What was Christmas like in America’s Southwest Frontier?

It’s 1824… the warm dusty streets are filled with all the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas!  Biscochos, piñon smoke, farolitos, las posadas, and mariachi!

Maybe this sounds like Christmas in another country to you!
Nope!  These are all some of the things Josefina Montoya loved about Christmas in her beloved Santa Fe!
While Christmas in the early 1800’s wasn’t being celebrated in a big way in most places in America just yet, Christmas was a very special and important part of the culture of New Mexico!
If you want to add to this Christmas study, you can learn all about Josefina and what life was like in 1824 in the America’s Southwest Frontier Unit Study.

This is the second post in the Hands-On History Holiday series, and I hope you and your family will enjoy living, loving, and learning together this season-  STRESS FREE!

I suggest starting with the first post, “A Colonial Christmas- Hands-On Holidays“, even if you aren’t going to be using that one.  You’ll find LOTS of ideas at the beginning of that post on how to cover “school” during the holidays,  but also get all your Christmas cooking, gift making, and shopping done and somehow still have time to make all those wonderful, warm holiday memories with your kids!

+A Colonial Christmas  (PDF Version)
+A Colonial Christmas   (Printable Power Pack!)

+A Southwestern Frontier Christmas
+A Southwestern Frontier Christmas  (PDF Version)
+A Southwestern Frontier Christmas  (Printable Power Pack!)

+A Pioneer Christmas
+A Pioneer Christmas ( PDF Version)

+A Civil War Christmas
+A Turn of the Century Christmas
+A World War II Christmas

+An Ancient History of Christmas

How to use this Hands-On Christmas Unit Study:

First, go read these posts -> Christmas School   or   An American Girl Christmas
You will find the whole idea behind this series, and also how to keep homeschooling through the holidays.

Next, look through the America’s Southwest Frontier Christmas Hands-On History study below.
There is online reading to introduce each topic, extra books/movie suggestions, and of course LOTS of hands-on projects for each topic of study.
You’ll also find ideas for Christmas binders (directions for that in the AG Christmas post above), which I HIGHLY recommend trying!  I bring out my own children’s Christmas binders each year.  They make really sweet keepsakes.
Do be sure to check out the companion  Southwest American Christmas Printable POWER Pack  and the Southwest Frontier Christmas PDF Version.

REMEMBER you do NOT have to complete all of these activities.
I intentionally add a large list of ideas so families can choose which ones they like best!
Choose the stories, activities, and projects you want, and the ones that will help you get your Christmas baking and gift making done!

So this year, make the HOLIDAY the lesson, and have FUN!

Make some sweet and spicy biscochos, decorate your home with some farolitos, craft some beautiful Southwestern ornaments, or learn a favorite Christmas carol in Spanish!   You could even go all out and organize (or participate in) a local Las Posadas !

The point is to ENJOY this special time with your family!  

*Note: Most of the links below are to free resources I have found online. However, there are some that link directly to a resource on Amazon. You may already have these in your home, or find them in your local library.  If you click on the link and make a purchase on Amazon, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
THANK YOU so much for supporting my work!

*A Southwestern Frontier Christmas- An Introduction*

While some of the Christmas traditions you learned about in the Colonial Christmas unit were probably quite familiar sounding, but many of the traditions we will learn about in this unit are quite different!  Christmas on the Southwest Frontier was full of colors, and music, stories, and light!  The Pueblo Indians who lived there first, didn’t celebrate Christmas, but the people that came to the area later brought Christmas traditions from their homelands of Spain and Mexico.  There’s nothing quite as beautiful and unique as Christmas in New Mexico!
I think you’re going to LOVE reading about it, making some beautiful Southwestern Christmas decorations,  and trying out a few very old Christmas recipes from the families of Santa Fe!  Tasting history is definitely a good way to learn! 😀
Christmas celebrations started on December 12th and lasted all the way through January 6th!
By the time you have completed this study, you might be trying to convince your family to celebrate a Southwestern Christmas EVERY year!!

