What are the holidays of Los Cabos - La Paz, Mexico?
Pepe Acosta - Ventanas Hotel and Residences
We celebrate all the Mexican holidays in Los Cabos.
In January, "Día de Reyes" (Three Kings Day or Feast of the Epiphany) is celebrated on January 6th. This is a celebration of the arrival of the Three Kings when Jesus was born. This is celebrated with a "Rosca" (bread or cake shaped like a King's crown) with a baby Jesus figurine hidden inside. The person who finds the baby Jesus is said to be blessed.
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We celebrate all the Mexican holidays in Los Cabos.
In January, "Día de Reyes" (Three Kings Day or Feast of the Epiphany) is celebrated on January 6th. This is a celebration of the arrival of the Three Kings when Jesus was born. This is celebrated with a "Rosca" (bread or cake shaped like a King's crown) with a baby Jesus figurine hidden inside. The person who finds the baby Jesus is said to be blessed.
In Mexico City, not here in Los Cabos, "Día de Reyes" is like Christmas. This is when the Three Kings bring toys to the kids. In Mexico City, it is important to give more presents to children on "Día de Reyes" than on Christmas day.
Here in Los Cabos, we celebrate Christmas on December 25th, which is when we give and open presents. However, in the morning of January 6th, the kids will also receive something smaller.
On February 2nd, the person who found the hidden baby Jesus figurine in the Rosca traditionally needs to buy tamales for dinner for his friends. The name of this celebration is "Día de la Candelaria" (Day of the Candles or Candle Mass, also called by Catholics the Feast of Purification or Presentation of Christ at the Temple).
Valentine's Day is a very commercial day. There are a lot of dinners all around. Restaurants have special events and menus.
On March 19, there is a big celebration in Los Cabos for "Día de San Jose" (St. Joseph's Day). Los Cabos is part of San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. There is a big party in town and there are concerts. There is also a big "feria" (fair) with "Juegos Mecánicos" (carnival rides).
"Semana Santa" (Holy Week) could be in March or April. It depends on the year. This year, it was in April.
On April 30, it's the Children's Day or "Día del Niño". It's like the Mother's Day for kids. The schools celebrate this day and it's a big party for children.
Mother's Day is on May 10th.
In June, there is the Los Cabos Open of Surf, which is the biggest surfing event in Latin America. On the 3rd Sunday of June, it's Father's Day.
Because we have a lot of people from the United States, on the 4th of July, the US Independence Day is also a big celebration in Los Cabos and is celebrated with a lot of fireworks by the bay.
In August, there is the ATP tennis tournament in Los Cabos. There are also fishing tournaments in August.
September 15 is another big celebration for the "cry of independence" or the "Cry of Dolores". September 16 is the Independence Day of Mexico. Both days are celebrated similar to "Día de San Jose" where you have carnival rides. On September 15, there is a big concert of a famous artist from Mexico where the admission is free for the public.
In October, there is a big celebration in Cabo San Lucas for the start of the high season. There are a lot of fishing tournaments and the most important is the Bisbee's tournament, which is a sport fishing tournament with the biggest prize money in the world. The prize is around US $4 million. It's a huge tournament with around 200 participants. It is said to be the start of the high season in Cabo San Lucas because it is a big event, which has been ongoing for more than 30 years.
On November 2nd, "Día de Muertos" (Day of the Dead) is another big celebration in Mexico and is also celebrated in Los Cabos. When you have people who have passed away, you put their pictures, favorite food, and candles in an "altar de muertos" (altar of the dead) to celebrate them. It's a Mexican tradition. In some places, they have a contest for the best altar de muertos. People like to go to see exhibits of these altars in different places.
Then we have "Día de la Revolucion" (Revolution Day) on November 20. On September 15 and November 20, there are parades on the streets. Schools do something special for students on these dates and have parades with music and dancing.
In December, there is the "posadas" (in which Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem is remembered), which is another Mexican tradition that you celebrate with family and friends. There will be a piñata and Mexican food. It represents the time before Jesus was born when "La Virgen Maria" (Virgin Mary) was looking for a place to stay.
"Posadas" is celebrated within the neighborhood. People knock on the doors of neighbors to sing with lighted candles holding the "nacimiento" (Nativity scene) and ask to go inside the neighbor's house. The people from inside the house answer with a knock and half will go out of the house to welcome the singers while the other half stay inside. The members of that house will take the nacimiento, or baby Jesus, Joseph, Virgen Maria, and the Three Kings.
Posadas is also the last party of the year for companies to celebrate with their employees and give prizes during raffles. Sometimes there will be an exchange of presents. The employees also need to complete the traditional Mexican practice with the song and nacimiento.
On December 12 is "Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe" (Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe). It's another big celebration in all of Mexico. Then there is Christmas. Another big event is New Year's Eve, where there are parties all over downtown and a 10-minute fireworks show by the bay.
(Invitation to celebrate the Cry for Dolores Day, Ventanta Hotel & Residences, Cabos San Lucas, Mexico, pictured.)
Posted June 13, 2017