The high season of Christmas is in all its splendor. The trees on the awnings of the cars are preparing to arrive at homes and be decorated with spheres and lights. The Christmas Eve producers prepare their best flowers to sell as much as possible during these festivities and the artisans of the producing towns await the visit of thousands of tourists who will come to choose the crafts that will adorn their homes this year.
chignahuapan
In the northern highlands of the State of Puebla is Chignahuapan, a Magical Town known for being one of the main producers of spheres nationwide.
In the central plaza, a bust of Rafael Mendez Nunez from Michoacan reminds us of the father of the production of glass spheres that began in 1965, when he chose Chignahuapan for the quality of its water. Now there are more than 200 sphere workshops in this town designated as a Magical Town in 2012.
The main street for selling spheres is Romero Vargas, a corridor where you can find all kinds of creations based on the typical platinum-plated sphere that has made the place famous. Around the historic center you can also find places that offer this craft.
Since August the streets have been filled with tourists looking for the sphere that best matches their Christmas tree; however, it is possible to find designs and sale of spheres throughout the year.
Some of the most important tourist attractions in the municipality are the hot springs, its lagoon, the Mudejar kiosk located in the main square, the house of the late actor Gaspar Henaine ‘Capulina’, its 12-meter-high virgin and the Parish of Santiago Apostol showing images of indigenous gods on the facade.
amecameca
This municipality is the ideal place to find a tree for Christmas. Very close to Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl, there are different forests and nurseries known for the sale of little trees.
The largest of them is the Forest of Christmas Trees that has opened its doors since November 19 so that people who attend can choose and cut their pine. With more than 450,000 trees, this site stands out for giving 100% sustainable treatment to pine trees and being the most famous in the area.
In the Nurseries of Amecameca you can also rent Christmas trees. Once the December seasons pass, these potted trees will be planted again to complete their life cycle. They deliver and pick up the tree at the house of whoever is interested.
These sites are located in the State of Mexico but in Puebla or Xochimilco and Ajusco in Mexico City there is also a sale of pine trees that decorate houses during these dates.
tlalpujahua
Known as “the town of eternal Christmas”, this site is distinguished by the manufacture of blown glass spheres in 180 workshops that represent the livelihood of the place. The production of these crafts is so large that they are exported internationally.
Since 1999, the annual Fair of the sphere arose in Tlalpujahua. This year the fair ends on December 18 and in it you can find various crafts and spheres at very affordable prices.
Rooted in a mining town, in Tlalpujahua you can see the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Carmen with baroque touches, the Las Dos Estrellas mine museum and the Museum of the Lopez Rayon brothers, since this town is the birthplace of these insurgents who participated in the Independence of Mexico.
Very close to Tlalpujahua there are three firefly sanctuaries to which you can go from June to August to enjoy the light splendor of these nocturnal insects.
acolman
The first pinata with 7 points that was made in Mexico was in 1587, inside the convent of San Agustin in Acolman. This craft was an instrument of evangelization with which Christians showed the locals sin, temptation and blind faith. Since then, this municipality has become the benchmark for acquiring pinatas and is booming during the Christmas posadas.
Such is its popularity that from December 15 to 18 the International Pinata Fair will take place, where in addition to dances and contests, the communities exhibit their most original and colorful creations.
The invited countries will be China and Brazil, while the invited state is Michoacan. There will also be horse races, sports presentations and guest musicians such as Nicho Hinojosa on Thursday, Allison on Friday, El Gran Silencio and Dr. Shenka on December 17, and Marco Flores and his Jerez band on Sunday, December 18.
Huejotzingo
After the Spaniards arrived in Puebla, saw the native apple called xocotl and combined it with those from Santander, they found the perfect fruit to produce this drink that has become an icon of the Christmas holidays.
Huejotzingo is characterized for being the largest producer of artisanal cider in the country. According to Channel 11, at the end of 2021 this municipality concentrated 85% of the regional cider production and the other 15% was developed in Cholula and Zacatlan.
Apple growers harvest and sell the fruits three months before the holiday season. The cider houses crush and ferment the apples before taking them to the barrels, where they remain for up to a year.
With more than 20 manufacturers, from December 3 to 31, Huejotzingo celebrates the Cider Fair with pastorelas, parades and concerts in the town square. Mi Banda El Mexicano performed at the opening of the event and this weekend Grupo Liberacion will perform
San Luis Tlaxialtemalco
This town, located in the chinampera zone of Xochimilco, is distinguished by the sale of plants without intermediaries and being one of the most important agrotourism routes in the Valley of Mexico.
The producers get ready from May so that the poinsettia flowers are at their peak on the December dates. Ornamental plants are grown at different times of the year. In November, for example, the cempasuchil filled the nurseries, and in December, more than 30 Christmas Eve species adorn the chinampas.
Columba Jazmin Lopez Gutierrez, general director of the Commission for natural resources and rural development (Corenadr) assures that this 2022 has produced the highest number of Christmas Eve, 3.7 million flowers that are sold from 20 pesos to 200 pesos and they will bring an economic benefit of 500 million pesos.
To get to this place, also known as San Luis de las Flores, you must take the Tulyehualco – Xochimilco highway, very close to San Gregorio Atlapulco.
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