How Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico Are Celebrating Christmas in 2025—The Shocking Traditions That Will Leave You Speechless!

Published on December 9, 2025

As 2025 approaches its festive season, Christmas remains a moment when Latin Americans celebrate community, heritage and faith. Government offices and official tourism boards across the continent emphasize traditions, safety and cultural preservation. While each country has its own customs, there is a common thread of family gatherings, public festivities and a deep respect for cultural heritage. The following sections highlight what visitors and residents can expect in 2025 across Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador (Galápagos) and Mexico.

Peru

In Peru the authorities use the Christmas season to remind citizens and visitors of their responsibility to protect cultural heritage. The government announced that it will remain on alert during the Christmas–New Year holidays to prevent damage to archaeological and historical sites. Officials will work with law‑enforcement agencies to patrol heritage areas and will respond to calls from the public; crimes against cultural heritage carry penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment[1]. Visitors are urged to respect sacred sites, refrain from lighting candles or fireworks near archaeological structures and report any suspicious activity. Beyond these protective measures, Peruvians celebrate with church services, nativity scenes and traditional foods such as roast turkey and hot chocolate. December’s warm summer weather encourages outdoor gatherings, and families often share panetón (sweet bread) and chocolatada. Communities also organize charity events and share gifts with children. In 2025, expect a combination of festive gatherings and ongoing vigilance over Peru’s priceless heritage.

Brazil

Brazil hosts some of the largest Christmas festivals in Latin America. One of the best‑known is Natal Luz in Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul. The 2025 edition will celebrate the festival’s fortieth anniversary and will run from late October 2025 through mid‑January 2026[2]. Gramado is transformed into a city of lights, with decorations along streets and plazas, free shows and parades and paid spectacles. Official tourism information notes that the festival offers over three hundred attractions, including evening parades with reindeer exhibitions, music shows, a singing tree and the ritual of switching on the lights[3]. Paid events include the “Fantástica Fábrica de Natal” show, a performance called Nativitaten that recounts the birth of Christ and a grand parade with floats and Santa Claus[4]. Natal Luz typically begins in late October and fills Gramado with lights through December[5]. Other Brazilian cities also mount spectacular displays; in Natal the beaches host illuminated trees and markets, while Rio de Janeiro’s floating Christmas tree lights up the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. In 2025, Brazil’s holiday season will offer music, fireworks and cultural shows, supported by government and private partnerships.

Argentina

Christmas in Argentina takes place during summer, so celebrations occur outdoors and dinners often feature cold dishes. The government’s national holiday calendar lists December 25 as a fixed public holiday for Christmas and December 8 as a holiday for the Immaculate Conception[6]. Argentines usually gather on Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) for a family dinner that reflects the country’s culinary heritage. Official tourism information describes typical dishes such as roast pork (lechón) or a barbecue (asado), accompanied by ensalada rusa (a potato and vegetable salad) and layered savoury pancakes[7]. Because temperatures are high, salads and cold cuts are popular. At midnight families exchange gifts and toast with cider or sparkling wine; desserts include pan dulce, nougats (turrones), mantecol and a lemon‑and‑champagne sorbet known as lemon champ[8]. December 25 is usually a quiet day for rest and visiting friends. In 2025 visitors can expect lively markets, fireworks at midnight and festive misa criolla concerts in city squares, while beach towns combine holiday traditions with summer tourism.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s Christmas season mixes religious observance with community festivals. In the mountain community of Monteverde, the Los Amigos School Christmas Fair gives residents and travellers an opportunity to purchase crafts and presents from local artisans, enjoy music and food and support the school; a parade called “Monteverde Shines” features marching bands and decorated floats[9]. In the Tarrazú region, the Christmas Festival is held on the third Saturday of December in San Marcos de Tarrazú. According to the official cultural agenda, the event maintains traditions such as reciting the rosary and staging a Christmas posada. It also features a children’s show, concerts with local and national artists, and a parade of marching bands and floats from institutions like the fire department and cooperatives[10]. The festival continues into the evening with floats and marching bands that traverse the main streets[11]. Across Costa Rica, cities light up parks and central avenues, while churches hold Christmas pageants and midnight mass. For 2025, travellers can expect eco‑friendly decorations and opportunities to engage with local traditions in both rural and urban settings.