*Last note:
Reading is first in each section.  I know I said this was a HANDS-ON Frontier Christmas, and it is!
This first section is just to give you an overall introduction to what Christmas was like in New Mexico in the early 1800’s.
This is the ONLY section without hands-on projects.  If you’re super excited and want to start one of the projects right away, scroll on down and pick one!  There are plenty of ideas !

For an overview before you get started, you may like to watch this video, Christmas In New Mexico (about 38 minutes) and read this short article, High Country Nochebuena , that gives a great overview of how all of the cultures of New Mexico come together at Christmas.

+Read!

+Online Reading

*All About New Mexico
*Mexico or New Mexico?
*Explore Josefina’s Rancho

*Christmas In America’s Southwestern Frontier:
–Christmas On The American Frontier
-Excerpts from the diary of Major Lawrence Taliaferro- Christmas 1827.
(You may wish to read this yourself before sharing it with your children. It is very interesting
but may be offensive to some.)
-Christmas in Frontier
This is set in Oklahoma, but it gives a good idea of what living during this time was like!
-You may also like to choose from this list of Christmas Short Stories in American Literature

*Christmas Traditions in New Mexico:
–What Is Nochebuena ?
–How To Celebrate Las Posadas
–Las Posadas Christmas Skit to try!
–Three Kings Day
–Poinsettias and Christmas

* Josefina’s Surprise
(This is Josefina’s Christmas story!   I found it read aloud on YouTube…scroll to #4 to begin!)

*List of other Frontier America Books/Movies/Resources 

+Watch!

*Santa Fe And The Trail
(This is an old movie, but really enjoyable and educational!)
* Rancho de las Golondrinas    or   Tour of El Rancho de Las Golondrinas
Take a video field trip to Rancho de las Golondrinas to see what Josefina’s rancho might have looked like!
*Christmas in New Mexico   (38 minutes)
*New Mexico Christmas  
(cute song with images of Christmas in New Mexico today)
*Christmas Stories As Told From El Rancho De Las Golondrinas
*Noche Buena!
*Twas the Nochebuena!
*The Night of Las Posadas
*The Legend of the Poinsettia

+Explore More!

*New Mexico Games Online
*American Girl Josefina Games
*New Mexico History Museum Virtual Field Trip
*Interactive Tour of The Santa Fe Trail

+EXTRAS:
(These are links to books for purchase.  Remember to look at your local library or your own bookshelf first!)

*The Night of Las Posadas
*The Legend of the Poinsettia
*Josefina’s Surprise
*Las Posadas: A Christmas Musical for Children
*Nine Days to Christmas
*Santa’s Sleigh Is On It’s Way To New Mexico
*I Saw Santa in New Mexico
*The Glowing Heart
*Josefina:  Sunlight and Shadows
*Changes for Josefina

*Southwestern Frontier Christmas Cooking*

Christmas for Josefina and her family in New Mexico was a feast for the senses!  Santa Fe, the Land of Enchantment, would be abuzz with music, light, and celebration!  As Josefina gathered together with her sisters and her Tia Dolores to prepare the food for the holiday, imagine the smells of the spicy dried chilies being ground for the stew, the warm, sweet smell of cinnamon sprinkled biscochitos baking in the stone oven, and maybe even a special, small pot of champurrado simmering!  Now imagine yourself somewhere along the Santa Fe Trail… not quite yet to Santa Fe.  If you were a trader on the trail, your holiday meal would have smelled and tasted a whole lot different!   Christmas dinner a la Santa Fe Trail would have likely consisted of some salt pork or bacon fried up, maybe some hard dumplings made of corn, flour, and lard… and if you were very fortunate, a Christmas apple and a cup of hot coffee!

+Read and Watch!
*Frontier Foods
*The Santa Fe Trail-  A Taste of History  (Video- 24 minutes)
*Mexican Food 1800’s   (Video- about 4 minutes)
*History and How To Make Champurrado  (Video- about 5 minutes)
*Making Biscochitos !   (Video)

*NatGeo History of Chocolate Unit
(Great background and the perfect into before you set up “science” in the kitchen and make your own Champurrado!)
*History of Hot Chocolate Unit Study
*Rosca de Reyes History
*History of Biscochitos
*Who Made The First Tamales?
*What Is Atole?

