After admiring the Epcot Christmas tree, we entered World Showcase and turned left towards the Mexico Pavilion. We made a pit stop first for some food as by now it was a lunch time and we had already skipped breakfast.
The Festival of the Holidays is like a much smaller Food & Wine Festival, with Holiday Kitchens serving traditional fayre from around the world. In addition there is also entertainment and storytelling, making it feel very festive indeed!
Festival of The Holidays – Mexico Pavilion
Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen
Tostada de Tinga – Crispy Corn Tortilla smothered with Black Beans, topped with Chipotle Chicken and garnished with Crema Mexicana, Queso Fresco, Avocado, and Tomatillo Sauce ($5.75)
Tamal de Chilorio – Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder, marinated in Ancho Paste and stuffed in a Corn Masa. Served with Salsa Tres Chile and garnished with Crema Mexicana and Queso Fresco ($6.25)
Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen » Festival of The Holidays
Total Paid: $12.78
Liam got himself a portion of Nachos – Tortilla Chips topped with Ground Beef, Nacho Cheese, Tomatoes, Jalapeños, Beans, and Sour Cream ($11.50) from La Cantina de San Angel, because for him, nachos is life! And also because he didn’t want anything from the Holiday Booth.
There was a Coco/Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) alter set up which I guess was because of the release of the film in 2017.
The sign reads:
Dia de Los Muertos
Dia de Los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead”, is a holiday filled with joy and remembrance for families. It is celebrated over three days, beginning on the eve of All Hallows Eve, or October 31st, and ending on the eve of the Day of the Dead, November 2nd. It is the belief that for these days, the spirits of loved ones are allowed to come back and join the living to visit their families.
The holiday is celebrated with the creation of ofrendas, or altars, to honor loved ones and to help them make their journey back. Water is left in a pitcher to quench the spirits’ thirst. Papel picado, or paper banners, are representative of the wind, and the earth is represented by traditional food and bread. Fire represented by candles is in place to guide the way.
It is believe that the golden cempasuchil flower, a type of marigold used to decorated graves of loved ones, also serves to guide the spirits from the cemetery to their family’s home. Families leave toys and calaveras, or sugary skulls, for the children, and they leave food, pictures and mementos of the deceased. The celebrations often include music, dancing, and lively festivals with food and activities that the dead enjoyed in life.
The beautiful traditions of Dia de Los Muertos inspired Coco, the Disney Pixar film. Coco centers on a young boy named Miguel who lives in Santa Cecilia, loves music, and finds himself on an unexpected journey to the Land of the Dead. The film captures the heart and uplifting spirit of Dia de Los Muertos and the importance of family.
Now, El Mariachi Coco de Santa Cecilia celebrates Dia de Los Muertos right here in Epcot with performances capturing the wonderful music of the film!
The Dia de Los Muertos area was beautiful with all of the marigolds in shades of orange, and the sugar skulls and candles. We didn’t see the mariachi band for Coco, but we did see them for Feliz Navidad…
We caught the tail end of this performance, so wasn’t really sure as to what was going on! But what we did see was entertaining, and we joined in when they sang Feliz Navidad, which is one of my favourite Christmas songs!
Each Pavilion in Epcot World Showcase had a scroll with details about how the Holidays are celebrated in their country which I thought was a nice touch.
We didn’t get to all of the the Pavilions during this trip, which was a shame (but always an excuse to visit again at this time of year!). Of the scrolls we did see, I will type out what is on them, just in case they’re tricky to read. Plus they are an interesting read, and this is the International Festival of The Holidays!
Mexico
Beautiful candlelight processions, happy sounds of children laughing, and sweet smells of the season make Christmas in Mexico a magical, meaningful time of community.
In Mexico, Christmas is called La Navidad and its main celebration is Las Posadas, which means “shelter.” During Las Posadas, Mexican families recreate the journey of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem. For nine nights, beginning December 16, Mexican children dress up like the holy family and visit their neighbors as part of a candlelight procession. Beautifully carved nacimientos (nativity scenes) are displayed in homes. Each night, after Mary and Joseph are welcomed in, the prayers and festivities begin!
The holiday festivities continue with Dia De Los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day) celebrated on January 6. This tradition commemorates the day the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem bringing gifts to baby Jesus.
On the eve of Three Kings Day, Mexican children leave their shoes on their doorsteps. When they awaken in the morning, they are delighted to discover wonderful toys and gifts in and around their shoes.
I loved the decorations in the Mexico Pavilion with their fuchsia pink bows and baubles, and the more traditional ornaments tucked in too – so pretty!