![NacimientoMNCP20](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/NacimientoMNCP20.JPG)
The ''Niño Dios'' (literally Child God) of Mexico is a tradition of venerating the
Child Jesus
The Christ Child, also known as Divine Infant, Baby Jesus, Infant Jesus, the Divine Child, Child Jesus, the Holy Child, Santo Niño, and to some as Señor Noemi refers to Jesus Christ from his nativity to age 12.
The four canonical gospels, ...
in Mexico which has taken root from the time it was introduced in the 16th century and then synchronized with pre-Hispanic elements to form some unique traditions.
Mexican Catholics have their own images of the Child Jesus, which is honored and celebrated during the Christmas season, especially on Christmas Eve and on
Candlemas
Candlemas (also spelled Candlemass), also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian holiday commemorating the presentati ...
(2 February). One tradition unique to Mexico is to dress the image in new clothing each year for presentation at Mass on Candlemas. This dress can vary from representations of the saints,
Aztec
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
dress, football/soccer players and more. Also, there are Niño Dios images which are locally famous and honored year-round.
History
![ChurchSantiagoZapotitlán03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/ChurchSantiagoZapotitl%C3%A1n03.JPG)
Veneration of the Child Jesus is a European tradition with the best-known examples being the
Infant Jesus of Prague
The Infant Jesus of Prague ( cs, Pražské Jezulátko: es, Niño Jesús de Praga) is a 16th-century wax-coated wooden statue of the Child Jesus holding a '' globus cruciger'' of Spanish origin, now located in the Discalced Carmelite Church of ...
and the
Santo Niño de Atocha
Holy Infant of Atocha, ''Santo Niño de Atocha'', ''Holy Child of Atocha'', ''Saint Child of Atocha'', or ''Wise Child of Atocha'' is a Roman Catholic image of the Christ Child popular among the Hispanic cultures of Spain, Latin America and t ...
. This
tradition was brought by the Spanish to Mexico after the
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire
The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, also known as the Conquest of Mexico or the Spanish-Aztec War (1519–21), was one of the primary events in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. There are multiple 16th-century narratives of the eve ...
; In Mexico this veneration has taken on indigenous elements,
and is considered to be one of the most deeply rooted Catholic traditions in Mexico.
Part of the reason for this was that native Mexicans already had traditions of representing deities in painting or sculpture with rites dedicated to that incarnation, including dramatizations.
One of the oldest traditions related to the Child Jesus in Mexico is the “pastorela,” a dramatization based on the birth of Jesus. The “Adoración de los Reyes Magos” (The
Adoration of the Magi
The Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the Kings is the name traditionally given to the subject in the Nativity of Jesus in art in which the three Magi, represented as kings, especially in the West, having found Jesus by following a star, ...
) was probably the first “pastorela” in Mexico which was organized by Friar Andrés de Olmos. It was written in
Nahuatl
Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller ...
and there were adaptations to indigenous culture in the script as well. The tradition of reenacting scenes from the birth of Christ was recognized by
Juan de Zumárraga
Juan de Zumárraga, OFM (1468 – June 3, 1548) was a Spanish Basque Franciscan prelate and the first Bishop of Mexico. He was also the region's first inquisitor. He wrote ''Doctrina breve'', the first book published in the Western Hemispher ...
, the first bishop of
New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...
who ordered that this practice be widespread for evangelization. Very early on, these reenactments began to vary by local custom and region and were most frequently done by the lower classes. The main theme of these works is the journey of the
Three Wise Men
3 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
3, three, or III may also refer to:
* AD 3, the third year of the AD era
* 3 BC, the third year before the AD era
* March, the third month
Books
* ''Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 n ...
to
Bethlehem
Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
, but demons try to get in their way. In most versions, the demons are vanquished by the
Archangel Michael
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
or another angel and the Wise Men arrive to their destination. Characters most often include shepherds, demons, angels and the Wise Men. Other characters sometimes appear such as Mary and Joseph, Indians, ranchers and monks. At the end of the play, all kiss the image of the infant Jesus.
Christmas Eve
![Fotos navidad 046](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Fotos_navidad_046.jpg)
Veneration of the Christ child is strongest during the Christmas season, which officially begins a week or so before Christmas Eve (with
posadas) and ends on Candlemas, 2 February. On Christmas Eve, the figure of the Christ child is laid into the Nativity scene in a celebration which is done in the home. This event is called “put the child to bed.” The figure is carried by one or more of the young women while the rest of the family sings lullabies or other children's and/or Christmas songs. Each member of the family kisses the image as they sing. The figure is laid in the manger, where it stays until the second of February.
