The celebration of Christmas in a traditional Mexican manner is a series of events that involve scores of wonderful Mexican cuisine. Some of the Christmas food choices are favorites at any time of the year, while some are identified as traditional Christmas food that is rarely if ever served during the rest of the year. Here are a few examples of traditional Mexican food for Christmas celebrations.

Rather than the observance of one or two days, the traditional Mexican approach to Christmas involves almost three weeks of community and family events. Kicking off the celebration is the observance of posadas. Essentially, posadas honor the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, and their search for lodgings. Each evening of the posadas, neighborhood residents make their way to a designated home, where they seek food and hospitality. There is singing, readings and celebration. A piñata, filled with Christmas sweets, is broken, and everyone enjoys tamales, sweet fritters that are called, buñeulos, and a hot chocolate drink that is called chocolate caliente. For adults who want something with a little more kick, there is ponche con piquete, a hot punch this is made of blends of seasonal fruits and a shot of wine or spirits, served with a cinnamon stick.

A traditional Mexican food for Christmas Eve is a dish known as bacalao a la vizcaina. This colorful and eclectic dish includes salted cod that has been dried, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, olives, capers and bright red bell peppers. Often served with a selection of fruits and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, the dish is usually made in large quantities. This is because families tend to open their doors to others on Christmas Eve, especially persons with no family in the area. With a focus on being together and celebrating the birth of Jesus, hospitality dictates that there be plenty to eat and drink.

For Christmas Day, romeritos are not uncommon. Composed of such ingredients as dried shrimp and potatoes, romeritos provide a simple but effective example of traditional Mexican food for Christmas. Colorful red, yellow, and green bell peppers may be added to the mixture if desired. The ingredients are seasoned with a spice that is also called romerito, and is understood to be similar to rosemary. The mixture is cooked in what is known as mole sauce. Mole sauce is made with garlic, onions, chocolate, sugar, nuts, chili peppers, olive oil, and small amounts of toasted bread. Along with romeritos, such dishes as shrimp croquettes may also be served, with the mole sauce used as an accompaniment. Traditional Mexican food for Christmas tends to rely heavily on what is readily available, and often makes use of combinations that may seem unusual to persons from other culture.

At the end of the Christmas season on 6 January, a traditional Mexican food for Christmas is the sweet dish of rosca de Reyes. Essentially a bread that is shaped into the form of a Christmas wreath, the bread is often sweetened with spices, and includes small figurines of Jesus baked into the loaf. Usually, there is a glaze or sauce that is added to the top of the bread. Rosca de Reyes is only made during the first days of January, and is considered to be a final offering to the Christ child during the season.