Mexicans will spend over one billion pesos on tamales for Feb. 2 in honor of Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas Day), a festivity that marks the end of the Christmas season and which is traditionally celebrated by Mexicans with a feast of tamales. 

Based on data from INEGI and the restaurant industry, experts estimate that Mexicans consume around 40 million tamales on Feb. 2, with most purchased from street vendors and local markets.

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

With an average price of around 25 pesos (US $1.45) a piece, this industry benefits approximately 13,000 businesses dedicated to the production and sale of tamales.

Unlike other high-spending seasons, the economic influx is not directed towards large commercial chains. Rather, it is distributed throughout a network of neighborhood shops, public markets, small restaurants and street stalls, amplifying the “tamal day’s” territorial and social impact.

According to long-standing tradition, those who found the baby Jesus hidden in the Rosca de Reyes on Jan. 6 must pay for the tamales on Feb. 2 (or prepare them themselves). Therefore, the social pressure of procuring the tamales ensures a steady flow of customers over the coming days.

Every region of Mexico has its own varieties of tamales, but the most common ones include chicken tamales, rajas (Poblano chile strips) tamales, sweet tamales and mole tamales.

In Mexico City, the Los Pinos Cultural Complex (the former residence of Mexico’s presidents) will join in the celebration with a culinary event offering over 80 varieties of tamales. The festival, dubbed Encuentro de Sabores Tamaleros, will take place from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance is free. 

With reports from Milenio and El Economista