December in Oaxaca is dry, bright, cold at night and completely booked by the end of it. It also contains the strangest fixture in the Mexican calendar: Noche de Rabanos, the Night of the Radishes, on 23 December, when the zocalo fills with enormous carved vegetables.
The numbers
Noche de Rabanos, 23 December
It sounds like a joke and it is a serious competition with a history going back to the late nineteenth century. Growers cultivate oversized radishes specifically for it, and on the afternoon and evening of 23 December they are carved into elaborate scenes – nativities, Zapotec history, Guelaguetza dancers – and displayed around the zocalo.
- It is one evening only, and the radishes wilt within hours, which is the point.
- The queue is enormous. Go early in the afternoon or accept a long wait.
- Two companion categories are judged alongside: flor inmortal, using dried flowers, and totomoxtle, using dried maize husk.
- It is free, and the square stays busy long into the night.
Posadas and calendas
- Las Posadas run from 16 to 24 December – nine nights re-enacting Mary and Joseph seeking lodging, moving between houses and churches with candles, songs and pinatas.
- Calendas – street processions with giant puppets, brass bands and fireworks – happen throughout December, often leaving from Santo Domingo.
- 24 December is the main family night. Many restaurants close and the city is quiet late, then the churches fill.
- The Christmas Eve calendas from the city’s parish churches converge on the zocalo before midnight mass, and this is the busiest the square gets all year.
The weather, and the cold
December is dry – about 4 mm – and mild by day at 27°C. Nights drop to about 8°C, and because colonial buildings have thick walls, no heating and often open courtyards, rooms can feel colder than the street. This is the second most common packing mistake in Oaxaca after underestimating the sun.
- Check whether your room has heating or at least a decent duvet, particularly in a converted colonial house.
- The coast is the opposite – dry, hot and at its best, with the hurricane season over and humidity low.
- The valley is browning off from the green of November, but the air is still clear.
Where to go in December
- Oaxaca City for Noche de Rabanos, the posadas and the calendas.
- Puerto Escondido, Mazunte and Huatulco, where the coast is at its dry-season best – and its most expensive.
- The Tlacolula valley – Mitla, Hierve el Agua and the Tule tree, with good roads and clear light.
- The craft villages before Christmas, when the workshops are at their busiest.
- The Sierra Norte, which is genuinely cold at night in December – pack accordingly.
Prices and crowds
Two halves again. The first two weeks are quiet and reasonably priced, with excellent weather. From about 18 December through to 6 January it is peak season: rates at their highest outside Guelaguetza, restaurants full, and the coast effectively sold out. See what a trip to Mexico costs.
What to pack
A warm jacket and a layer for underneath – December nights are the coldest of the year at about 8°C. Light clothes for 27°C days. Strong sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. Comfortable shoes for standing in the Noche de Rabanos queue. Swimwear if the coast is on the plan. No rain gear.
The December 2027 calendar
- 12 December – the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, marked with processions and children in traditional dress across Mexico.
- 16 to 24 December – Las Posadas, nine nights of processions, songs and pinatas.
- Thursday 23 December – Noche de Rabanos on the zocalo; go early for the queue.
- Friday 24 December – Nochebuena, the main family night; calendas converge on the zocalo before midnight mass.
- Saturday 25 December – Christmas Day, a federal public holiday.
- From about 18 December – peak season prices, running through to 6 January.
Read alongside
- Oaxaca in November – green hills and clear skies.
- Oaxaca in January – the driest month.
- Oaxaca in October – Dia de Muertos.
- Best time to visit Oaxaca – all twelve months compared.
- Oaxaca travel guide – the city, the valley and the coast.
- Oaxaca itinerary – how to put a trip together.
- Things to do in Oaxaca – the year-round list.
- Oaxaca food guide – moles, tlayudas and the markets.
Frequently asked
What is Noche de Rabanos?
The Night of the Radishes, held on 23 December on the Oaxaca zocalo, when oversized radishes grown for the purpose are carved into elaborate scenes and judged. It lasts one evening and draws very long queues.
When should I arrive for Noche de Rabanos?
Early in the afternoon. The queue around the zocalo becomes enormous by evening, and the carvings wilt as the night goes on.
What are Las Posadas?
Nine nights from 16 to 24 December re-enacting the search for lodging in Bethlehem, moving between houses and churches with candles, songs and pinatas.
How cold is Oaxaca in December?
About 27°C by day and 8°C at night – the coldest nights of the year. Colonial buildings have no heating, so rooms can feel colder than the street.
Is December expensive in Oaxaca?
The first two weeks are reasonable and have excellent weather. From about 18 December to 6 January it is peak season, with the highest rates outside Guelaguetza.
Does it rain in Oaxaca in December?
Essentially not – about 4 mm for the month.
Is the Oaxaca coast good in December?
It is at its best: dry, hot, low humidity and the hurricane season over. It is also at its most expensive and books out over the holidays.
What is open on 24 and 25 December?
Many restaurants close on the evening of the 24th, which is the main family night, and 25 December is a federal public holiday. The churches and the zocalo are the busy places.
Oaxaca month by month
- January – dry, bright days and genuinely cold nights.
- February – carnival, Candelaria and perfect dry-season weather.
- March – Semana Santa, jacarandas and the heat building.
- April – the hottest and driest month, just before the rains.
- May – the rains arrive and the valley turns green.
- June – clear mornings, afternoon storms, and no crowds.
- July – Guelaguetza, the biggest festival of the year.
- August – deep green season and the quietest city of the year.
- September – Independence, the wettest month and the hurricane peak.
- October – Dia de Muertos and the end of the rains.
- November – dry, clear and arguably the best month of all.
- December – Noche de Rabanos, posadas and the Christmas peak (this page).
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
