There is a Spirit in the Air

You can feel it....anticipation of special days. The Festival honoring the Virgen de Guadalupe, Posadas, Navidad and followed by Dia de Reyes. Neighbors have been putting up lights and setting up their nacimientos.
Friday morning we walked to the big Mexican market on the other side of the Centro. The streets are more crowded with cars as Paisanos return to be with family and the sidewalks are filled with people carrying loaded sacos. Stalls are set up selling poinsettias and handicrafts. In the artisan's market next to Ignacio Rameriz Mercado, there are stalls loaded with Christmas decorations, manger scene figurines, artificial Christmas trees, lights, streamers.
Although San Miguel de Allende has many gringos who live here, I'm talking about what is happening in the Mexican neighborhoods and markets. Yesterday when I was in the market, I saw very few gringo faces. The sidewalks and aisles were jammed with Mexicans preparing for holidays that have much meaning for them.
I haven't given much thought to decorating for Christmas until I went into the Mexican market. I bought the figures you see above to make a nacimiento or nativity scene. There are lots of choices so I'll add to it next year. Then I bought shiny paper ornaments to hang from the light fixtures. I will not buy a real Christmas tree although they are selling trees from Canada here.
The Mexican traditional decoration for Christmas is the Nacimiento. I use to see some that were very elaborate in public places as well as get a glimpse of them in private homes. I'm hoping that this tradition will not be replaced with Christmas trees and Santa Claus but that is what I'm seeing in the Mexican markets. Globalization is affecting the Mexican culture....but that is for another blog one of these days. Right now, I'm going to enjoy preparations for Navidad.