Oaxacas Night Of The Radishes: Mexicos Quirkiest Celebration?

Oaxaca is one of the most culturally traditional of Mexico’s 32 states and so it’s no surprise that it hosts what is perhaps the country’s quirkiest Christmas celebration. Each December 23rd, during La Noche de los Rábanos (The Night of the Radishes), hundreds of competitors create highly intricate sculptures from – you guessed it – the humble radish, fighting it out for a large cash prize, and, more importantly, the pride of being crowned champion. Here’s everything you need to know.
Picture a traditional nativity scene, featuring all the protagonists you’ve come to know, love and associate with these Christmassy masterpieces, but with one small, and significant, twist – everything is carved out of radishes. The scenes recreated by both the skilled horticulturalists and amateur radish-carvers are typically festive or religious in theme, with the nativity being a particular favourite. However, the arrival of the Three Kings is also regularly spotted, as are artistic depictions of the Virgen de Guadalupe and even folklore figures such as La Llorona, which make good use of the red and white contrast offered by this root vegetable. You might be wondering why exactly the typically tiny radish takes centre stage, but if you are you’ve probably never seen a Mexican radish. Bred and grown specially for this event in Oaxaca, they’re monstrously large and impressively weighty, which is ideal for the competitors, who have far more raw material to work with when sculpting their scenes.

The roots (pardon the pun) of the Night of the Radishes festival go way back to 1897, when it was held in Oaxaca’s Plaza de Armas rather than at the current location of the spectacle, Jardín de la Constitución. However, the origins of this uniquely weird and wonderful festival go back to the Vigilia de Navidad, a market which was once held every December 23rd. At this market, fruit and veg vendors would hawk their wares just in time for Christmas, and rumour has it that they began to carve figures from radishes to make their stalls more attractive. Gradually, over time, buyers began to seek out these once decorative figures, which led to greater demand and, eventually, an elaborate and impressive festival which endures to this day. In fact, the festival is so popular that authorities actually monitor the growth and distribution of radishes specifically allocated for the registered competitors of that year’s Night of the Radishes.

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