A Chilly End

Another cold front has passed through Mexico, and we ended the year on a nippy note.  Last night the temperature dipped down to 41 degrees Fahrenheit.  (Remember that central heating is nearly non-existent in Mexico City homes.) This morning at 9:00 as I was preparing to head to the family house to spend New Year's Eve, the temperature was still only 45 F.

 As you can see from this photo I took of the forecast on the Weather Channel, in spite of the sunshine, by noon it was still going to be a bit chilly at 61 degrees.

Looking out the window, I could see people bundled up in warm coats.  Before leaving the apartment, I put on a warm long sleeve shirt and a pullover sweater over that.  As I walked to the bus station, I almost wished that I had a scarf and gloves.  Yes, I know that as I write this, the temperature back in Ohio is 29 with a wind chill of 17.  A temperature of 45 would be considered very balmy up there.  I don't why, but when it's in the 40s here, it feels colder than that.  I have to laugh at tourists who think that they should pack shorts and sandals for a trip to Mexico City in December.  

The Tent of Handicrafts

In my last post where I was describing the Christmas festival on the Zócalo, I was about to enter the large tent featuring the handcrafts of Mexican artisans.  As soon as I entered I could tell that the merchandise here was handmade and of high quality.  It is a good thing that I had brought money with me, because I went on a small shopping spree.

One of the first booths that I cam upon was of the Servín family, makers of fine ceramics.  I  have always liked their work, and I own a couple of their pieces.  Something I had not seen before were ceramic Nativity scenes.  The fellow manning the booth was a member of the family, and it is his wife, Imelda Servín, who makes and hand paints the Nativity figures.

I couldn't resist, and I bought the smaller set to the right as a gift to take the next trip I make to Ohio.

This booth featured hand blown glass Christmas tree ornaments from the town of Chignahuapan in the state of Puebla.

I had a delightful chat with this gentleman.  His name is Juan Vásquez, and he comes from the town of Temalacatzingo in the state of Guerrero.

Señor Vásquez makes lacquerware and objects carved from wood in his workshop.  I purchased a small jaguar mask to add to my collection.

This lady comes from the town of Amatenango del Valle in the state of Chiapas.  The town is known for its clay figures, usually of jaguars.

I already have a number of jaguar figures from this town, but I bought a tiny one to put with my Nativity scene.  There will be a jaguar in Bethlehem!

This impressive wood carving of the Last Supper was one of the items for sale by an Otomí artisan from the state of Hidalgo.

The famous black pottery of the town of San Bartolo de Coyotepec in Oaxaca

What a cool tee shirt, embroidered by an Otomí artisan!

Among the items that this lady from the state of Guanajuato had were some handmade dolls.  So I bought one for a daughter of a friend.

This woodcarver of "alebrijes" and other figures is named Agustín Cruz Prudencio.  He comes from the town of San Agustín de las Juntas in the state of Oaxaca, and he has won numerous awards for his artwork.

I love this whimsical Nativity scene in which the Holy Family is aboard Noah's Ark and the Three Wise Men are climbing the gang plank.  It's a bit beyond my budget however.  The price is 85,000 pesos... 4,724 U.S. dollars.

I did, however, buy a small, intricately painted bear.

As in previous years, the best part of the Christmas festival is the handicraft market.

Festival on the Zócalo

Before Christmas I posted some pictures on the blog showing the preparations for the holiday festival that was to be held on the Zócalo, Mexico City's main plaza.  I wrote that I probably wouldn't go to the festival this year because it seemed to be the same as it had been the last two years.  Well, yesterday I ended up going downtown and checking out the festivities.  I figured that on a Monday it would not be insanely crowded.

The last two years the festival has been called a "Verbena navideña" (a "verbena" is a street party held for a saint's day or other religious holiday).  This year, however, it is called "Luces de invierno, Festival en el Zócalo" (Winter Lights Festival on the Zócalo).  The name has changed, but it was largely the same.  

One big improvement was made.  Last year the Zócalo was surrounded by metal barricades.  There were only a few places through which one could enter or exit the plaza.  When Alejandro and I were there last year on a weekend evening, the crush of people passing through was terrible. I was afraid that I was going to be trampled.  It was the only time that I have ever felt physically unsafe in Mexico City.  This year, the Zócalo was wide open for the most part.

This colorful gate on Avenue 20 de Noviembre (a street which empties into the Zócalo) was new.

Beyond the entrance was a plant market with vendors from local nurseries.

Entering into the Zocalo...

As in previous years, there were three large Christmas trees created from hundreds of poinsettia plants.

However, the poinsettias were sadly in need of watering.

There was a gigantic Nativity scene...

...with an even more oversized Baby Jesus.

