What
Is A Posada?
In
Mexico, Christmas is an important holiday season,
celebrated with strong, long-standing traditions.
The first Christmas celebration took place in
1538 when missionaries brought Roman Catholicism
to Mexico. The story of Nacimiento, or Christ's
birth, has been celebrated ever since.
One
of the most colorful celebrations is the posada.
The Posada celebration begins on December 16
with nine days of joyful observance, followed
by the presentations of gifts on January 5th,
which is called Three Kings' Day (Dia de los
Tres Reyes Magos.)
The
ceremony of Las Posadas commemorates the cold
and difficult journey of Mary and Joseph from
Nazareth to Bethlehem and their search for shelter
at an inn before the birth of Jesus. In Spanish,
"Posada" means inn, lodging or shelter.
Today, the Posada has evolved into a religious
and social celebration, paying a festive homage
to this journey.
Traditionally,
on each of the nine nights before Christmas,
a party is held at a home in the neighborhood.
At dusk, all guests and neighbors gather outside
the house. A small child dressed as an angel
leads, followed by children carrying figures
of Mary and Joseph.
Everyone
participates in the procession, singing the
melodious verses
of "Las Posadas" as they walk
slowly along, carrying lit candles. They make
three stops, three times requesting lodging
and being denied. They return to the original
house. Half of the group goes inside and the
other half remain outside. Verses alternate
back and forth from pilgrims to hosts until
the sacred nature of their visit is revealed
and they are admitted into the house. The doors
open and the joyful pilgrims enter singing.
"Enter Holy, Holy Pilgrims..." This
ends the religious part of the ceremony and
the fun begins.
Everyone
enters the person's home who is hosting the
party. Merrymaking begins with the breaking
of the Piñata, traditionally made in
the shape of a star to represent the star that
mysteriously guided the Three Kings to the newborn
Jesus. Someone, usually a child, is blindfolded,
turned around a few times, given a stick and
a chance to break it. Children take turns attempting
to break the Piñata. When the Piñata
is broken, the children scramble for the candy
and goodies. There is plenty of food and drink,
with candy and fruit for the children.
Join
The Fun & Cultural Journey
Bring Your Family To This
Year's Posada
Two Events To Choose
From