+Try It!
The rich, spice filled foods found on the family’s Southwestern Frontier Christmas table are absolutely AMAZING!  The flavors are thousands of years of HISTORY in a bite!   You’ll find soups, punches, salads, and sweets combining all the delicate flavors of Spain, mixed with the bittersweet chocolate and cinnamon of Mexico, and the spicy chilies of New Mexico!
**Remember to make a double batch of whatever recipes you try.  These will make unique and delicious GIFTS for friends, neighbors, and family!

*Josefina Recipes From Peek Into The Pantry:
–Josefina’s Champurrado
–Josefina’s New Mexican Hot Chocolate
–Josefina’s Flan
–Josefina’s Pumpkin Pastel
–Josefina’s Carne Asada
–Josefina’s Green Chile Stew
–Josefina’s Chicken Enchiladas
–Josefina’s 3 Bean Tortilla Soup
–Josefina’s Chicken Fajitas

*Traditional Southwestern Christmas Foods:
–Christmas Tamales   or  Instant Pot Tamales
(Use this recipe and host a tamalada!  See the Holiday Entertaining section below for all the ideas!)
–Ponche Navideño
–Foods to Celebrate Dia de Los Reyes
–Easy Rosca de Reyes Buns
–New Mexico Empanadas
–Biscochitos
–Mexican Hot Chocolate
–Pan Dulce
–Ensalada de Nochebuena
–Polvorones
–History of Polvorones
–Sopapillas
(These are a perfect side for Pozole or the Green Chile Stew!)
–Buñuelos

*Food On the Trail
–Santa Fe Trail Beef and Beans Casserole
–Pan de Campos
–Pemmican and Jerky
–Cowboy Flapjacks
–Corn Mush
–Fried Apples

+EXTRAS:

+Links to some ingredients to make your own tasty treats!  Though most of this is readily available in my Texas grocery stores, I decided to add this for anyone who might have trouble finding these things-  plus, this makes it EASY!
*Champurrado Mix
*Masa For Tamales
*Tamale Kit  (seasonings and corn husks)
*New Mexico Dried Whole Chile Peppers
*Bunuelos Mix
(I’ve bought this mix and it’s pretty good…very close to the ones I ate on Sundays when I lived there!  These are from Peru, not Mexico, but they’re pretty much the exact same including the delicious piloncillo (chancaca in Peru) sauce!)
*Pemmican

+These are links to books for purchase.  Remember to look at your local library or your own bookshelf first!
*Josefina’s Cookbook
(Be sure to check out the used books which are MUCH cheaper.  This one is pricey as it is no longer in print!)
*Navidad Means Christmas:  A New Mexican Holiday Story
*Gaby’s Latin American Kitchen: 70 Kid-Tested and Kid-Approved Recipes for Young Chefs
*Too Many Tamales
*Twas Nochebuena

*Southwestern Frontier Christmas Homemade Decorations*

Christmas decorations for most folks on the Frontier would have been very simple.  Holly and berries tucked into shelves or atop the table.  Pieces of cloth or ribbon tied on their Christmas tree (if they even had one).  Homemade paper decorations strung about.   BUT as we are learning about New Mexico, the Christmas decorations there would, like pretty much everything else, be COLORFUL and FUN!
Christmas wasn’t celebrated everywhere in America in the 1800’s the same way as it was in the Southwest.   The Spanish and Mexican people living there again created a wonderful, meaningful, and exciting Christmas season!  The festivities lasted (and still do) all the way into January!  And we think our holiday season starts early nowadays!

+Read and Watch!

*Farolitos or Luminarias?
*Watch and learn about the History of Luminarios… er… Farolitos
*Listen to these stories-
+Farolitos For Abuelo
+Carlos, Light the Farolito

*Ristras
(It is interesting to note that the chile harvest is in late fall.  After harvesting the chilies, they are sewn into bunches and hung to dry.  Since this happens right before the Christmas season, by default ristras have become to be associated with Christmas decorating in New Mexico!)

*Poinsettias
*Listen to The Legend of The Poinsettia

*Nacimientos

+Try It!
*Note: Most of these homemade decorations/ornaments would also make GREAT gifts to give !
I have linked a few of the materials that might be harder to find in the *Extras* section below.

