A lot of travellers from Canada and the United States head to Mexico over the Christmas holidays for some time on the beach, but if you’re looking for something different, why not try spending some of your holiday in Mexico City as well?
There are plenty of direct flights to Mexican sun destinations, but before you book, consider connecting through the national capital and making a stopover there to discover the many events that are planned around Christmas and New Year’s Day.
In a virtual press conference this week, Marcela Ortíz, the Deputy Director of Information and Digital Content, of the Ministry of Tourism, Mexico City, outlined some highlights of the 264 events and activities that visitors can experience if they visit during the holidays this year.
Among them is one of Mexico’s great Christmas traditions, the posada. It’s a community celebration that features a symbolic procession that re-enacts the journey of Mary and Joseph as they searched for a place to stay. Participants carry candles and sing Christmas songs as they make a pilgrimage to a local home where they will consume traditional foods and drink and break open star-shaped, seven-spiked piñatas that are emblematic this time of year. Ortíz said there will be posadas and pilgrimages from December 16 to 23 in each of the 16 neighborhoods that make up Mexico City.
Another religious occasion that falls at this time of year is when Christians come to celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe at La Basílica. An eye-popping six million parishioners are expected to flock to the world’s most-visited Marian church on and around December 12.
Another symbol of Christmas that has its origins in Mexico and Central America is the poinsettia flower. Visitors will get their fill of these lovely red and green plants on Paseo de la Reforma, the emblematic avenue of Mexico City, where the Christmas Eve Flower Festival will take place.
Also on Reforma, all 32 States of Mexico will host a Christmas Tourism Festival from December 12 to 17 where visitors and Chilangos alike can sample the crafts and cuisines from the country’s many diverse regions.
Ortíz said that the city’s neighbourhoods that are the most popular with tourists like Santa Fe, Paseo de la Reforma, Chapultepec, Zócalo, the Monument to the Revolution, Coyoacán, San Ángel and the Basilica, as well as Xochimilco and Polanco all have Christmas activities to seek out and are listed on their website at https://cartelera.cdmx.gob.mx.
Among the events she recommends includes, “Christmas in Mexico,” a show that will be put on by the Amalia Hernández Folkloric Ballet will perform at the Casitllo de Chapultepec. There’s also the The Christmas Craft Festival at the Casa del Risco Museum and the Coffee and Chocolate Festival at the Palacio de Minería.
In the heart of the Historic Center, Ortíz added that visitors can enjoy the Verbena del Zócalo, with its Christmas fair and its spectacular and colourful Christmas lighting; live music and pastorelas, which will be free. It will start mid-December and run until the first days of January 2024, from Monday to Sunday..
Finally, to end the year, the countdown will be celebrated in a Time-Square style, but with Latin flare, at the Ángel de la Independencia, which includes a must-see New Year’s Eve concert.
While the eclipse’s path of totality travels from the northwestern United States in an arcing line towards the southwest, it doesn’t pass through that many large cities. One it does touch is San Antonio, a fun and diverse destination that features such attractions as the historic Alamo, its beautiful River Walk along the San Antonio River and an exemplary culinary scene where you can fill up on delicious Tex-Mex dishes. And if you miss this year’s eclipse, amazingly, the city will be in the path of a total solar eclipse less than a year later on April 8, 2024.
Another major city to consider witnessing this year’s event is Albuquerque. It also bills itself as the hot air ballooning capital of the world and this year’s Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta also happens to take place during the eclipse. Even if you’re too late to book a flight in a balloon that day, it would still be an amazing sight to see the sky filled with balloons with a ring of fire in the background! As an added bonus, Albuquerque is a pretty cool place to visit even when eclipses aren’t happening.
For Canadians in the western part of the country looking for an accessible destination to observe the eclipse, the beautiful city of Eugene fits the bill perfectly. Afterwards, you can enjoy walks along the scenic Willamette River or drive to the stunning Oregon coast for some time on the beach. It’s also a haven for the arts so check out its many museums, galleries and abundant street art and don’t forget the many live theatre options available. Oh, yes, it’s also a famous spot for craft beer thanks to the hops that grow abundantly in the region.
Wind, water and snow have carved out a fantasy land of red rock hoodoos, natural stone bridges and rainbow-hued cliffs in Bryce Canyon National Park that are a photographer’s dream. As the sun rises and sets, the changing light creates a symphony of colour and shadow on the rock formations which will be particularly amazing on the day of the eclipse which will pass over this incredible landscape. 
Roswell is famous for being the site of a supposed UFO crash in 1947 and the town has embraced its alien legacy making it a fitting place to observe October’s amazing astronomical event. While you are there, check out the 
In Mexico’s Yucatan state, sits the beautiful coastal city of Campeche which still retains the walls and fortifications that were built to protect it from pirate attacks. A great place to observe the eclipse would be nearby Calakmul, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once the capital of a powerful Maya kingdom. It has two gigantic pyramids that rise above the jungle canopy, offering stunning views of the surrounding biosphere reserve. The Mayans were obsessed with calendars and time, making this an ideal place to see such an event.
Savvy travellers are discovering the incredible destination of Colombia. This South American nation offers a vast diversity of gorgeous landscapes and vibrant cities to explore. One of those cities is Cali, which also claims the title of salsa capital of the world. After you watch the eclipse, you can can learn to salsa, discover its rich historical district or sample some of the fantastic cuisine that can be had there. The people of Cali are known for their warmth and hospitality so you can be sure that the eclipse will be an occasion for a big party.
