19 de Diciembre
Chiapas
Chiapas is a state whose cultural authenticity shines during December celebrations, when communities preserve traditions that combine pre-Hispanic symbols, religious devotion, and a deeply rooted identity. Unlike other regions, Christmas in Chiapas is not marked by large fairs, but by intimate ceremonies, rituals of gratitude, and expressions of faith rooted in generations of customs, such as the “Sentadas de niño.”
Among these traditions is the Zoque Belén in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, a ceremonial practice held from December 8 to January 6 symbolizing the agricultural cycle and the fertility of the land. The ritual begins with the planting ceremony, where men and women build a traditional hut with wooden poles and dried leaves, placing inside a hollowed-out log filled with earth representing the Mactumatzá hill. With seeds, flowers, and water, participants enact a symbolic blessing for abundant harvests, accompanied by traditional music and the namanama etzé dance.
On December 22, the Belén hut is assembled using salzacate (a thick straw) tied with cords painted in symbolic colors, and covered with a mesh of boiled purple everlastings. Wooden rods wrapped in totomoste reinforce the structure, representing pre-Hispanic cosmology and the colors of maize. That same night, the Pastores dance is performed, featuring songs in Spanish, Latin, and Zoque.
On December 24, the seedlings are removed for a divinatory ritual in which the growth of the corn stalks is interpreted to forecast the next harvest. That day, the Nativity scene is assembled with traditional elements such as pashte, floral candles, and flowers, incorporating the sprouted milpas as a central decoration. On January 6, the Belén is ceremonially dismantled with the Torito dance, and its elements are distributed as sacred relics.
Another important December tradition is the Niño Florero of Chiapa de Corzo, in which hundreds of young people embark on an eight-day journey to the Chiapas Highlands to collect the Niluyarilú flower, used to construct the Nativity in the Temple of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. From December 14 onward, pilgrims follow community routes, carrying out prayers and rituals until the flower returns to Chiapa de Corzo to be kept in vigil and placed on the altar.
In Acala, a similar tradition begins on December 15 and concludes on December 25, as the Floreros walk to San Cristóbal de Las Casas to collect the Niluyarilú. The pilgrimage through mountains and valleys, facing cold highland weather, symbolizes deep devotion to the Christ Child. The flowers are brought back with mecapal to build the Nativity hut, which is paraded through the streets before being placed in the main church.
These December celebrations invite visitors to discover a living spiritual heritage where faith, collective memory, and ancestral customs come together to strengthen Chiapas’ cultural identity.
Among these traditions is the Zoque Belén in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, a ceremonial practice held from December 8 to January 6 symbolizing the agricultural cycle and the fertility of the land. The ritual begins with the planting ceremony, where men and women build a traditional hut with wooden poles and dried leaves, placing inside a hollowed-out log filled with earth representing the Mactumatzá hill. With seeds, flowers, and water, participants enact a symbolic blessing for abundant harvests, accompanied by traditional music and the namanama etzé dance.
On December 22, the Belén hut is assembled using salzacate (a thick straw) tied with cords painted in symbolic colors, and covered with a mesh of boiled purple everlastings. Wooden rods wrapped in totomoste reinforce the structure, representing pre-Hispanic cosmology and the colors of maize. That same night, the Pastores dance is performed, featuring songs in Spanish, Latin, and Zoque.
On December 24, the seedlings are removed for a divinatory ritual in which the growth of the corn stalks is interpreted to forecast the next harvest. That day, the Nativity scene is assembled with traditional elements such as pashte, floral candles, and flowers, incorporating the sprouted milpas as a central decoration. On January 6, the Belén is ceremonially dismantled with the Torito dance, and its elements are distributed as sacred relics.
Another important December tradition is the Niño Florero of Chiapa de Corzo, in which hundreds of young people embark on an eight-day journey to the Chiapas Highlands to collect the Niluyarilú flower, used to construct the Nativity in the Temple of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. From December 14 onward, pilgrims follow community routes, carrying out prayers and rituals until the flower returns to Chiapa de Corzo to be kept in vigil and placed on the altar.
In Acala, a similar tradition begins on December 15 and concludes on December 25, as the Floreros walk to San Cristóbal de Las Casas to collect the Niluyarilú. The pilgrimage through mountains and valleys, facing cold highland weather, symbolizes deep devotion to the Christ Child. The flowers are brought back with mecapal to build the Nativity hut, which is paraded through the streets before being placed in the main church.
These December celebrations invite visitors to discover a living spiritual heritage where faith, collective memory, and ancestral customs come together to strengthen Chiapas’ cultural identity.