Christmas Tamales: A New Mexican Holiday Tradition

By Judy Franzoy  ·  Updated February 2026

In New Mexico, Christmas without tamales is like Thanksgiving without turkey — it just doesn't happen. Every December, families across the state gather in kitchens for a tamalada (tamale-making party), spending hours spreading masa, filling, folding, and steaming dozens — sometimes hundreds — of tamales to share with family, friends, and neighbors. It's a tradition rooted in centuries of Mesoamerican culture, carried forward through generations of New Mexican families, and one of the most anticipated food events of the year.

Whether you're continuing a family tradition, starting one of your own, or simply want to serve authentic New Mexican tamales at your holiday table without the all-day labor, this guide covers everything you need to know about Christmas tamales — their history, how to plan for a holiday meal, and how to host a tamalada of your own.

Why Tamales at Christmas?

Tamales are the perfect holiday food for several practical and cultural reasons. They're made in large batches, which suits the communal nature of holiday cooking and feeds crowds easily. They freeze exceptionally well, so families can make them days or weeks in advance and simply steam them fresh on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The process of making tamales is labor-intensive enough that it becomes a social event in itself — a reason to gather, work together, and catch up — which is exactly what the holidays are about.

Beyond practicality, tamales carry deep cultural significance. In Mesoamerican traditions dating back thousands of years, corn was considered sacred — a gift from the gods that sustained civilizations. Wrapping food in corn husks and steaming it was both a culinary technique and a ritual act. That spiritual connection to corn and community has carried forward into modern Christmas celebrations across Mexico, Central America, and the American Southwest.

The History of Christmas Tamales

Tamales predate the modern Christmas tradition by millennia. Archaeological evidence suggests that early forms of tamales were prepared by Mesoamerican civilizations as far back as 8000 BC. The Aztec and Maya made tamales for feasts, religious ceremonies, and as portable food for warriors and travelers. The word "tamale" derives from the Nahuatl word tamalli, meaning "wrapped food."

When Spanish colonizers arrived in the Americas and Christianity spread through indigenous communities, existing food traditions blended with Catholic holiday celebrations. Tamales — already associated with feasts and sacred occasions — naturally became part of Christmas and other religious observances. In Mexico, tamales became central to Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) celebrations, a tradition that migrated north into what is now the American Southwest.

In New Mexico, the tamale tradition took on its own character. Spanish colonial settlers, Pueblo peoples, and later Mexican immigrants each contributed ingredients, techniques, and flavors. The result is a distinctly New Mexican style of tamale — flavored with locally grown Hatch Chile rather than the dried guajillo and ancho chiles common in central Mexico — that has been a holiday staple for hundreds of years.

New Mexican Tamale Traditions

New Mexican Christmas dinners almost always feature tamales alongside posole (a hominy and chile stew) and bizcochitos (anise-flavored sugar cookies, the official state cookie of New Mexico). The tamales are typically made in two varieties: red chile pork and green chile chicken or cheese. Serving both is so common that the combination has its own name — "Christmas style" — the same term New Mexicans use when they order both red and green Hatch Chile sauce on their enchiladas.

The tradition often begins the weekend before Christmas, when extended families gather for a tamalada. In many households, the matriarch oversees the operation, and the recipe isn't written down — it lives in muscle memory and spoken instructions passed from mother to daughter to granddaughter. Everyone has a role: one person mixes the masa, another shreds the meat, someone spreads the dough, others fill and fold. Children are put to work early, usually on the spreading-and-folding assembly line, learning the tradition by doing.

Tamales are also a form of currency during the holidays. Neighbors exchange plates of tamales the way others exchange cookies. Bringing tamales to a holiday party is both expected and appreciated. And leftover tamales (if there are any) become breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the days between Christmas and New Year's — reheated on a comal for that signature charred-edge texture. If you need a refresher, our complete reheating guide covers every method.

What Is a Tamalada?

A tamalada is a tamale-making party — a communal gathering where family and friends come together to produce a large batch of tamales. The word comes from tamal + -ada (a suffix indicating an activity or event), and it's as much a social occasion as it is a cooking session. In many families, the tamalada is the unofficial kickoff to the holiday season.

A traditional tamalada can produce anywhere from 50 to 300+ tamales in a single session, depending on the number of helpers and the ambition of the host. The work is divided assembly-line style: one station for mixing and kneading the masa, another for preparing fillings (shredding meat, preparing chile sauce), a spreading station where masa is portioned onto wrappers, a filling station, a folding station, and finally the steamer. Music plays, stories are told, gossip is exchanged, and younger family members learn techniques that have been practiced for generations.

Tamaladas are experiencing a cultural revival beyond traditional Hispanic households. Cooking schools, community centers, and food bloggers across the Southwest now host public tamaladas during the holidays, inviting newcomers to learn the tradition. If you've never been to one, attending a community tamalada is one of the best ways to experience the tradition firsthand.

How to Host a Tamalada

Hosting your own tamalada doesn't require a family recipe passed down for generations — it just requires a willingness to make a mess, a few friends, and some planning. Here's a practical timeline:

Don't want to make tamales from scratch but still want the holiday tradition? Many New Mexican families supplement their homemade batch with store-bought tamales to ensure they have enough for the full holiday spread. Our Tamale Trio Sampler (36 tamales, three varieties) is designed exactly for this — order ahead, keep them frozen, and heat alongside your homemade batch.

Holiday Ordering & Planning Guide

If you're ordering tamales from us for the holidays, here's what you need to know to make sure everything arrives on time and in perfect condition.

How Many Tamales to Order

When to Order

We recommend placing holiday orders by the first week of December. Our frozen products ship Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, packed on dry ice via UPS, and orders placed later in the week may be held until the following Tuesday. During peak holiday season, certain varieties can sell out. Since our tamales keep in the freezer for months, there's no downside to ordering early.

Storing Until the Big Day

Our tamales arrive flash-frozen on dry ice. Place the sealed bags directly in your freezer upon delivery — they'll keep for up to 6 months. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, simply pull out the quantity you need and reheat using your preferred method. Steaming is the traditional holiday choice and works great for large batches.

Building Your Christmas Tamale Menu

A traditional New Mexican Christmas dinner is anchored by tamales but rounded out with complementary dishes. Here's a classic holiday spread:

For a simpler holiday meal, tamales paired with green chile stew and a green salad is a complete dinner that takes minutes to prepare if you're heating from frozen. The Buy More Save More pricing means stocking up on multiple frozen items actually saves money — 20% off 2, 25% off 3, or up to 30% off 4+ items.