Las Posadas
This religious ceremony commemorates the travails of Joseph and Mary as they tried to find shelter prior to Jesus’s birth.
This religious ceremony commemorates the travails of Joseph and Mary as they tried to find shelter prior to Jesus’s birth.
Renee Harleston
Reviewer page idDate: December 16-24
Pronunciation: Lahs poh-sah-dahs
This religious ceremony commemorates the travails of Joseph and Mary as they tried to find shelter prior to Jesus’s birth.
Origin
Las Posadas originated in Mexico in 1586. Friar Diego de Soria, a Spanish Augustinian friar, reached out to Pope Sixtus V to obtain a papal bull, or an official announcement from the pope, allowing him to expand the masses celebrated at Christmas. He received permission to celebrate misas de aguinaldo, or Christmas gift masses.
The friars took advantage of existing Aztec traditions and celebrated a series of masses to coincide with celebrations of the god Huitzilopochtli.
Who observes this holiday
This holiday is observed by both Catholics and other Christian denominations in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, much of Central America, the Philippines (called Panunuluyan) and in the United States.
When this holiday is observed
Las Posadas is always celebrated in the nine days before Christmas Eve—December 16 to the 24th.
Traditions
Traditions differ depending on where Las Posadas is being celebrated. But Las Posadas often includes a mass, a procession and music.
Las Posadas means “inn” or “dwelling.” Every Las Posadas celebration is rooted in a reenactment of Mary and Joseph searching for an inn or shelter prior to Jesus’s birth. Children dressed as Mary and Joseph often lead a procession through town, knocking on doors. At each door, the procession is turned away, until they reach a house that will let them in. When they finally find a place to rest, the procession sings a posada song (a festive song specifically written for the holiday) and shares food and drink. Participants often break open a piñata in the shape of a seven-pointed star and share the goodies inside.
Some traditional drinks served on Las Posadas include ponche navideño (a fruit punch) or champurrado (a hot chocolate drink). Traditional foods can include tamales and stews like pozole and menudo. In the Philippines, traditional food may include puto-bumbong (a rice-based coconut dessert) and a ginger tea called salabat.
Traditionally, Las Posadas is celebrated over the course of nine days, but some churches may have a one-day celebration of Las Posadas. Some Las Posadas celebrations can be large, with a processional stretching over a whole town, or small, with a gathering of friends and family at home.
What to say
“¡Feliz Las Posadas!” or “Happy Las Posadas!” are fine greetings for this holiday.