Niñopa facts for kids
The Niñopa (also called Niñopan) is a very special statue of the Child Jesus. It is highly respected in Xochimilco, a part of Mexico City. This statue was made over 430 years ago at the San Bernardino monastery. It was created to help teach people about Christianity. Since then, the community has always taken care of it.
Instead of staying in a church, the Niñopa lives with a different family each year. This family is called the "mayordomo" (my-or-DOH-moh) or sponsor. The mayordomo family is in charge of many celebrations and traditions for the statue for one year. This includes taking care of the statue itself. They also take it to church and to visit people who are sick. The family also helps organize many parties, especially on special days like Candlemas (February 2) and Day of the Child (April 30).
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What is the Niñopa Statue Like?
The Niñopa is the most important of several Child Jesus statues in Xochimilco. Other statues include the Niño Dormidito, the Niño de Belén, and the Niño Tamalerito.
The Niñopa statue was made in 1573. It is 51 centimeters (about 20 inches) tall and weighs 598 grams (about 1.3 pounds). It was designed to be placed sitting or lying down. Its right hand is raised, as if giving a blessing. The statue has light brown crystal eyes with black eyelashes. Its nose is small and round. The ears are also small but not very clear. The mouth is slightly open, as if it is about to speak. The upper lip is a brighter red than the lower one. The skin of the statue is white with a bit of pink.
Since the statue is over 430 years old, it needs to be handled very carefully. This helps keep it from getting damaged. The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), which is Mexico's national history institute, has given advice. They say the statue should only wear light clothes. These clothes should not have metal parts like zippers or hooks. This helps protect its surface. INAH also recommends taking photos without a flash. They also suggest not kissing the statue directly, but only its clothes.
What Does "Niñopa" Mean?
The statue has several names, like “Niñopa,” “Niño-pa,” and “Niñopan.” According to a local historian, Rodolfo Cordero, the name “Niño-pa” comes from “niño” (child) and a short form of “padre” (father), meaning "Father Child."
Another name, “Niñopan,” combines the Spanish word “niño” (child) with the Nahuatl word “pan” (place). This means "child of the place." The historian notes that "Niñopan" has become more popular. Other names for the statue include Niño Peregrino (Pilgrim Child) and Niño del Pueblo (Child of the Town/People). Some people say the true name is “Niñopan.” They believe “Niñopa” is a mistake, perhaps meaning "Niño Patron" (patron saint) or "Niño Padre." However, the statue represents the Son of God, not God the Father. Another name for the Niñopa is the Niño Consentido (Well-Cared-For Child).
The Niñopa's History
There's a story that the Niñopa came from Valencia, Spain. It was supposedly brought to Xochimilco in 1586 by Martin Cortés. The story says it was made from orange tree wood. Before he died, Cortés supposedly gave his Child Jesus statues to different people, making them mayordomos. When one of them, Martín Cerón de Alvarado (grandson of Hernán Cortés), died, the Niñopa was found in a chest in Michoacán. It still smelled like oranges.
However, experts now know the statue was actually made in Xochimilco. It was likely carved from a local wood called “chocolín.” An indigenous craftsman probably made it in the workshops of the San Bernardino monastery. Bernardino de Sahagún, a historian, wrote that the native people of Xochimilco offered corn to a child statue of the god Huitzilopochtli on December 26. The Franciscans, who taught Christianity in the area, also noticed this tradition. To replace this old custom, the Franciscans created Child Jesus statues, including the Niñopa.
There are two main reasons why this statue is so special. One idea is that it belonged to Martín Cortés de Alvarado, the last indigenous ruler of Xochimilco. His will mentions leaving several Child Jesus statues to the town, and one matches the Niñopa's description. Another reason is that the infant Jesus is shown a lot in old paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries. These paintings are found in the San Bernardino church and the old Santa María Tepepan monastery.
The Mayordomos: Caretakers of the Niñopa
The traditions around the Niñopa have stayed mostly the same for over 400 years. This is true even though Xochimilco has changed from a rural area to a city. The statue is part of popular religious customs, not official church rules. Because of this, the Niñopa does not live in a church. Instead, it stays in the home of a family.
Each night, the Niñopa is "laid down to sleep" in a special basket. It wears its underwear and is wrapped in a blanket. Every morning, it is "woken up" with the song Las Mañanitas before being dressed. Each evening, it goes to Mass before returning to the mayordomo's home. Since 1995, the statue has a yearly "check-up" with its "pediatrician." This is an annual examination, including X-rays and repairs, done by INAH.
The Niñopa stays with a different "mayordomo" family each year. Often, they build a special room for it in their home. This area is open to everyone. People believe that families who become a mayordomo receive blessings and good fortune. The waiting list to host the Niñopa is very long, going past 2040. Families have waited as long as fifty years! If the person on the list dies, another family member can take their place. Families who have hosted the Niñopa receive a life-sized copy of the statue.
