Procession
of Las Posadas
By Ramón Torres
On-line Forty-Niner
Christmas
is celebrated in many different ways around
the world. The tradition for most Mexicans
is to celebrate each Christmas season with
Las Posadas.
Las Posadas is a celebration that lasts
for nine days, starting on Dec. 16 and ending
Dec. 24 on “Noche Buena,” or “Holy Night.”
Each one of these nights before Christmas,
a party is held in a neighborhood home where
families schedule a night for the posada
to be held.
This celebration commemorates the pilgrimage
by Joseph and Mary who were looking for
a place to stay in Bethlehem and begins
with a procession that sets off as soon
as it gets dark.
The peregrinos, participants in the procession,
singing or chanting special posada songs
and carrying a lighted candle make stops
on designated houses.
They knock on the door and call out in song,
asking for shelter requesting lodging but
are denied until the procession reaches
the house that is supposed to have the posada
for that evening, then everyone enters the
room and kneels in prayer.
After all the prayer is done, the party
moves out to the patio where the host offers
small baskets of sweets, called colaciones
for everyone.
For the adults there is always “Ponche con
Piquete,” which is a hot beverage or punch
made out of seasonal fruits and cinnamon
sticks, with a shot of tequila or mezcal.
At this moment, the party for the children
begins with a piñata, which originally
was a earthenware jar covered with colorful
paper, filled with candy, peanuts, oranges
and sugar canes.
The same ceremony is repeated for eight
nights. But on the ninth evening, Christmas
Eve, when the last posada takes place, an
image of the Christ Child is carried and
laid in his tiny crib in the nativity scene
or nacimiento.
Mexicans celebrate Las Posadas in order
to prepare for the day of symbolic celebration,
which is the birthday of Our Lord Jesus
and the last posada held on Dec. 24 is followed
by midnight Mass to commemorate this.
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