Colombia

Colombia welcomes the Christmas season with festivals that emphasize cultural heritage and community. In Bogotá the iconic Sabana station hosts the Festival de la Vida Sabanera, which signals the start of the holiday period. The festival includes a craft and artisanal market, biocultural tours highlighting local history, workshops in wood‑turning and traditional cooking and a programme of circus shows and concerts[12]. Organized by cultural institutions and community organisations, the event opens the station to residents and visitors and encourages participation in heritage activities. Other Colombian cities celebrate the Alumbrado Navideño, where millions of lights adorn parks and rivers; Medellín’s River Walk is famous for its light sculptures. In Cali, the Feria de Cali begins after Christmas and features salsa concerts and parades. In 2025 the government expects these celebrations to continue, while security campaigns will focus on the safe use of fireworks and the protection of cultural sites.

Ecuador (Galápagos)

Ecuador’s holiday traditions are rich and diverse, extending to the Galápagos Islands. The national tourism board highlights processions called Pase del Niño, in which images of the Christ child are paraded through towns on Christmas Eve. The most famous is the “Pase del Niño Viajero” in Cuenca, where residents dress in colourful costumes and take part in a parade on 24 December; the event is recognised as part of Ecuador’s intangible cultural heritage[13]. In Riobamba more than a thousand processions move through the streets, accompanied by dancers, bands and comparsas[13]. Nativity scenes are a key element: the museum in Quito’s San Francisco convent displays nativity figures made from wood, recycled plastic and corn husks, and the Panecillo hill hosts a giant illuminated nativity scene with over 19 000 lights[14]. As the year ends, Ecuadorians build effigies called Años Viejos and burn them at midnight; the Avenida Amazonas in Quito and Guayaquil’s 6 de Marzo street showcase elaborate figures representing political and cultural personalities[15]. Men dressed as “widows” ask for coins and perform dances before the effigies are burned[16]. Many families also follow New‑Year rituals such as eating twelve grapes, running with suitcases to ensure travel, wearing yellow clothing and taking baths infused with herbs for good luck[17]. In 2025 visitors to the Galápagos can join local communities in these national traditions while enjoying seasonal wildlife tours and clear skies.

Mexico

In Mexico, Christmas celebrations span nine days of posadas, culminating in major public events organized by municipal governments. The city of León, Guanajuato, provides an example of how local authorities blend tradition with community development. On 5 December 2025 León launched its “Agenda Navideña 2025”, a programme of cultural, recreational and traditional activities held in parks and public spaces. The agenda was designed to strengthen family bonds, reactivate public spaces and celebrate traditions that define local identity[18]. Activities take place in emblematic parks and include the second edition of the Feria de la Piñata in the San Juan de Dios neighbourhood from 13 to 22 December[19]. The fair invites artisans, producers and merchants to exhibit piñatas and other crafts, keeping alive an artisanal practice considered part of the city’s cultural heritage[20]. Local officials highlight the importance of bringing the “magic of Christmas” into community spaces and emphasize that the festival supports the local economy and tourism[21]. Across Mexico, similar programmes light city squares, and tradition calls for gatherings in neighbours’ homes to reenact Joseph and Mary’s search for shelter, culminating in the breaking of piñatas. At midnight on Christmas Eve families share a meal that often features cod, turkey or tamales, followed by a day of rest on 25 December. The country’s final holiday period continues through Epiphany (6 January), when children receive gifts from the Three Kings. In 2025 Mexico’s emphasis on community, family and crafts ensures that visitors will experience both festive illuminations and heartfelt traditions.

Conclusion

Christmas in 2025 across these Latin American destinations will blend time‑honoured rituals with contemporary celebrations. Governments and tourism boards are actively promoting cultural events, protecting heritage sites and encouraging responsible tourism. Whether it is the illuminated parades of Brazil, the summer barbecues of Argentina, the artisan fairs of Costa Rica, the craft markets of Colombia, the heritage processions of Ecuador, or the community piñata fairs of Mexico, travellers will find that Latin America’s 2025 holiday season offers a rich tapestry of experiences grounded in shared values of family, faith and cultural pride.