A stage was set up at one end of the plaza, and musical acts were scheduled throughout the two weeks of the festival.

There were two large tents set up with handicrafts markets.  Most of the merchandise in the first tent was low quality "tourist junk".

However, the other tent, which was labeled "Artesanos" (artisans) was a different story.

If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you know me and handicrafts.

This tent was my downfall...

Finishing It

Quite a while ago, I wrote that Alejandro and I were watching episodes of "The Handmaid's Tale", a series based on Margaret Atwood's novel about a dystopian, theocratic society in the not too distant future in which women are viewed merely as vessels for procreation.

(Image taken from the internet)

The series finally came to a conclusion this year with the sixth season.  Back before I made the move to Mexico, I had watched the first four seasons on Hulu.  Hulu does not exist in Mexico, but we discovered that it was available here on Paramount Plus, a streaming service which Alejandro has.  He had not seen any of the series, so we started from the very beginning, watching a few episodes each weekend.  Even though I had already seen most of the series, there was much that I had forgotten, and I still found the show gripping. 

Finally, the weekend before last, we finished it... Season 6, Episode 10.  For those who have not seen the entire series, I am not going to give anything away.  However, I will say the next to the last episode was the most climactic.  The final episode seemed a little bit of a let down.

Those who have not read the novel, may not realize that most of the Hulu series (Seasons 2 through 6) is actually an extension of the original book.  The novel is supposedly a first person narration recorded by a Handmaid.  It had been discovered long after the fall of the theocratic regime of Gilead.  The final episode of the series links in with the beginning of the novel.  The protagonist June has been encouraged by more than one person to record her experiences, and the episode concludes with June thinking out loud, recalling her life as a Handmaid.

The series was created with the collaboration of Margaret Atwood.  She had already written a sequel to "The Handmaid's Tale" called "The Testaments", and she did not want the extended TV series to contradict in any way the events of her sequel.  "The Testaments" (which I have already read) centers on another major character, Aunt Lydia.  Filming has already begun on an adaptation of that book.  It will also appear on Hulu, but I hope that it will be available on one of the streaming platforms that Alejandro has.

  

Santa Time

On Christmas Eve by the time we were finished with our supper it was after midnight.  So we decided to wait until Christmas morning to exchange gifts.  After breakfast we all put on our silly Christmas hats and opened our presents.  This year, I did not go to all the work of wrapping each present individually as I did last year.  I just put them in big gift bags.

It's easy to shop for Alejandro's father.  He always complains about the cold, especially during this time of year.  So we bought him lots of warm, cozy clothing.

Among the gifts for Alejandro's sister was this wrap that drapes around the shoulders. I found it at the market in Coyoacán, and I thought that it was quite elegant.

Alejandro's nephew is getting to the age where it is difficult to shop for him.  He is too old for toys, and on his last birthday we bought him lots of clothes for school.  However, one thing that I always get for him is a calendar for his room.  He, like the rest of the family, is a dog lover, so I buy him a calendar with pictures of puppies.  I found this one in Ohio when we were there last September.

 

Alejandro certainly does not need more clothes.  However, when I was at the textile fair in Chapultepec Park earlier this month, I could not resist this very nice guayabera shirt.

In the large bag of gifts for me, there was something that I had requested... a double boiler for making my fudge.  I had looked in many stores but had not been able to find one.  In fact, the store clerks I asked did not even know what I was talking about.  Alejandro found one online and ordered it for me.  Not a romantic gift, I know, but it is something I wanted.  Next Christmas, when I make fudge again, it will come in very handy.

Even though Santa did not bring anything for the family dogs, Iztac still had a kiss for me on Christmas morning.

More Traditional Christmas Dishes

On Christmas Day we went in the afternoon to visit Alejandro's favorite aunt and uncle.  The apartment was filled with relatives, including the newest addition to the family, their 6 month-old great grandson.  Before we left, one of Alejandro's cousins, Silvia, gave us some food to take home, two more dishes that are traditional in Mexico for the Christmas season... "bacalao a la vizcaina" and "picadillo".  Even though we still had plenty of leftover turkey, we had the "bacalao" and the "picadillo" for our supper on Christmas evening.

"Bacalao a la vizcaina" (Basque style cod) is not an easy or quick dish to make.  The dried, salted cod fillets must be soaked for one or two days. Then the bones must be removed.  The fish is combined with a number of ingredients, including onions, garlic, tomatoes, green olives, capers, and slivered almonds.  (To be perfectly honest, I prefer a much easier and cheaper recipe which Alejandro's mom used to make in which cans of tuna were substituted for the cod.)

The "picadillo" is a kind of ground meat hash combined with numerous ingredients depending on the cook's recipe. I thought that the "picadillo" was very tasty.

