![]() We began by preparing a rich chicken broth, saving the chicken for a filling. We don’t have an Aztec recipe for tamales, but a dear friend, who had found a baby Jesus in her rosca at five different parties one year, involved me in making tamales for the better part of the day before Candlemas in that year. Tamales appear to have been part and parcel of Aztec cuisine long before the first Christian set foot on the North American continent. And corn, representing life, was always a part of the celebration of the first day of the Aztec year, which coincidentally occurs on February 2. However, the one ingredient essential in tamales is corn. One might think that the tamales, wrapped in either corn husks or banana leaves, represent the swaddled infant. The day celebrates the first presentation of Jesus at the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem after his mother Mary (or Miriam in Hebrew) observed the prescribed Jewish rite of purification for mothers who have given birth to a son. Read more about Oaxacan holidays and dates here. People who find a tiny figurine of the baby Jesus in their slice of cake are then traditionally obligated to provide tamales on Candlemas, February 2, to all who shared the same rosca. On January 6, the celebration of the visit of three kings bearing gifts for the baby in Bethlehem, a cake called rosca de reyes is traditionally served. ![]() Tamales, in addition to being among the most delicious Mexican treats, are a bridge between two holidays and two cultures. ![]()
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