Besides caring for the statue, the mayordomo family organizes many celebrations. Almost every day, the Niñopa leaves the house to attend Mass and visit families, sick people, and hospitals. This is done with great excitement! Musicians, Chinelo dancers, mariachis, and student musical groups called “estudiantinas” join in. There are also fireworks and traditional foods like mole, mixiote, and various types of tamales. Even when the statue goes for its yearly "check-up" at INAH in Coyoacán, it travels with a big celebration. This is because the statue represents the life that God gives, and its purpose is to care for this life.
While there are celebrations almost every day, some are private and some are public. The most important ones include Las Posadas (December 16–24), Three King’s Day (January 6), Candlemas (February 2), and Day of the Child (April 30).
Candlemas: Changing Caretakers
The most important celebration is on February 2, Candlemas. This is when the Niñopa moves from one mayordomo family to the next for the year. Thousands of people come to watch this event. Many carry photos and posters of the Niñopa. In 2007, about 4,000 people attended.
The festivities on February 2 are part of a tradition. Families take their Child Jesus statues to church, dressed specially, to be blessed. After the Candlemas Mass, the bishop takes the Niñopa from the old mayordomos and gives it to the new ones. Everyone at the event gets to eat traditional food like mole, rice, pork, and tamales. This ceremony also includes blessing seeds for good harvests. Candles are also blessed to be lit in case of sickness or death. This idea of life and death is an old tradition from before the Spanish arrived. Candlemas marks the start of the growing season for the chinampas (floating gardens) of Xochimilco. The ceremony includes baskets of seeds like corn, beans, lentils, and wheat. Even though farming is not the main job in Xochimilco anymore, these seeds still represent plenty. Because of all the clothes and other items, it takes two trucks to move the statue from one house to another. In 2011, the Archbishop of Mexico (Norberto Rivera Carrera) took part in the event for the first time.
The Niñopa receives gifts all year, but especially on Three Kings’ Day (January 6) and Day of the Child (April 30). Most of these gifts are later given to children from poor families.
On April 30, the Day of the Child, the celebrations happen at the mayordomo's house. The family offers food to guests. Visitors bring gifts like toys, flowers, and fruit. In the streets, the mayordomos also set up "castillos" (fireworks frames) and amusement rides.
During Las Posadas, the Niñopa leaves the mayordomo's house each day. It goes to a different neighborhood in Xochimilco. An image of the Virgin Mary, Chinelos dancers, music, and many followers join it. It goes to a special house owned by the “posadero” (host family). The house and street are decorated with paper ornaments, lamps, flowers, and Christmas gifts. Hundreds of people come to sing and take part. At noon, the posadero and the procession take the Niñopa to church. After they return, there is more singing, music, Chinelos, and food. Everyone, no matter their social class, joins in. A fireworks frame called a “castillo” is lit. At the end of the day, many piñatas are broken, and a dance begins for the evening. This happens every day of Las Posadas until December 24. On that day, the Niñopa is placed in a manger to sleep in the San Bernardino church.
Amazing Stories About the Niñopa
Because the Niñopa is so old and its exact beginning is a bit of a mystery, many stories have grown around it. One story that has been proven false is that there is an older statue inside it, or that the statue itself is not the original. This came from a story that the real Niñopa was lost in a canal in 1940. The idea that it came from Spain and was made of orange wood was disproven in the 1970s. This happened when the statue was dropped and a finger broke. This allowed experts to examine the wood. They found it was from a local tree called “chocolín.” They also confirmed it was made in the workshops of the San Bernardino de Siena monastery in the 16th or 17th century.
One popular story is that the statue comes to life. Many of these stories say the Niñopa plays with its toys at night or even wanders outside. Believers say they find toys scattered around. They also claim to hear laughter from the statue’s room. Sometimes, the statue's clothes are dirty in the morning, and small footprints have been found in the yard. People say the color in its cheeks disappears when it is angry and becomes redder when it is happy. It is even said to smile more. It is also claimed that the Niñopa visits people in their dreams, especially sick children.
Most stories are about miracles that people believe the Niñopa has performed. These include curing illnesses, bringing peace to families who are fighting, helping with money problems, and finding jobs. The Niñopa has also received visitors from other countries. For example, a woman from the U.S. claimed she was cured of cancer after seeing the statue on television. One story tells of a mayordomo who planted lilies. A hailstorm destroyed them. The money from the crop was meant for the Niñopa's celebrations. Without money, he asked the statue for forgiveness and arranged several Masses in its honor. After this, the damaged lilies began to grow again.
See also
In Spanish: Niñopan para niños
