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'Feliz Navidad!'
In 1828, the American minister to Mexico, Joel R. Poinsett, brought a red-and-green plant from Mexico to America. As its coloring seemed perfect for the new holiday, the plants, which were called poinsettias after Poinsett, began appearing in greenhouses as early as 1830. In 1870, New York stores began to sell them at Christmas. By 1900, they were a universal symbol of the holiday.

In Mexico, paper mache sculptures called piñatas are filled with candy and coins and hung from the ceiling. Children then take turns hitting the piñata until it breaks, sending a shower of treats to the floor. Children race to gather as much of of the loot as they can.

Have a totally tropical Christmas and a blazing New Year's blast in Mexico!

Getting a great head start on the rest of the world, Mexicans start celebrating on December 16. It seems that there are so many Christmas activities, they have to take several weeks to enjoy them all!

Nativity Scenes are very common. In fact, Mexicans revere the Nativity so much that they recreate it with "Las Posadas". This is a time of grand celebration and gathering. Many people take part in a reenactment of the Birth of Christ. Many will also attend "Pastorelas" or plays about the shepards and their visit from the angel. In the spirit of a warm holiday, the outdoor markets offer sunny shopping and cool Christmas crafts. And to think, all these festivities last through 9 days!

Some Mexican children will get a visit from St. Nick this year, but many have another special Christmas spirit who brings gifts and joy. On Christmas Eve, kids can expect a visit from "el Ni-o Dios". The Holy Child brings gifts to the good girls and boys. Then on January 6, the three Wiseman come to visit for "Reyes Magos". The Magi leave more gifts for the children, sometimes in their shoes!

Many Mexican families attend a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. The Birth of Christ is very much the central theme to the Mexican celebration, and this is a grand change from the commercialized American Christmas. The Christmas trees have to travel a good way, and that drives up the price. Usually, full sized trees are only found in the homes of the wealthy, but many others find a way to honor the evergreen by adding ornaments to a small branch or shrub.

To decorate for a Mexican Christmas, be sure to add some of the beautiful red poinsettias or "La Flor De Noche Buena". They have been a Christmas tradition throughout much of the world since an American ambassador introduced it to South Carolina in the 1820's. A well-dressed Mexican Christmas home would also have to have a piñata! As part of the fun, the children gather around and smack it with sticks until they are showered by the candy explosion!

The Mexican Christmas festival is an impressive sight, with elaborate decorations and celebrations for nearly a month! The holiday is overwhelming in its magnitude, but amazingly, in all this revelry the people rarely lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas!

The Grant Beach Neighborhood Betterment Association is a group of citizens working together to maintain and improve the quality of living in our area. We meet monthly on a regular basis to address neighborhood concerns, and encourage residents to start smaller neighborhood watch groups in their block. We believe that people should actively participate as citizens in a democracy and as neighbors in in a community. We are a group of citizens interested in working together to maintain and improve the living quality of our neighborhood, motivate the city to address our concerns, be a spawning ground for neighborhood watch programs and build a sense of community among us. Working together, there is little that cannot be done, working apart there is little that can be done.

Mission Statement: "Improving the quality of life in our neighborhood"

This website is simply a tool we use to help keep our neighbors connected to each other, to their neighborhood and to their City of Springfield, Missouri. Please consider attending the monthly meeting. Potluck Dinner for the whole family and Free child care for the meeting

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