In Oaxaca, Mexico, Christmas Eve is also called the “Night of the Radishes.” The Spanish name is Noche de Rábanos, an annual celebration in Oaxaca City centred on elaborate carvings made from oversized radishes.
The event takes place on December 23, immediately before Christmas Eve, and forms part of Oaxaca’s distinctive holiday traditions. Artists and families carve radishes into detailed scenes, including nativity displays, village life, religious stories, local dances and Oaxacan legends. The finished works are entered into competitions judged for qualities such as originality, technical skill and visual appeal.
The tradition developed from Oaxaca’s Christmas market customs during the colonial period. Radishes were sold alongside other seasonal materials, including dried flowers and corn husks. According to a popular origin story, an unusually large radish harvest encouraged growers and vendors to shape the vegetables into decorative figures to attract shoppers.
The carvings are temporary because radishes quickly wilt after being cut. That short lifespan is part of the event’s charm: visitors must see the creations on the festival day. The celebration is specifically associated with Oaxaca City, rather than being a universal Mexican name for Christmas Eve.