*DIY Nativity Projects
–Lego Nativity Project
(If you have a Lego loving kid in your house, they’ll LOVE this project!!)
–Free Printable Nativity
(You could also make this extra SIMPLE and glue these printables onto toilet paper/paper towel tubes and have them stand alone… or laminate and glue magnet pieces on the back for an interactive Nativity!)
–Blocks Nativity Craft
(I think this is such a cute and easy idea!  You could even use old wooden blocks, stones, plastic cups turned upside down, etc…   I LOVE projects that I can do from things I already have lying around the house!!)

*Make your own Ristra Decoration!
*Try these Mini Ristras or use them as ornaments to hang on your Christmas tree!

*Paper Poinsettias
(YouTube how-to – in Spanish, but you will be able to easily follow along!)
*DIY Poinsettias 
*Poinsettia Ornaments
*Paper Flowers
(Remember, Josefina had a very special love for flowers !)

*Make Your Own Luminarias/Farolitos

*Piñata Ornaments  or  these  Mini Piñata Ornaments
*Ojos De Dios 
*Papel Picado Banners    (Templates in all levels of difficulty)
*Try a new take on a Gingerbread House
*Star Popsicle Stick Ornaments
(add a piece of yarn to hang these as ornaments on your tree)

*Three Kings Ornaments
*Las Posadas Ornaments
(These would make really cute gifts too)

+EXTRAS-
*Beginner Sewing Nativity Set
(THIS IS SO CUTE!!! )
*Wooden Nativity Set – Paint or Color with permanent markers!
*Wooden DIY Nativity Set
(I bought one of these from Family Dollar-  it is much thinner and won’t stand on it’s own.  This one looks like something that could be used as a keepsake for years to come!   You could paint this one solid color, or decoupage on pretty paper!)
*4 Mexican Celebration Paper Crafts Kit
*Plain White Luminary Bags
*Holiday Mini Hole Punches
*Small Dried Chilies  (for making ornaments or mini ristras)

*Southwestern Frontier Christmas Holiday Gift Making*

As exuberant as New Mexico’s Christmas history was, exchanging piles of gifts was not part of their usual holiday.  What you would find was that people stopped in to visit with one another much more often, and when they did, they were likely to find a warm bowl of special Christmas stew, or a plate of polvorones, or a steaming cup of champurrado waiting to welcome them.  Gifts were simple and meaningful and usually exchanged only between family members. In the story, “Josefina’s Surprise”, Josefina received a special doll with beautifully sewn clothes.
When making your own gifts from this study, remember that you can go back and make some of the traditional foods or ornaments to give as gifts too!

+Read and Watch!
(Many of the links in the “Try It” section include reading and an explanation of the history behind the arts and crafts!)
*Christmas Season In Mexico History
(WOW!  I had never heard of Noche de Rábanos!  Fascinating!)
*The History Of Christmas In Mexico
*What Are Albrijes?
*A Pig For Christmas?
*Mexican Rag Dolls
(Like the one Josefina was given for Christmas)

+Try It!
*Carved Wood Gifts
(Or you could be very authentic and use radishes 😀 !!  )
*Mexican Mirrors
(These would be so pretty as a garland or on a Christmas tree!!!)
*Flowers Headband
(You could use silk flowers or paper flowers!)
*Pinch Pots
*Alebrijes
(These would also make lovely ornaments!)
*No Sew Mexican Rag Doll
*Mexican Folk Art Birds
*Fiesta Skirts
*DIY Rebozo
*Memory Boxes
*Christmas Sewing Projects For Kids
(Josefina loved to sew!  Try one of these projects and make someone a special gift!)
*Colcha Embroidered Placemat
*Easy Knitting Projects For Children
*Build Your Own Loom and Weave !
*Simple Woven Rug Project For Kids
*Corn Husk Dolls
*Cup & Ball Games

*Food Gifts For Friends & Family:
(You can make any of the recipes found in the Southwestern Frontier Christmas Cooking section above as well!)
–Marranitos
–New Mexico Chile Jelly
–Josefina’s Champurrado or Mexican Hot Chocolate Kits
(You can put your own twist on this!  Fill a bag with all the ingredients for some traditional Christmas Hot Chocolate!  Add an extra touch of love by decorating the bag with a mini ristra or cinnamon sticks!)
–Piñon Brittle
–Piñon Mexican Wedding Cookies