Alejandro's sister prepared "ponche navideño" (Christmas punch), another Mexican tradition for Christmas.  The base of this spiced, hot punch is "jamaica" (hibiscus flower) tea,  It is mulled with "piloncillo" (unrefined brown sugar), cinnamon sticks, and fruits such as pitted prunes, guavas and "tejocotes" (a small, tart, Mexican fruit).

Our Christmas, from a culinary standpoint, has been very traditional!

 

Talking Turkey

Just as in the United States, here in Mexico, a traditional dish for Christmas is turkey. (After all, the turkey was domesticated in pre-Hispanic Mexico.)  This is not my first Christmas with Alejandro's family, but this is the first time we had turkey.

I must admit that I have never cooked a turkey in my life, so I am no expert by any means.  But it seems to me that the preparation would appear unusual to any cook in the U.S.

In the afternoon of Christmas Eve day, Alejandro and I went to the market to buy the ingredients for the stuffing.  It was not until late in the afternoon that we started work on the turkey.  Even though it was a fully cooked, smoked bird that had been defrosting in the fridge for several days, I thought to myself, this is never going to be ready for Christmas Eve supper.  However, I had forgotten that in Mexico, the Christmas Eve supper is often served late at night.

One of the items that we had bought at the market was a syringe.  Again, I know nothing about preparing a turkey.  I know that it is basted while cooking, but I had never heard of injecting the bird with liquid before cooking.  Alejandro filled the syringe with a mixture of white wine and the liquid from a can of pineapple.  He injected the liquid all over the turkey.  Is that something that is done in the United States???

The stuffing was completely different from what is usually served in the U.S.  Cubes of bread were the main ingredient of the stuffing I always had back home.  However, this was made with a mixture of ground beef and pork, chopped cooked ham, chopped bacon, some chopped chipotle peppers, chopped onion and chopped pineapple rings.  The mixture was fried up in a pan and then stuffed into the bird.

The turkey was set into a large pan, seated upon a bed of pineapple rings, covered with aluminum foil and put into the oven for several hours.  Around 11 PM, it was removed from the oven, and we sat down for our supper.

The turkey was very good.  However, it's always been the stuffing which I like the best.  This stuffing, although very different from what we are used to in the U.S., was delicious.  Alejandro's sister Sandra prepared what I think is a family recipe... an apple salad similar to Waldorf salad.  The dressing for the salad is made from "crema" (similar to sour cream) and sweetened condensed milk.  French baguettes also seem to be a traditional necessity.  Sandra and Alejandro brought several bags of baguettes from the bakery.  We tore off pieces of bread and put turkey and stuffing on them.

It was well after midnight before we were done with supper.  As the start of Christmas Day approached, neighbors set off firecrackers.  For a change, the pyrotechnics did not wake us from our sleep; it was after 1 AM before we headed to bed.  We were tired and decided to save the gift-giving until the next morning.

¡Feliz Navidad!

Here in Mexico City, it is Christmas morning.  It is time to reveal my Christmas card for this year.

The subject of this year´s card is Heidelberg Castle.  Last year I traveled to Germany and Switzerland.  One of the places that I visited was the historic city of Heidelberg, Germany.  Perched on a hill overlooking the city is the medieval castle which is partially in ruins. As my readers know, each year I do a painting which I then use for my Christmas card.  I used one of the photos that I took of the castle as the basis for my painting.  I was there on a warm, sunny September day, but I converted the picture into a snowy winter scene for the card.

Since moving to Mexico, I have been finishing the cards...  doing the painting, having the cards printed, and making them out... months ahead of time so that I can give them to friend when I visit Ohio.  He mailed them out the day after Thanksgiving.  This year, however, it seemed that the U.S. Postal Service was very slow.  It took weeks for some of my cards to arrive to friends within the United States.  I am seriously considering sending the cards... well in advance... from Mexico next year.

To all of my readers, wherever you may be, I wish you a very joyous holiday season and a happy 2026!  

More Christmas Music

 Here are some more video excerpts from the Christmas concert last Sunday by the "Sinfónica de Minería".  For the second half, the conductor had changed from his white tie and tails into a more casual holiday sweater.

"Bugler's Holiday" by Leroy Anderson

Tenor Alan Pingarrón returned to the stage dressed in a "charro" outfit to sing some traditional Mexican Christmas songs.

The audience joined in singing "Feliz Navidad" by José Feliciano.

This song from Spain, "Hacia Belén Va Un Burro" (A Burro Goes Toward Bethlehem) brought back memories.  It's a Christmas song we learned in one of my college Spanish classes.

"Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson

The "posada" song is sung during the neighborhood processions which represent Joseph and Mary looking for lodging.  The tenor and chorus sang the verses of Joseph and Mary asking for room at the inn, and the audience sang the responses from within the inn.

