The Night of the Radishes (Noche de Rábanos) is a festival celebrated in the Mexico city of Oaxaca every December 23, which is the day before Christmas Eve. Artists carve huge Mexican radishes into sculpters and pictures of Oaxacan culture, and the city awards a prize to the best display. You probaly have heard of ice carving contests, or candy carving contests, but have you ever thought about radish carving? On December 23, Oaxaca holds the largest and only radish carving contest in the world! The contest is large, fun and exciting and the radishes are too! Some of the radishes can weigh up to 7 pounds! The carvers now use their imagination and carve everything from famous Mexican revolutionaries, like Pancho Villa, to Guelaguetza dancers. They believe that this tradition came from the Christmas Eve market vendors, beacuse they used carved radish sculptures to get customers to visit their stalls. This early form of persuasion is now an art form and a tradition that they have been celebrating since 1897. In conclusion to the Night of the Radishes, we will enjoy the Pageants, Posadas, Big Head parade and other colorful and exciting traditions that take place during the holidays.Resource used at Wikipedia.