Hosting During the Holidays: What Christmas Looks Like From My Side

Christmas in Oaxaca looks different depending on where you’re standing.

In my home it is a mix of colors and flavors, shared traditions, and funky little details from our multicultural family — like pepparkakor at the breakfast table.

For guests, it’s lights in the streets, warm nights, food everywhere, and a slower rhythm that feels like a break from everything back home. For me, as a host, it’s a mix of preparation, rushed times, and small scenes that don’t always make it into photos.

Here’s what the holiday season actually looks like from my side of the door.

The Days Before

The days leading up to Christmas are usually calmer than people expect. For me, that’s when I start paying extra attention to the small details — an extra blanket folded just right, softer lighting in the evenings, little touches that make the space feel welcoming without being overdone. I don’t decorate heavily. Oaxaca already does that better than I ever could. Between the city lights, poinsettias, and street celebrations, the spaces don’t need much more than warmth and simplicity.

It’s also around this time that the messages start coming in: Will anything be open? Is Christmas Day very busy? Is it a good time to visit? The short answer is yes — just differently.

This season is especially close to my heart. One of my most cherished traditions is baking cookies together as a family, a ritual that comes from my Swedish mother-in-law. Every year she prepares pepparkakor — traditional Swedish Christmas cookies filled with warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, and clove. Over time, this has become my own tradition that blossomed from a beautiful blend of cultures: Swedish roots meeting my life here in Oaxaca.

Baking the cookies is never really about following a recipe. It’s about gathering in the kitchen, sharing stories, laughing, getting our hands covered in flour, and slowing down together. I love how this tradition naturally connects generations and cultures, and every year my intention is to extend that feeling to my guests as well. On Christmas morning, freshly baked pepparkakor are placed on the breakfast table, alongside coffee and easy conversation — simple, unhurried, and very much in the spirit of the day.

Guests Arrive With Different Expectations

Some guests arrive wanting to escape Christmas completely.Others want to experience it — just not in the rushed, loud way they’re used to.

What I notice every year is that by the second or third day, everyone slows down. Mornings get later. Coffee lasts longer. Plans become optional.

That’s usually when people say something like:“I didn’t realize how much I needed this.”

The City During Christmas

Oaxaca doesn’t shut down, but it does soften.

There are family gatherings, fireworks in the distance, street food stands still going strong, and a feeling that no one is in a hurry. Christmas Eve is the main moment here — Christmas Day itself is quiet, perfect for walking, resting, or doing very little at all.

From a hosting perspective, that quiet is intentional. I don’t schedule, organize, or push experiences. I let guests discover the rhythm on their own.

Outside, Oaxaca celebrates Christmas in its own vibrant way. One of the city’s most beloved traditions is Noche de Rábanos, a joyful event where carved radishes are transformed into imaginative scenes. Along with neighborhood posadas, music drifting through the streets, and families gathering in plazas, the city feels alive with creativity and warmth.

After a day of celebration, it felt especially important that guests could return to a quiet, restful space. That balance — between festive energy outside and calm inside — is something I truly value and always strive to offer.

What Hosting Feels Like

Hosting during the holidays is making sure my team is ready to be extra present and willing to spoil our guests a little more.

It’s watching people arrive tired and leave rested. It’s knowing the space is being used the way it’s meant to be used.

By the end of the season, the house feels lived in — in the best way.

As the holidays came to a close, I feel deeply grateful. Grateful for the traditions I can share, for the small moments around the breakfast table, and for everyone who chose to spend such a meaningful time of year here.

If you stayed with us during the Christmas season, thank you so much for being part of it. And if you’re wondering where to go next Christmas, I would love for you to consider staying here and sharing the season together. 🎄✨