# data[].attributes.body
Mexico is considered to be a federal republic of North America. It's flag has three sections of color, green, white, and red, and in the middle is an eagle, above a prickly pear cactus. holding a snake in it's mouth. Mexico is a beautiful country with a rich history and fasicnating culture, which is why so many tourists love to visit, with an average of 19.68 million visitors as of 2024. The holidays are a very big deal in Mexico, such as Christmas, with many beautiful traditions to look over and admire!

# data[].attributes.body
Popular holidays in Mexico include Christmas (Navidad y las Posadas), Easter, and many others. Though because this is being written during December, I think it'd be nice to focus of christmas. Traditions in Mexico for christmas include making different foods such as Pozole, Tamales, and some make Menudo for the holidays too. Mexico's most predominate religion is Catholicism, so going to church on Christmas day is not uncommon whatsoever. Las Posadas is a part of Christmas tradition in a way, as it is celebrated December 16 until Christmas eve on December 24. Las Posadas is a candle-lit procession which is a reannactment of Mary and Joseph by having a child dressed as an angel leading a prosession following closely behind, singing spanish Christmas carols. Las Posadas is meant to honor Mary, mother of Christ's, journey to safe refuge to give birth to Jesus. Some of the carols that are sung during Christmas in Mexico include "Noche de Paz", "Feliz Navidad", "La Marimorena", and "Blanca Navidad".

# data[].attributes.body
Mexico celebrates many holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, Dia De Los Muertos, New years, and many others around this time of the year. Becuase Mexico's predominant religion is Catholicism, they too celebrate Christmas and Easter as they are connected to bible, Christmas being the birth of Christ in the bible and Easter being the day Christ ressurected. Dia De Los Muertos is around the time Halloween in for Americans, except they celebrate and honor their loved ones who have passed. Mexico also selebrates the new years, kind of in the same way Americans do. People in me Mexico tend to bring in the new year by drinking, eating, getting together with friends/family, and having festivals. They also participate in little traditions for good luck such as eating 12 grapes right at 12:00 AM January 1st, throwing water out of a window, lighting fireworks, and walking a suitcase around the block of the neighborhood. Given the timing of this though, I think I will focus on Christmas for this project.

# data[].attributes.body
While both Mexico and the United States celebrate Christmas, their cultural expressions differ. In Mexico, Christmas is deeply intertwined with Catholic traditions, with midnight mass, posada and piñatas being central to the festivities. Families gather for elaborate dinners featuring tamales and menudo, and gift-giving often occurs on Three Kings' Day, rather than Christmas Day. In contrast, American Christmas celebrations are more a time for family, with a focus on family gatherings, gift exchanges, and the figure of Santa Claus. While both cultures share the spirit of joy and togetherness during the holidays, their unique customs and traditions reflect their own cultural identities. I think that holidays in Mexico just sound overall beautiful and very full of life in their commuities. Someday, I'd like to go to Mexico around Christmas to see what it's like myself.