Celebrating Christmas Nativity with a Mexican Flair

Mexicans kick off the holiday season on Thursday with a traditional Christmas pageant at a 17th century convent in Mexico City.

Locally known as "Pastorelas," the pageant originated during the colonial period when Catholic missionaries tried to evangelize the indigenous communities by performing theatrical representations of the birth of Jesus.

Since its beginning, the shows central theme has been to promote devotion to Christ whilst merging deeply-rooted Mexican traditions like art, music, food and beverages.

[Tito Dreinhoffer, Pageant Director and Writer]: 

"The Pastorela re-enacts the birth of the baby Jesus, which is a European culture and a foreign religion, but with a battle between the devil and angels that is very Mexican in verse and words. Artisans are producing little objects of popular Mexican art to create a consciousness amongst the public that we have valuable things at our hands."

This local take on the birth of Jesus is a way to keep centuries-old customs alive and hold onto tradition.

[Juan Torres, Audience Member]: 

"It's a way to recover what we have lost that is less "Merry Christmas" and more traditional. It merges two cultures and is represented here in the battle between good and evil."

With dozens of actors, singers and musicians involved in the elaborate production, the pageant begins with a confrontation between angels and demons trying to sway innocent shepherds towards or away from devotion to the baby Jesus.