Mexicans will spend how much on tamales next Monday?

Mexicans volition walk implicit 1 cardinal pesos connected tamales for Feb. 2 successful grant of Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas Day), a festivity that marks the extremity of the Christmas play and which is traditionally celebrated by Mexicans with a feast of tamales. 

Based connected information from INEGI and the edifice industry, experts estimation that Mexicans devour astir 40 cardinal tamales connected Feb. 2, with astir purchased from thoroughfare vendors and section markets.

Día de la Candelaría is simply a Catholic vacation successful Mexico that’s each astir the Baby Jesus. That helps the merchantability of tamales connected Feb. 2, arsenic those who recovered a tiny integrative replica of the babe successful their portion of Rosca de Reyes earlier this period indispensable — by contented — supply the tamales for the festivities. (Gabriela Pérez Montiel/Cuartoscuro)

According to the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (Concanaco Servytur), successful the days starring up to and including Candlemas, 1.2 cardinal pesos (US $70 million) are spent nationwide connected tamales and atole, the sweet, lukewarm corn-dough beverage that often accompanies them.

With an mean terms of astir 25 pesos (US $1.45) a piece, this manufacture benefits astir 13,000 businesses dedicated to the accumulation and merchantability of tamales.

Unlike different high-spending seasons, the economical influx is not directed towards ample commercialized chains. Rather, it is distributed passim a web of vicinity shops, nationalist markets, tiny restaurants and thoroughfare stalls, amplifying the “tamal day’s” territorial and societal impact.

According to long-standing tradition, those who recovered the babe Jesus hidden successful the Rosca de Reyes connected Jan. 6 indispensable wage for the tamales connected Feb. 2 (or hole them themselves). Therefore, the societal unit of procuring the tamales ensures a dependable travel of customers implicit the coming days.

Every portion of Mexico has its ain varieties of tamales, but the astir communal ones see chickenhearted tamales, rajas (Poblano chile strips) tamales, saccharine tamales and mole tamales.

In Mexico City, the Los Pinos Cultural Complex (the erstwhile residence of Mexico’s presidents) volition articulation successful the solemnisation with a culinary lawsuit offering implicit 80 varieties of tamales. The festival, dubbed Encuentro de Sabores Tamaleros, volition instrumentality spot from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance is free. 

With reports from Milenio and El Economista