by Rafael from Cancún asks Santa about palm trees, learns about the Yucatán Peninsula’s cenotes, and hears about Mexico’s Las Posadas continuing all the way to Cancún
Dear Santa, my name is Rafael and I am nine years old. I live in Cancún, Mexico, where my tío says the water near us is so clear and so blue that it barely looks real in photographs.
Dear Rafael, I have flown low over that water myself, and your tío’s description does not do it full justice, honestly.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, what is a Christmas palm tree? Our whole street wraps lights around the palm trees instead of using an indoor tree, and I think it looks amazing every year.
It genuinely does, Rafael, and wrapping lights around a palm tree is a wonderfully festive way of adapting the tradition to a warm coastal climate. I always enjoy seeing palm trees glowing along the shoreline as I fly in.
My second question is about our region. My teacher says there are huge natural sinkholes filled with clear water hidden in the ground near us. Are cenotes really that special?
They are, Rafael. Cenotes are natural sinkholes found throughout the Yucatán Peninsula, formed when limestone collapses to reveal clear underground pools, some connected to vast cave systems. Flying over that hidden network of hidden blue pools each December is one of the more mysterious, beautiful parts of my route.
My third question is about Las Posadas. My family walks with our neighbors for nine nights before Christmas, even though we live near the beach instead of somewhere colder. Why does that tradition still happen here?
Las Posadas is celebrated across Mexico, Rafael, warm coastal towns and cooler mountain regions alike, since the tradition is rooted in a shared story rather than a particular climate. Neighbors gathering together, singing, and eventually welcoming each other in reflects the same spirit of hospitality no matter where in Mexico it happens, sunshine or snow.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Rafael Torres
Cancún, Mexico
P.S. Do the reindeer like the beach?
Surprisingly, yes, Rafael. Dasher has requested a short beach stop for years now.
