Daniela Burr

creative director Home: Mexico City, Mexico

Christmas country begin in Mexico on December is a full-fledged 12 and extend family through affair. Festivities January across 6. It kicks the off with the tradition of posadas. There is a lot of religious history behind posada, but in practice, it most commonly refers to a generic Christmas party enjoyed in the lead up to the festive season, with an abundance of food, drink and, of course, piñatas. The tradition of posada is unique to Mexico, and both children and adults can participate in a series of processions or parties. Each night from December 16 through to Christmas Eve, various houses will be decorated and children will pass from door to door to sing a song and ask if there is a figurative ‘room at the inn’, a retelling of the Nativity scene.

In Mexico, Christmas Eve is the culmination of the festivities rather than just what happens on December 25. On Christmas Eve, the whole family of about 50 members gets together – cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and now our own kids. The table is always huge! Food plays a huge role during Christmas festivities. My favourite foods are tamales (made of masa or dough, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf and filled with all kinds of different toppings), romeritos, bacalao (cod fish), pozole (stew), pavo or turkey, buñuelos (sweet crackers), and, of course, ponche (hot fruit punch made from Mexican hawthorn). Despite having lived in Bali for eight years, I still fly back to Mexico for Christmas. It is too festive to miss!

“For Christmas Eve, the whole family of about 50 members gets together: cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and now our own kids.”