The Night of the Radishes in Oaxaca: what it is and how this Christmas tradition arose

The Night of the Radishesa unique Christmas celebration, takes place in Oaxaca every December 23rd. The activities begin at five in the afternoon at the plinth of the Oaxaca Citywhen local artisans exhibit intricate sculptures made with radishes of considerable size, some reaching up to 50 centimeters in length and weighing up to 3 kilograms.

The festival has colonial origins, but it was not until 1897 that the first official exhibition of these plant works was held, mostly with themes alluding to Christmas.

Since then, the Constitution Plaza has dressed up to host this tradition. The celebration includes a contest that over the years has been enriched with other categories such as “the Immortal Flower”, notable for maintaining its color and shape when dried, and the Totomoxtlethe corn leaf, representative of the central valleys of Oaxaca.

The creations of the participants deal with Mexican and Oaxacan traditionscoming to life through scenes of births, the calends, celebrations in honor of the Virgin of Solitude and of Juquilathe Day of the Dead, the Three Wise Men and the Guelaguetza, among others. Despite the short duration of the event, it attracts a large number of attendees among residents and tourists.

Sculptors from different neighborhoods and neighborhoods gather to compete with their work in a festive atmosphere, enhanced by local music, mezcaltypical dishes such as buñuelos and regional snowsas well as fireworks shows that illuminate the Oaxacan sky.

This event, originated in 1897 by the former municipal president Mr. Francisco Vasconceloswas born to promote advancement in floriculture and horticulture.

Despite its initial success, which ensured the continuity of the annual competition held every Dec. 24factors such as urbanization and the introduction of new techniques have impacted both the creation of the figures and the very essence of the custom.

According to the research of Alejandro Mendez Aquino, The success of that first contest led to the continuity of contests that eventually moved to the central Zócalo. The Creole radish, known for its resistance and whimsical shapes, initially dominated sculptures, but the introduction of other varieties led to more decorative than sculptural techniques.

Radish producers, fundamental in this tradition, recognize four main types of radishes: he chambrayhe Creolehe chihuahua and the foreign.

Traditionally, Creole radish was preferred for sculpting figures given its durability and ability to take on unusual shapes. However, with the advance of the city, the arable fields have been reduced, delegating the farmer to an artisanal role and depending on the free distribution of radishes by the authorities to keep the custom alive.

The process of creating the figures is an arduous task and requires specialized skills. Selecting suitable radishes and working with them within the tight time frame of the competition represents a challenge that only dedicated artisan families face.

In this context, the crucial question arises: how can the cultural and artistic richness of the Night of Radishes be preserved without neglecting contemporary creativity? Some suggest increasing the prizes in the free category to ensure that tradition is not overshadowed by the pursuit of financial rewards.

The challenges not only lie in the adaptation of the horticulturists to the new environment, but also in the influence of modern sculpture practices.

Artists and students of plastic arts have begun to participate in the competition, leading the organizers to introduce a “free category” that seeks to encourage creativity without leaving aside the importance of preserving the traditionality that defines the Night of the Radishes.

Recently, this celebration was expanded to include works made with immortal flower and corn leaf. Previously, the celebration was characterized by the presence of local desserts made of sweets and fruits from the region.

However, the plant species used for these desserts disappeared and its seeds were lost. At the origin of the contest, participants used the natural shapes of radishes, making cuts and assemblies to create the pieces, some so notable that they were immortalized by Diego Rivera in his painting “The Temptations of Saint Anthony”.