This ceremony varies by family and by community. For example, in the community of Dzitnup, in the
municipality of Valladolid, the Maya people here have their own variation. In addition to the laying the child in the manger, there is a dance called “Abraham and Isaac.” This dance includes people who play the two main characters as well as devils. The dance is accompanies by a pre-Hispanic wind instrument called a “tunkul,” which is similar to the “teponatli” used in other states such as
Guerrero
Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...
and
Puebla
Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...
.
Another Christmas Eve tradition is for children to write letters to the Christ child, typically to ask for things like toys and clothes.
Candelaria
![NacimientoMNCP16](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/NacimientoMNCP16.JPG)
Candlemas (in Spanish, Candelaria), 2 February, marks the end of the Christmas season and nativity scenes generally remain intact in the home until this date. Preparation for Candelaria can begin on 6 January, known as "
Three Kings Day
Epiphany ( ), also known as Theophany in Eastern Christian traditions, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation ( theophany) of God incarnate as Jesus Christ.
In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not ...
". On this day, a ring-shaped sweet bread called a Rosca de Reyes is shared. Inside the Rosca, is one or more miniature figures of an infant are hidden. Those who find these figures have obligations to meet on Candelaria. These obligations always include being responsible for buying tamales and drinks for this day, but it can also signal a more serious commitment. It can mean that the person selected must purchase an outfit for the family's Niño Dios for one, two or three years. The person may also need to buy an outfit for the found miniature infant.
Each year, the Niño Dios of the household is brought to Mass on 2 February to be blessed. After the mass, the family returns home to celebrate, typically with
tamales
A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamales ...
,
buñuelos,
atole
''Atole'' (, from Nahuatl '' ātōlli'' ), also known as ''atolli'' and ''atol de elote'', is a traditional hot corn- and masa-based beverage of Mexican origin. Chocolate ''atole'' is known as ''champurrado'' or ''atole''. It typically accomp ...
and
hot chocolate
Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener like whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate ...
.
The tradition recalls that forty days after Jesus's birth, Mary and Joseph took the child to the Temple to present to the priests.
To present the Niño Dios at Mass, tradition states that the image must be dressed in a new outfit. These outfits can vary widely but a number are most popular. For those who observe the three year commitment, the image is dressed in white for the first year, symbolizing purity. This is also the case if the image being presented is new.
Other common and traditional outfits include
Santo Niño de Atocha
Holy Infant of Atocha, ''Santo Niño de Atocha'', ''Holy Child of Atocha'', ''Saint Child of Atocha'', or ''Wise Child of Atocha'' is a Roman Catholic image of the Christ Child popular among the Hispanic cultures of Spain, Latin America and t ...
with
crosier
A crosier or crozier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholi ...
and seated on a chair, “Niño de las palomas” (Child of the doves) in a white robe with a dove between the hands, as San Francisco with sandals and brown robe, holding an animal, or “Niño de las azucenas” (Child of the lilies) with a white tunic and holding a bunch of lilies.
The need to buy a new outfit each year has given rise to a market in outfits for the images. Purchase of the outfits generally begins as early as December and continues until 2 February. Outfits range from the very simple made with inexpensive fabrics to elaborate creations in silk. The most common outfits are made with silk, satin, cotton and brocades decorated with silver or gold. Stationery stores generally sell the most traditional of outfits and the more expensive ones.
However, these outfits are most commonly bought in traditional open markets called “
tianguis
A is an open-air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases e ...
.”
Here, more original ones can be found and can include various saints, pre-Hispanic dress,
mariachi
Mariachi (, , ) is a genre of regional Mexican music that dates back to at least the 18th century, evolving over time in the countryside of various regions of western Mexico. The usual mariachi group today consists of as many as eight violins, t ...
s, soccer players and ethnic dress of various nationalities. Custom orders are also taken.
Some priests frown upon the non-traditional outfits and only want white. Many of the outfits are original and some cause scandal, such as the Niño Dios dressed as a drug trafficker.
At the Casa de Cultura Griselda Alvarez in Mexico City, there was an exhibit of twenty four Niños Dios dressed in various ways: as a fisherman, as the Pope, as the
Archangel Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር ...
