The Snowbird’s Guide to Saint’s Days and Seasonal Shindigs: December Events in Los Cabos
The formula is simple: As the weather gets cooler in Los Cabos, the events season heats up. Cooler is a relative term, of course, since even in the depths of winter local beaches are filled with bikini- and board shorts-clad escapees from less forgiving climes in the United States and Canada. The annual influx of snowbirds is one of the primary reasons, in fact, that so many of the area’s most prominent festivals are staged during the winter months.
The Christmas season also contributes to the increased number of special events. Many more days are celebrated during the holiday period in México than in the United States, so much so that the monthlong stretch between the Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe and Día de los Tres Reyes is humorously referred to as the Guadalupe – Reyes marathon. Good luck with any new diets or teetotalling pledges. Will one of your New Year’s resolutions be to join a gym and get in shape? Better wait if you’re in Los Cabos. There is still a month of holiday partying left.
Truth be told, the smart move might be to get in shape before your vacation. Winter in Los Cabos requires strength and stamina, if only to make it to all the best parties.
With that in mind, here’s our guide to the area’s signature December events. (Notable events in January and February will be covered in an upcoming post, including the latest dates and information for art, film and music festivals in Todos Santos, as well as the second edition of the writers workshop at Casa Dracula.)
Holiday Celebrations
Seasonal spirit is on full display at Plaza Amelia Wilkes in Cabo San Lucas. Photo: Joseph Tyson
Seasonal sparkle is readily apparent throughout Los Cabos. Nacimientos (nativity scenes) are displayed in many areas of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, as are colorfully adorned Christmas trees and other decorations. The main plazas of the cape cities — Plazas Amelia Wilkes and Mijares, respectively — are always among the best places to revel in the holiday spirit. To truly experience Christmas, Cabo style, however, requires an appreciation and immersion in various celebrations associated with the season’s many holy days.
Here’s a short course for non-Catholics:
Las Posadas
Las posadas are a remembrance of the journey of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem. From December 16 through Christmas Eve—in Spanish, Nochebuena—candlelit processions and reenactments of this journey culminate with admission to local houses or churches, symbolic stand-ins for “the inn,” or la posada. The nine-day period is also a symbolic representation of Mary’s pregnancy with the Christ child. Christmas Eve is the highlight of the holiday season. It marks the last night of the posadas, and the birth of Jesus is celebrated at midnight. Typically, such celebrations include a visit to a midnight mass, followed by dinner and the opening of gifts. Christmas itself is more low-key, and a day to enjoy leftovers (also known as recalentado). For visitors, Christmas dinners are offered at most major resorts.
El Día de los Santos Inocentes
Childermas, more commonly known as Holy Innocents Day, on December 28 is a remembrance of King Herod’s massacre of male infants in Bethlehem. The bloody decree was instigated in an ill-fated attempt to prevent the loss of his throne due to the birth of Jesus, which had been prophesied to him by the three wise men. In México, El Día de los Santos Inocentes is roughly equivalent to April Fool’s Day in the United States. Jokes and pranks are relatively common, and any unusual statements or irregular requests should be treated with a healthy amount of skepticism.
Nochevieja
New Year’s Eve is a night to party and welcome in the new year, and visitors who want to avoid the downtown bar scene will find there are several elegant soirees scheduled at area hotels. For locals, it’s a day of food and celebrations. It is a Spanish tradition to eat 12 grapes very quickly—before the clock chimes twelve times at midnight—to ensure good luck during the ensuing twelve months. Each represents a wish. On New Year’s Day, leftovers are once again the staple for residents.
El Día de los Tres Reyes
The Day of the Three Kings honors the wise men—Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar—who traveled to Bethlehem with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for the baby Jesus. In México, El Día de los Tres Reyes is celebrated on January 6 with dinners and family get-togethers, and offers the last seasonal opportunity for children to open presents. The holiday is also notable for its signature treat, a circular sweet bread called rosca de reyes. A miniature representation of the baby Jesus is hidden inside the bread, and the person who finds it is expected to throw a tamales party for Candlemas on February 2, the date that marks the official end of the holiday season.
Charity Benefits
Dressed to the K9s is an annual benefit for the local Humane Society and community services in Los Cabos. The 2014 event features “A Night in New York” theme, and will take place Dec. 13 at Wyndham Cabo San Lucas Resort.
