Where Can You Break Plates in Oaxaca for the Buñuelos Tradition?

My three recommendations for Oaxaca's buñuelos and plate-breaking tradition are No. 3, El Llano during the Guadalupe festivities; No. 2, the seasonal stalls outside San Agustín; and No. 1, La Soledad during its December 18 feast. If your dates include December 18, I recommend starting at La Soledad. If you are arriving closer to Christmas or New Year, I would check San Agustín first. Wherever you go, ask the vendor whether you can break the clay dish after eating, because selling buñuelos does not automatically mean offering the complete tradition.

This is a seasonal experience, and the stalls can move between celebrations. For December 2026, exact stall locations, opening times, and prices still need confirmation. Keep your plans flexible and check locally before making a special trip.

First, enjoy the buñuelo

Before you get to the plate breaking, there is something delicious to eat. The traditional Oaxacan buñuelo is a thin, crisp disc of fried dough, served with sweet piloncillo syrup. Depending on the recipe, the syrup can include anise or cinnamon, and the buñuelo may receive a sprinkling of colored sugar.

You can ask for it rociado, with a lighter coating of syrup, or remojado, soaked in the syrup. If you want to keep more of that crisp texture, I recommend starting with the lighter version. Have a coffee or atole alongside it, take your time, and enjoy the food before thinking about your wish.

At participating stalls, the buñuelo comes in a simple earthenware dish. After eating, you make a wish and break the dish where the vendor directs you. The custom is associated with good fortune and welcoming the coming year.

3. El Llano: for an early-December visit

If your trip falls around the December 12 Guadalupe festivities, I recommend looking near the Guadalupe church at Paseo Juárez El Llano. Buñuelo stalls have formed part of the celebrations here, including opportunities to eat the dessert and break the clay dish afterward.

This is the option I would keep in mind if you are leaving Oaxaca before the main Christmas celebrations. Look around the church and festival stalls, then ask specifically for a buñuelo served with a dish you are allowed to break. Do not assume that every dessert stall offers it.

Why I put it at No. 3: It is a useful choice around Guadalupe, but it depends on the seasonal stalls. A vendor you find here in mid-December may move to another celebration afterward. If your visit is closer to New Year, I would begin with San Agustín instead.

2. San Agustín: my first place to check around Christmas

For Christmas and New Year visits, I recommend checking outside the church of San Agustín in the historic center. Buñuelo sellers have kept the plate-breaking custom alive here during past December seasons, making it a useful place to look while you are exploring central Oaxaca.

What matters is finding a participating vendor with a place set aside for breaking the dish. Ask before ordering, and let the seller explain how it works at that particular stall. There is no reason to arrive with a complicated plan or a reservation for an ordinary street-stall purchase, but you do need to establish that the experience is available.

Why I put it at No. 2: San Agustín is a practical lead for visitors arriving after La Soledad's December 18 feast. I would look here before spending an evening searching the entire Zócalo. The stalls remain seasonal, so confirm their presence close to your visit.

1. La Soledad: my top choice during its December 18 feast

If your dates line up, my first recommendation is the celebration around the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad on December 18. Buñuelos and the invitation to break their clay dishes belong to the traditions of this annual feast.

Begin around the basilica and the adjoining Plaza de la Danza area, then ask where the participating buñuelo sellers are set up. You can combine your dessert with a visit to the celebration, where religious observances, music, and food form part of the occasion. Give worshippers room and follow any directions around the church entrances.

Why it takes No. 1: This is my strongest recommendation for combining the plate-breaking tradition with the celebration to which it is closely connected. Plan around the December 18 feast, then check the stall arrangements. I would not make the same promise for an ordinary afternoon outside the basilica at another time of year.

What to ask, what to pay, and where to break it

The most useful question is “¿Aquí se puede romper el plato después de comer?” It means, “Can we break the plate here after eating?” Follow with “¿Cuánto cuesta y el plato está incluido?” Ask the price and whether the dish is included before you order. Bring pesos in small denominations for the purchase.

Once you finish eating, let the vendor show you exactly where and how to break your dish. Keep children beside you and stand clear of other participants. Never throw it at a church façade or into a walkway, and do not copy an over-the-shoulder throw without clear directions and an empty space.

You may have heard that everyone does this beside the Cathedral. The tradition has a history there, but vendors have moved over the years. If you cannot find a participating stall, ask a buñuelo seller where the custom is being offered that week. That conversation may save you a long search and point you toward a memorable part of your Oaxaca Christmas visit.