, as the Sacred Heart and as the Atocha. The collection is from the La Casa de los Niños Dios Uribe. The images vary and size from very small to very large and in material, mostly being of ceramic or wood.
Particular Niño Dios images
![ProcessionNiñopa16](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/ProcessionNi%C3%B1opa16.JPG)
In addition to the veneration of household Niños Dios during the Christmas season, there are a number of Child Jesus images that have year-round devotion. These Niños Dios often have a special place in the worship by Mexican Catholics, but sometimes they have been the objects of “kidnapping” and disputes. Most of the best-known images are in Mexico City and central Mexico.
Offerings to these images are usually toys or candy, a tradition related to offerings made to the dead for the afterlife in pre-Hispanic times.
![NiñoDiosAzteca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/Ni%C3%B1oDiosAzteca.JPG)
One of the earliest of the Niño Dios images in Mexico is the Niño Cautivo which is in the
Metropolitan Cathedral. It was sculpted in the 16th century by Juan Martinez Montañez in Spain and purchased by the cathedral. However, on its way to
Veracruz
Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...
, pirates attacked the ship it was on and sacked it. To get the image back, a large ransom was paid. Today, the image is in the Chapel of San Pedro or De las Reliquias.
Traditionally, the image has been petitioned by those seeking release from restrictions or traps, especially financial problems or drug addiction or alcoholism.
The cult to the Niño Cautivo is considered to be “inactive” by INAH.
However, this particular image has made a comeback since 2000 as one to petition when a family member is abducted and held for ransom.
Another famous Niño Dios is the
Niñopa
The Niñopa or Niñopan is the most venerated image of the Child Jesus in the Mexico City borough of Xochimilco. It was created over 430 years ago in the San Bernardino monastery, as part of evangelization efforts. Since then it has been in the po ...
(also written Niño-Paor Niñopan) of
Xochimilco
Xochimilco (; nci, Xōchimīlco, ) is a borough (''demarcación territorial'') of Mexico City. The borough is centered on the formerly independent city of Xochimilco, which was established on what was the southern shore of Lake Xochimilco in the ...
, which is also from the 16th century. This image originally belonged to an indigenous chief called El Viejo.
The name “Niño Pa” is a hybrid of the Spanish word for “child” (niño) and the Nahuatl word for “place” (pan) meaning “child of the place.” It is said that this image goes about at night to visit people in their dreams and to check the crops of the community. Some claim to have found mud on the image's shoes in the morning.
This image has been housed in one family's home or another for over 430 years. The host family who become its “godparents” or mayodomos for the year. To be a “godparent” for this image is a great honor in Xochimilco, with the list extending until 2035 with families waiting fifty years. The family prepares a special bedroom in their home to house the child for the year. Those families who have housed the image in past years have replicas of the Niño Pa.
![NiñoFutbolista1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Ni%C3%B1oFutbolista1.JPG)
It is claimed that this image made itself invisible when government soldiers came to claim it during the
Cristero War
The Cristero War ( es, Guerra Cristera), also known as the Cristero Rebellion or es, La Cristiada, label=none, italics=no , was a widespread struggle in central and western Mexico from 1 August 1926 to 21 June 1929 in response to the implementa ...
.
It was presumed that the image was made of orange tree wood because of the writings about it by Martín Serón y Alvarado. However, this was proven false in the 1970s, when the image was dropped and a finger broke off. It is made the wood from a tree called “chocolín” in the workshops of
Bernardino of Siena
Bernardino of Siena, OFM (8 September 138020 May 1444), also known as Bernardine, was an Italian priest and Franciscan missionary preacher in Italy. He was a systematizer of Scholastic economics. His preaching, his book burnings, and his " bon ...
in the 16th or 17th century.
![NiñoSuertes3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Ni%C3%B1oSuertes3.JPG)
The Niño de las Suertes has a strong following due to its association with
Santa Muerte
''Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte'' (; Spanish for Our Lady of Holy Death), often shortened to Santa Muerte, is a cult image, female deity, and folk saint in folk Catholicism and Religion in Mexico, Mexican Modern Paganism, Neopaganism. A pers ...
. While the image was created in the 19th century, its popular veneration is a recent phenomenon. The image was found by two evangelists in the rubble of the Hacienda of San Juan de Dios in
Tlalpan
Tlalpan ( nci, Tlālpan, , place on the earth, ) is a borough (''demarcación territorial'') in Mexico City. It is the largest borough, with over eighty percent under conservation as forest and other ecologically sensitive area. The rest, almost ...