After the "posada", the "piñata" song is sung while the children attempt to break the piñata.  "Dale, dale, dale..."  "Hit it, hit it, hit it..."

It was a wonderfully enjoyable concert, and we hope to make it an annual holiday tradition!

Christmas Music

 Last week, Alejandro told me abouts a Christmas concert to be performed by the "Sinfónica de Minería", an orchestra affiliated with the National University of Mexico.  It was going to be held on Sunday just down the street at the Pepsi Center, the concert venue of the World Trade Center.  I asked him if he wanted to go, and he said "yes".  I immediately walked over to the ticket window of the Pepsi Center and bought tickets.

The symphony orchestra was very good.  The Christmas concert gave the musicians a chance to let loose and have some fun, and to dress in holiday sweaters and caps.  Accompanying the orchestra was the orchestra choir, and an excellent blind tenor by the name of Alan Pingarrón.

Ironically, after having seen "The Nutcracker" ballet the night before, this concert began with excerpts from Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite". 

Next, Alan Pingarrón appeared on stage to sing "Oh, Holy Night" in the original French.

The orchestra and choir performed a spectacular medley of familiar carols in English.  I have  exactly same arrangement on one of my of the Cleveland Orchestra Christmas CDs.

 The first half of the concert ended with the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah".

More from this festive concert, later today.

Another Snowy Peak

Another place where you could enjoy a white, and very cold, Christmas would be on the slopes of Mexico's tallest mountain, Pico de Orizaba (altitude 18,491 feet).

This photo was taken by Alejandro's friend Andrés, who lives in the city of Orizaba, which lies at the foot of the peak.

The Nutcracker

I have to admit that I am not a fan of classical ballet.  But it's hard to resist "The Nutcracker" at Christmastime.  There is the score by Tchaikovsky with so many beloved tunes that have become a part of the holiday season, and the magical story of the Nutcracker Prince who comes to life on Christmas Eve.  So, when we saw that "The Nutcracker" was being presented at the National Auditorium in Mexico City, we bought tickets.  We attended last Saturday's performance.

Performing were the National Dance Company of Mexico and the Orchestra of the Theater of Fine Arts.  Not being an expert on ballet, I really can't judge whether the dance company is a world-class troupe, but their performance seemed to be very good, as was the orchestra.  The production values were definitely first-rate with beautiful stage settings and costumes that made it a lovely spectacle to behold.  It was certainly well received by the nearly sold-out house.

One thing which puzzled me was an addition that they made to the performance.  I may not know ballet, but I do know Tchaikovsky's music.  Toward the end of the second act a piece of music from "Swan Lake" was inserted.  Alejandro and I think that it was added in order to showcase two of their principal dancers in what I think is referred to as a "pas a deux".

Cameras were not allowed for the show, but many in the audience were taking videos with their cell phones.  Alejandro finally took a few snippets with his phone.  Here is a short clip from one of the ballet's most popular dances, the Russian trepak.  The audience was encouraged to clap along with the music.

  It was an enjoyable evening of a holiday classic.

Underground Passage

Last Friday, after spending some time downtown, I wanted to return to the apartment by taking the newly renovated Line 1 of the subway from the Pino Suárez station to the Glorieta de Insurgentes.  From there I could take the Metrobus the rest of the way home.  From the Zócalo, it´s less than a half mile walk to the Pino Suárez station.

However, the street is always crowded with people, and it was even worse than usual with holiday shoppers.  So, I decided to take another route that I had not taken in years.  I don't know if that many residents know about it, and I wasn't even sure if it still existed.  There was an underground passageway that goes between the Zócalo station and the Pino Suárez station.

I descended down into the Zócalo station, and, before going through the turnstile, I asked a policeman if the passage still existed.  He said "Sí" and pointed me in the right direction.

The cool thing about the passageway is that it is not just a tunnel.  It is a veritable shopping mall of bookstores. It is called "Un paseo por los libros" (a stroll through the books), and the 650 meters are lined with several dozen bookstores.

The passage was opened in 1997 as a joint effort of the Mexico City government, the Public Transport System, the subway's Cultural Foundation, and the Chamber of Commerce of the Mexican Publishing Industry.

This route avoids all the hustle and bustle of the street above, but is not so deserted as to feel lonely and unsafe.  There were a few stores that had gone out of business, and some were closed, probably for Christmas vacation.  But there were plenty of stores that were open, and, if I had the time, I could have spent much of the day perusing the vast selection which ranged from children's books to tomes on Mexican law.

Porrúa, one of the nation's major bookstore chains, had not one, but two stores in the passage.

 

How ironic that in the United States bookstores are struggling to survive, but here beneath Mexico City's streets there is a booklover's paradise.