2026. Mexico City's neighbourhood guide helps choose where to sleep for the week.
The best way to see it#
A posada, a Nochebuena table, the right tamal: Christmas here is a family affair, and the visitor who sees the real version is the one invited in. A Local Friend in Mexico City can take you to a neighbourhood posada, the market their family uses for the nativity, and the taquería that is open on the 25th. Mexico City has several listed.
Christmas in Mexico City this year?
Browse Local Friends in Mexico CityOr ask#
Leer en español: Navidad en CDMX 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Christmas a good time to visit Mexico City?
Yes. The weather is dry and sunny, the centre is lit and busy, and the posadas and markets give the month a rhythm. The two things to plan around are cold nights at altitude and the fact that many residents leave the city between Christmas and New Year, so some neighbourhoods go quiet while the centre stays open.What is open on Christmas Day in Mexico City?
Less than usual but not nothing. December 25 is a public holiday: museums and many restaurants close or open late, markets are shut, the metro runs. Big hotels, chain cafés, cantinas in the centre and some restaurants in Roma, Condesa and Polanco open. Book Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners ahead; on the 24th most places close early for Nochebuena.When does Christmas start in Mexico City?
In practice on December 12, the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, when millions of pilgrims reach the Basilica. The posadas run December 16 to 24, Nochebuena is the 24th, and the season ends on January 6 with Día de Reyes and the rosca de reyes.What do people eat at Christmas in Mexico City?
Nochebuena dinner on the 24th: bacalao a la vizcaína, romeritos with mole, turkey or pierna, ensalada de Nochebuena, ponche (hot fruit punch), tamales and buñuelos. On January 6, rosca de reyes; whoever finds the figurine owes tamales on February 2.How cold is Mexico City at Christmas?
Days are mild and sunny, often around 20°C, but at over 2,200 metres nights and early mornings drop to single digits, and many homes and small hotels have no heating. Pack a proper jacket and layers for the evenings.