. It was handed over to Archbishop Francisco Lizana y Beaumont. As a number of monasteries wanted to claim it, the archbishop decided to make the decision by lottery. It is said that this image favored the
Convent of San Bernardo due to the vow of poverty by its nuns. This was confirmed by doing the drawing three times. In the 19th century, due to tensions between the Mexican government and the Church, the image was moved to
Tacubaya
Tacubaya is a working-class area of west-central Mexico City, in the borough of Miguel Hidalgo, consisting of the '' colonia'' Tacubaya proper and adjacent areas in other colonias, with San Miguel Chapultepec sección II, Observatorio, Daniel Ga ...
when the convent was secularized. This image has a skull by the infant's head. This originally symbolized the future
Passion, but recently it has made this image associated with Santa Muerte, whose devotees visit.
In
Tacuba
Tacuba is a municipality in the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador.
Church Of Tacuba
It is located in Villa of Tacuba. It is head of the municipality of the same name in the department of Ahuachapán, at about 14 Kilometers of the city of Ahu ...
, there is on image called the Niño Futbolista (Child Football/Soccer player) although its real name is "Santo Niño de los Milagros." It is considered to be generous in granting miracles and is in a glass case surrounded by toys given by the faithful to favors received. Every four years, when the
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
is played, this image is dressed in the uniform of the
Mexico national football team
The Mexico national football team () represents Mexico in international football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation (). It competes as a member of CONCACAF.
Mexico has qualified to seventeen World Cups and has qualified conse ...
, in the hopes that Mexico wins the cup.
The Santo Niño Doctor de los Enfermos is at a side altar in the parish of San Francisco de Asís en
Tepeaca
Tepeaca Municipality is a municipality in Puebla in southeastern Mexico. Tepeaca is located 35 km (21.75 mi) from Puebla City and is the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. Its name comes from a Spanish variant of "Tepe ...
,
Puebla
Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...
. The image is old but devotion to it is relatively recent. The image used to belong to a nun of the Concepción Béistegui Hospital in Mexico City. When the nun was transferred to Tepeaca, she brought the image with her and had it with her as she treated the sick. This image has had its own feast day at this church since 1961 on the 30 of April.
Other locally famous Niños Dios in Mexico City include the Niño Limosnerito in Colonia
Santa Maria la Ribera, the Santo Niño del Verbo Encarnado in Colonia Alfonso XIII, and the Santo Niño Muevo Corazones in Colonia Santa Tomás. This last image is credited with the conversion of many people to Catholicism.
Outside of Mexico City, there are the
Niño Jesús de la Salud in
Morelia
Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid) is a city and municipal seat of the municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. The city is in the Guayangareo Valley and is the capital and larg ...
, the Niño Milagroso de
Tlaxcala
Tlaxcala (; , ; from nah, Tlaxcallān ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tlaxcala ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tlaxcala), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 60 municipaliti ...
, the Niño Cieguito (Blind Child) in
Puebla
Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...
(so called because it lacks eyes) and the
Santo Niño de Atocha
Holy Infant of Atocha, ''Santo Niño de Atocha'', ''Holy Child of Atocha'', ''Saint Child of Atocha'', or ''Wise Child of Atocha'' is a Roman Catholic image of the Christ Child popular among the Hispanic cultures of Spain, Latin America and t ...
in
Fresnillo
Fresnillo (/fres'nijo/), founded in 1554 by Francisco de Ibarra, is the second largest city in Zacatecas state, north central Mexico and the seat of Fresnillo municipality. As a rail and highway junction, Fresnillo is the center of a rich mining ...
,
the lasat a local version of a Spanish depiction.
See also
*
Il Bambino
Il Bambino (Italian for "the Child") is the name given in Italy to images of the Christ Child or infant Jesus common in Roman Catholic churches. The most famous is the miracle-working ''Santo Bambino of Aracoeli'' in the church of Santa Maria in ...
*
Santo Niño de Cebú
The Santo Niño de Cebú is a Roman Catholic title of the Child Jesus associated with a religious image of the Christ Child widely venerated as miraculous by Filipino Catholics. It is the oldest Christian artifact in the Philippines, originally ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nino Dios Of Mexico
Catholic Church in Mexico
Iconography of Jesus
Statues of the infant Jesus
Children in art