+Extras-
*Josefina’s Craft Book
*Embroidery Kit
*Wood Carving Kit
*Pig Cookie Cutter
*Piñon Nuts
*Wooden Craft Box   (Unfinished)

*Southwestern Frontier Christmas Fun*

There was no shortage of Christmas celebrations in Josefina’s New Mexico!  Festivities started on December 12th and lasted all the way through January 6th!  Las Posadas, Nochebuena, Navidad, and Dia de Los Tres Reyes Magos are just a few of the special days.

*Read & Watch:
(You have already read about most of the traditional ways that families on the Southwestern Frontier celebrated and also some of the traditions that they still carry on.  This section is all about putting EVERYTHING you’ve learned in this unit together and celebrating YOURSELF!  Remember the heart of the season is celebrating the birth of Jesus, and sharing your JOY about that with your family and friends.

*Try It!

–Host a Tamalada !
I LOVE this beautiful holiday celebration!
Keep in mind that the purpose and heart of a tamalada is sharing this sweet tradition as a family.  Everyone is included somehow from the Littles to the abuelitas!  The goal is to keep this special family time alive and pass it down from generation to generation.  If this is the first time your family has tried this tradition, find a friend or neighbor who knows their tamales and invite them to show your family all the little tricks and tips!

-Celebrate Las Posadas and maybe host a Las Posadas Celebration
Here are some ideas:
–>How To Host a Las Posadas Celebration 
–>Las Posadas Ideas from Scholastic
+Learn the Las Posadas Song  (lyrics only)
or  Video Version (in English and in Spanish )

-Serve your neighbors with a “Chocolatada”  
( Think of this as a winter version of a Lemonade Stand!  Mexican Hot Chocolate & Pan Dulce or Biscochos !  The Chocolatada is really a Peruvian tradition -I LOVED IT !!, but it would easily fit into this theme and would make a wonderful activity for the kids !)

-Go Caroling… and add some Spanish Christmas Carols in!
(I’ll add some lyrics and some videos too!)
*Away In A Manger  (Jesús en Pesebre)
*Joy To The World   (¡Regocijad! Jesús Nació!)
*Silent Night   (Noche de Paz)

-Decorate Your Driveway or Your Street With Farolitos/Luminarias!
Get together with some neighbors and adorn your street with these beautiful paper lanterns!
My little hometown in North Carolina does this every year and it is such a lovely scene!  The night is called ‘The Spirit of Christmas’.  The whole town comes out to light the candles at dusk.  Businesses stay open and serve cookies and cocoa.  There is a live nativity at one church, and Christmas cantatas (concerts) at others.

-Set up a Nacimiento in your front yard.
This could be one that you make, or one that you buy.  Plan the display as beautiful as you can, everyone adding their own touches, and make the evening special by reading the story of Christmas from the Bible  (Luke 2).
Be creative… you could even wait to add the baby Jesus until Christmas morning!
OR if that project is too big, set aside a special evening to set up your nativity somewhere in your house!
Practice the same creativity and attention to detail as you really try to imagine each part of the story of Christ’s birth!

-Have a Piñata Birthday Party For Jesus!
What’s Christmas without a birthday party for Jesus, and what’s a birthday party without a piñata ?!?
Bake a birthday cake and hang that piñata!

*And, if you’d like to learn more about  America’s Southwestern Frontier, you can find LOTS more fun, hands-on history learning ideas with these FREE American Girl History Units.

*FREE Southwest Frontier America Unit Study – AG Josefina
+Josefina Printable Power Pack
+Southwest Frontier  (Josefina) Unit Study-  PDF Version
+Josefina- Frontier America Pinterest Board
+Southwestern Frontier (Josefina) Christmas Pinterest Board

–> Check out all the American Girl Printables in the Book Store!

If you loved this Unit Study, check out the Printable Power Packs and the live PDF Versions of the American Girl History Units all in a neat BUNDLE!
And nicely DISCOUNTED of course!

FREE Early American History Curriculum