San Andres Catholic Church in Ajijic will offer an evening Mass (Misa de Gallo) in Spanish on Monday, December 24, 8 p.m. after the viewing of the live manger scenes arranged on the atrium of the church from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  On Tuesday, December 25 a Christmas Day Mass will be offered in English at 9 a.m.

We don’t have a lot of details yet; but some of Lakeside’s favorite restaurants are having special meals and events on New Year’s Eve and/or New Year’s Day. These places are on the verge of selling out, so you need to get on the ball and make your reservations.

Two years ago, folks representing education, science, child welfare and animal advocacy came together to promote principles of humane education in elementary schools in the Lakeside area.

Expats keen on soaking up local holiday customs should keep an eye out for Lakeside's traditional posada festivities through late December.

As a mission of the Little Chapel by the Lake for more than 20 years, the congregation has taken food to 25 of the poorest folks (down from 50 due to hard times) each month in the little town of San Juan Tecomatlan. The famous “blue box” (now painted white) in front of Little Chapel by the Lake is a repository for all manner of donations that are taken directly to the village and the homes in need of the items. Folks have been generous through the years, donating doors, windows and lumber torn from their homes during remodeling. In fact, seven bathrooms were built with sink, toilet and showers with hot water – an impressive accomplishment in a town where 220 homes out of the 330 homes there do not have functioning bathrooms or no bathroom at all.