Villa Iluminada: Light in a Magical City

Mexico is a largely Catholic country, so Christmas and Epiphany are important holidays here. The Villa Iluminada was started as a way to bring even more people into the pueblo mágico during the winter vacations from school. Even though it is based around a religious holiday, there is also an economic basis for its existence. As a tourist destination, Atlixco relies on visitors to help grow the economy and the Villa Iluminada brings in half a million people each year.

Is this tradition connected to its environment? How?:

This tradition does not stem directly from the environment, but it is definitely related to the moderate climate we enjoy here in Mexico. It's less likely that people would brave the freezing winter temperatures for hours on end just to look at lights in the coldest parts of the U.S. Back at home, I drive around in my heated car.

That doesn't mean people don't want to get in on the winter fun, though. This year, one of the main attractions was an outdoor ice skating rink! I have no idea how they managed to keep it frozen. It must be part of the city's magic.

Location:
Atlixco Mexico

Pages