The traditions of Yucatán month by month

Yucatán doesn’t stop. Every month has its festival, its seasonal food and its custom. Here’s the calendar so you don’t miss anything, whether you live here or you’re planning the visit.

January — Kings’ Day and the start of the year

Rosca de reyes on the 6th. In the towns, the dry-season patron-saint festivals begin, rotating from place to place until May.

February — Candelaria and Carnival

• 2 February, Candelaria Day: the “Baby Jesus is raised” and people eat tamales —Candelaria Day.
• Carnival (movable date, Feb–March): one of the biggest in Mexico, with parades, troupes, the “Bando” and neighbourhood parties — Carnival in Mérida.

March — equinox at Chichén Itzá

On 21 March, the shadow of the serpent descends the pyramid of Kukulcán. Thousands of people. If you live here, go on the 20th or the 22nd to avoid the crowd — how to get to Chichén Itzá.

April and May — heat and village festivals

The peak of the heat. High season for vaquerías and jaranas in the towns, and for patron-saint festivals (San Bernardino in Valladolid, among many).

June to September — rains and the autumn equinox

The afternoon rains arrive. On 22–23 September, the second descent of Kukulcán. Little tourism; a good time for the city.

October — preparations for Hanal Pixán

All of Yucatán prepares for the Day of the Dead. The pib (mucbipollo) appears, along with xpujuc flowers and the smell of copal.

November — Hanal Pixán, the big celebration

31 October to 2 November is the most important celebration of the year: altars in homes, Mérida’s Paseo de las Ánimas (from the General Cemetery to San Juan), the lit cemeteries, the shared mucbipollo. It isn’t a “Mexican Halloween”: it’s a gathering with the dead, serious and warm at the same time.

December — guilds, posadas and year’s end

• Guilds for the Virgin of Guadalupe and, in January, for the Cristo de las Ampollas: trade processions with flowers and music.
• Posadas, black-stuffed turkey on Christmas Eve, and in some towns the pig’s-head dance.

All year round

• Monday: vaquería in front of Mérida’s City Hall.
• Thursday: the Santa Lucía Serenade.
• Sunday: “Mérida en Domingo”, with a pedestrian Plaza Grande.

To dive fully into local culture, continue with Yucatecan bombas, the Yucatecan dictionary and Yucatán crafts.