Las Posadas

Las Posadas (Spanish for "The Inns") is a nine-day celebration beginning December 16 and ending December 24. It is a yearly tradition for many Christian Latin Americans and symbolizes the trials which they believe Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay and where Jesus could be born. It is a very important Christmas Tradition for them. [Luke 2,1-7]

Meaning

Las Posadas represents the troubles that Joseph and Mary faced in finding a room when traveling to Bethlehem. In it, groups of children and adults go from house to house singing a traditional song requesting lodging (posada). In each house, the owner responds with refusal (also in song), until they reach the designated site for the party, where the owner recognizes Mary and Joseph and allows them to come in. Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition.

These Posadas are a re-enactment of the search by Jesus's two parents, Joseph and Mary for lodging prior to Jesus' birth. Typically, each family in a neighborhood will schedule a night for the Posada to be held at their home, starting on the 16th of December and finishing on the 24th.

Ritual

Every home will have a Nativity scene, and the hosts of the Posada act as the innkeepers. The neighborhood children and adults are the pilgrims (Peregrinos), who have to request lodging by singing a traditional song about the pilgrims. All the pilgrims carry small lit candles in their hands, and four people carry small statues of Joseph leading a donkey, on which Mary is riding. The head of the procession will have a candle inside a paper lamp shade, or "farolito".

The pilgrims will symbolically ask for lodging at three different houses, but only the third one will allow them in. That will be the house where the Posada will be held for that evening. Once the "innkeepers" let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray (typically, the Rosary). This is followed by the singing of traditional Christmas songs and a party for the children, including a piñata.

Traditionally, it is expected to meet all the invitees in a previous procession.

Mexico

In Mexico the tradition consists of a group of hosts (may be one family in one home or a number of families in the neighborhood) that prepare a typical dinner to "host" the rest of the neighbors (usually a block or section of the neighborhood). Each one of the nine days a different family (or group of families) offer to be the hosts, so that the whole neighborhood or section participates.

Every home will have a Nativity scene. The hosts of the home are the innkeepers, and the neighborhood children and adults are the peregrinos, who have to request lodging through singing a simple chant. All carry small lit "velas" in their hands and four teenagers of about the same height are chosen to carry the peregrinos, which are two small statues of St. Joseph leading a donkey, on which Virgin Mary is riding side-saddle. The head of the procession will have a candle inside of a paper lamp shade that looks like an accordion but open at the top and it is called a “farolito” or little lantern.

The peregrinos will ask for lodging by singing the traditional litany outside of the house that is supposed to have the posada for that evening. Once the innkeepers let them in, the group of guests comes into the home and kneels around the Nativity scene to pray the rosary. The rosary is a traditional Catholic prayer, which consists of the following prayers: 50 Hail Marys, 5 Our Fathers, 5 Glories and the Litany, which is a series of praises for the Virgin Mary, plus singing traditional songs like Holy Night.cite book |last=Costero |title=Celebremos nuestras fiestas |publisher=Arbol Editorial |location=Mexico |language=Spanish |year=1988 |isbn=968-461-079-3]

Las Posadas (Spanish for "the inn") is a traditional Mexican festival which re-enacts Joseph's search for room at the inn. Each Christmas season, a processional carrying a doll representing the Christ Child and images of Joseph and Mary riding a burro walks through the community streets. The processional stops at a previously selected home and asks for lodging for the night. The people are invited in to read scriptures and sing Christmas carols called villancicos. Refreshments are provided by the hosts.

The doll is left at the chosen home and picked up on the next night when the processional begins again. This continues for eight nights in commemoration of the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The nine posadas are part of the Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon.

Piñata

After all the prayer is done, then the party for the children starts. There will be a piñata filled with peanuts in the shell, oranges, tangerines, candy canes, and sometimes wrapped hard candy. There will be other types of chants the children will sing while the child in turn is trying to break the piñata with a stick while he/she will be a blindfolded. Although the piñata was originally from Italy, it has become a Mexican tradition for celebrations where there are children involved. The piñata was made out of a clay pot and decorated with crepe paper in different colours. Today’s piñatas are made out of cardboard and paper mache techniques and decorated with crepe paper. For the adults there is always “”ponche””, which is a hot beverage or punch made out of seasonal fruits and cinnamon sticks, with a shot of alcoholic spirit.

Songs and Rhymes

Ándale JuanaNo te dilatesCon la canastade los cacahuates

Chile mulatoChile pasilladénle de palosa los de la silla

Ándale LupeSal del rincónCon la canastaDe la colación

La piñata tiene caca - tiene cacaCacahuates de a montón!

La piñata tiene cola - tiene colaColaciones de a montón!

Dale, dale, daleNo pierdas el tinoPorque si lo pierdesPierdes el camino

Ya le diste una!Ya le diste dos!Ya le diste tres...Y tu tiempo se acabó!

Ese niño fué muy tonto - fué muy tontoSe parece a su papá!

"Litany "Para pedir posada""

ee also

*Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon
*Christmas around the world
*Feliz Navidad

Notes

External links

* [http://www.worldofchristmas.net/christmas-world/mexico.html Christmas in Mexico]
* [http://hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/christmasworld/mexico.html Mexico's Christmas]
* [http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-liposa245513832dec24,0,2281196.story Newsday Article - Las Posadas in Long Island]
* [http://www.santas.net/mexicanchristmas.htm Christmas in Mexico Part-1]
* [http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/worldxmas/mexico.htm Christmas in Mexico Part-2]
* [http://www.the-north-pole.com/around/mexico.html Feliz Navidad]
* [http://www.gallerypauleanglim.com/chagoya_enrique.html Enrique Chagoya - Artist interpretation of Posada]