The holidays are traditionally a time of generosity, and Los Cabos offers many opportunities for those who’d like to donate time, money or effort to those less fortunate than themselves. Such endeavors are particularly noteworthy this year, since so many residents suffered devastating losses as a result of Hurricane Odile, the worst storm ever to make landfall on the Baja peninsula. Homes were destroyed, jobs were lost, and the economic impacts will be felt for many years to come.
For those who’d like to help, there are three major events held each December. Liga MAC – a charitable group made up of Mexican, American and Canadian residents of Los Cabos – kicks off the giving season at 5 p.m. on Dec. 10 with its seventh annual Christmas Fiesta at the Shoppes at Palmilla. Admission is an unwrapped, non-battery-operated toy for children ages 1 – 12. The toys are then wrapped and distributed during Santa visits to low-income families on Christmas Eve. The Christmas Fiesta features carols courtesy of The Angels, Liga Mac’s student choir, as well as food and wine, a sidewalk fashion show, and raffle. For more information, visit http://www.ligamac.org/.
The holiday season’s most elegant soiree is invariably the Los Cabos Humane Society’s Dressed to the K9s Gala Christmas Party, and this year should be no exception. The annual fundraiser to benefit animals and community service in Los Cabos will be held on the scenic Vista SkyPool level at Wyndham Cabo San Lucas Resort on Dec. 13. Building upon last year’s Rio motif, the 2014 event will feature “A Night in New York” theme, and in addition to martinis and a New York City style buffet courtesy of Chef Silviano Orozco of Solomon’s Landing, will showcase live entertainment ranging from Best of Broadway to Tina Turner tributes. For tickets or information, visit http://www.dressedtothecanines.com/. Those unable to attend may make donations at http://www.loscaboshumanesociety.com.
The annual Todos Santos Por Que 5k Run/Walk celebrates fitness, but all proceeds go to benefit the Chino Project for local children with major medical needs. The event is organized by the Palapa Society of Todos Santos, and also includes a shorter 1K children’s run, as well as raffle prizes, live music and holiday-flavored festivities. This year’s run is scheduled to start on Sat. Dec. 27 at 9 a.m. Participants or interested spectators may pay the entrance fee for themselves and any others they’d like, as well as offering additional donations. For more information, visit http://palapasociety.org/events/ or http://palapasociety.org/donate/.
Launched this November, the Todos Santos Art Walk is held on the first Friday of every month. The next event will take place Dec. 5, from 4 – 7 p.m.
Art Walks
Baja California Sur is home to two thriving arts communities, both of which now hold regularly scheduled events to showcase the work of area artists. Weekly art walks have long been a staple in San Jose del Cabo’s historic Distrito del Arte (Art District). Each Thursday evening, from November through June, locals and visitors alike are invited to browse downtown galleries and interact with owners and artists. Complimentary wine and cheese are available at many galleries during the 5 – 9 p.m. perambulation, with additional food and refreshment offered at bars and restaurants throughout the district. Art walks were only recently launched in Todos Santos, a charming pueblo magico located an hour’s drive north of Cabo San Lucas., and their version is a monthly rather than weekly affair, taking place 4 – 7 p.m. on the first Friday of every month. The next scheduled event is on Friday, Dec. 5. For more information, visit http://artcabo.com/art-district/ or http://artistsoftodossantos.com/.
New Year’s Eve Parties
The biggest New Year’s Eve parties in Los Cabos are typically held at luxury hotels and restaurants on Mêdano Beach, and punctuated at midnight with dazzling fireworks displays over Cabo San Lucas Bay. This year, however, center stage belongs to the Red Rocker. Hurricane Odile forced Sammy Hagar to cancel his annual October birthday bashes. There just weren’t enough flights or hotel rooms at that time to accommodate his many fans. But the former Montrose and Van Halen frontman vowed he would return and help recovery efforts, and is making good on that promise with a free concert on New Year’s Eve at Cabo Wabo Cantina. Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis via email at webmaster@cabowabocantina.com. Hagar is using the concert to help promote contributions to the Los Cabos Children’s Foundation Odile Relief Fund, and donation boxes will be scattered throughout Cabo Wabo on the night of the show. For more information, visit http://www.cabowabocantina.com/cabo/news/.