The Niño Dios (literally Child God) of Mexico is a tradition of venerating the Child Jesus in Mexico, established from the time it was introduced in the 16th century and reconciled with pre-Hispanic elements to form some unique traditions. Veneration of the Child Jesus originally comes from European tradition, with the best-known examples being the Infant Jesus of Prague and the Holy Child of Atocha (Santo Niño de Atocha). The Spanish brought the tradition to Mexico after the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Since that time, the veneration has taken on indigenous elements and is considered to be one of the most deeply rooted Catholic traditions in the country.
Many Mexican Catholics have their own statues of the Child Jesus, who is honored and celebrated during the Christmas season especially on Christmas Eve and on Candlemas (February 2). One tradition unique to Mexico is to dress the statue in new clothing each year for presentation at Mass on Candlemas. The outfits can vary from representations of the saints, Aztec dress, football/soccer players, and more. There are also Niño Dios statues which are locally famous and honored year-round in Mexico.
Candlemas
Candlemas (Candelaria in Spanish) falls on February 2 and marks the end of the Christmas season. Nativity scenes generally remain up in Mexican homes until this day. Preparation for Candlemas begins on January 6 (Epiphany) when a ring-shaped sweet bread called Rosca de Reyes is shared. Hidden inside the Rosca is one or more miniature figures of an infant. Those who find these figures are obligated to meet on Candlemas and are responsible for buying tamales and drinks for the day. But, finding the figure may also signal a deeper commitment. It may mean that they must purchase an outfit for the family’s Niño Dios for one, two, or three years and that they might also need to buy an outfit for the miniature infant they found.
Each year, families bring the Niño Dios statue to Mass to be blessed on February 2. After Mass, they return home to celebrate, typically with tamales, buñuelos, atole, and hot chocolate. This tradition represents the Presentation of the Lord, when forty days after Jesus’s birth, Mary and Joseph took him to the Temple to be presented to the priests.
Tradition states that the Niño Dios statue must be dressed in a new outfit to be presented at Mass. The outfits vary widely but there are some popular ones. For those who observe the three year commitment, the statue is dressed in white for the first year, symbolizing purity. This is also the case if the statue being presented is new. Other common and traditional outfits include: Holy Infant of Atocha (Santo Niño de Atocha) seated on a chair with a crozier (Bishop's staff); Child of the Doves (Niño de las palomas) in a white robe with a dove between the hands; as Saint Francis with sandals and brown robe, holding an animal; and Child of the Lilies (Niño de las azucenas) with a white tunic and holding a bunch of lilies.
People typically begin purchasing outfits as early as December. Styles range from simply made outfits with inexpensive fabrics to elaborate creations in silk. The most common are silk, satin, cotton, and brocade decorated with silver or gold. Outfits are most commonly bought in traditional open markets called “tianguis.” Here, more original ones can be found and include outfits representing various saints, pre-Hispanic dress, mariachis, soccer players and ethnic dress of various nationalities. Some priests frown upon the non-traditional outfits and only want white.
Here at St. Raphael, it is a tradition that our Hispanic community, especially our Mexican community, bring the statues of the Child God to be blessed on February 2. All children attending Mass on this day are blessed, as well.