How To Celebrate Las Posadas
- Make star-shaped piñatas Las Posadas is a great event that can be celebrated by adults and children alike! ...
- Attend a procession Before each gathering, all the guests form a procession to mark Mary and Joseph’s search for an inn on the night of Jesus’s birth. ...
- Reflect and meditate ...
What do people do to celebrate Las Posadas?
What to know about Mexican holiday tradition
- Pilgrims. ...
- Villancicos (Carols) The main part of the posada is the singing of the carols, in which the pilgrims outside are asking for shelter.
- Piñata. ...
- Food. ...
- More traditions: Mexican game of Loteria celebrated in Google Doodle; have you played it? ...
- Posada Downtown: The El paso Central Business Association will have its Mexcian Posada, starting at 5 p.m. ...
What country's people celebrate Las Posadas?
Posadas: A Traditional Mexican Christmas Celebration
- Asking for Shelter. There are two parts to the traditional posada song. ...
- Celebration. Once inside the house, there is a celebration which can vary from a big fancy party or a casual neighborhood to a small get-together among friends.
- History of the Posadas. ...
What are some traditions of Los Posadas?
The Traditional Food Of Mexican Posadas: the best 5 dishes
- The Heart of Mexican Posadas: the Tamales. Tamales are enjoyed year round in Latin America, but the making and serving of them around Christmas time and Mexican Posadas hold special ...
- Mexican Posada done light (but not that light): Ensalada de Nochebuena. ...
- A spicy Mexican Posada is a great posada: Pozole. ...
Does Las Posadas celebrate about Joseph and Mary?
The word posada translates to “dwelling” or “lodging”. Celebrated in Mexico and in Spanish speaking segments of the United States, Las Posadas celebrate Joseph and Mary’s journey from Bethlehem to Nazareth in search of a place for Baby Jesus to be born.
What does each day of Las Posadas celebrate?
They take place on nine nights from December 16 to 24 and commemorate the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph's search for a place to stay where Jesus could be born. Posadas in Mexico feature hot food and drinks, sweets, music, and piñatas.
How do Mexicans celebrate Posadas?
Las Posadas, a nine-night celebration from December 16th to 24th, is an important part of Christmas celebrations in Mexico. Each night, people go to a party at a different home. They commemorate Mary and Joseph''s search for an inn by forming a procession to that evening''s location and symbolically asking for shelter.
What is eaten during Las Posadas?
After the piñata comes dinner: traditional posada fare is tamales, buñuelos, atole and café de olla. The tamales are made with corn dough, softened with lard and beaten until the dough reaches 'water stage': a small ball of dough should float when put in a glass of water; if it sinks, it needs to be beaten more.
What gifts are given on Las Posadas?
Drinks, food, and a star shaped piñata define this evening fiesta. As the night draws to an end, aguinaldos (small bags filled with treats and candies) are distributed as parting gifts to the guests to help them continue on their “journey.”
How long does a posada last?
Las Posadas, celebrated yearly from December 16-24, is a religious festival traditionally held in Mexico and parts of Latin America. Translating to 'The Inns' in Spanish, Las Posadas is an important part of the Christmas festivities. Over the nine nights of celebrations, parties are held at different people's homes.
What is a posada cake?
To celebrate this event, there is another party, this time with a garland type cake called the rosca. Hidden within the dough, will be one or more plastic figurines of the Baby Jesus.
What do people decorate for Las Posadas?
What do people decorate for Las Posadas? In Latin America, for the Posadas, people decorate their homes with evergreen wreaths, moss, and paper lanterns. In each Posada, children are given candles and a board, with painted clay figures of Mary riding on a donkey and Joseph.
What are some fun facts about Las Posadas?
The practice of Las Posadas was begun by Augustinian friars near Mexico City around the year 1586. They used the celebration to teach the indigenous Aztec population about the birth of Jesus by having daily Christmas masses for nine days. This also coincided with the winter solstice ceremonies of the Aztecs.
Who participates in Las Posadas?
Las Posadas is celebrated mostly by communities in Mexico and Central America, and the 9 days of celebration represent the 9 months of pregnancy of the Virgin Mary with her son Jesus.
What's a posada party?
A posada is the reenactment of the Census pilgrimage to Bethlehem by Mary and Joseph (los peregrinos) in search of a room. From December 16th through December 24th, Mexican families customarily hold a posada party one evening in each of their homes.
What does posada translate to in English?
noun, plural po·sa·das [poh-sah-duhz; Spanish paw-sah-thahs]. (in some Spanish-speaking countries) a government-operated or -approved inn offering moderately priced rooms to tourists, especially in a historic area.
What is the most popular tradition in Mexico Christmas?
Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe is a religious feast held on 12 December every year.From 16 to 24 December, processions re-enacting Mary and Joseph's search for shelter take place in Mexico.It's not uncommon to see massive trees in city centres, decorated with lights and ornaments to celebrate the festive season.
What are some fun facts about Las Posadas?
The practice of Las Posadas was begun by Augustinian friars near Mexico City around the year 1586. They used the celebration to teach the indigenous Aztec population about the birth of Jesus by having daily Christmas masses for nine days. This also coincided with the winter solstice ceremonies of the Aztecs.
Why is Las Posadas celebrated for 9 days?
The cultural tradition of Las Posadas (translated to "the inns") is carried out every year during the 9 days before Christmas. Las Posadas is celebrated mostly by communities in Mexico and Central America, and the 9 days of celebration represent the 9 months of pregnancy of the Virgin Mary with her son Jesus.
What do people decorate for Las Posadas?
What do people decorate for Las Posadas? In Latin America, for the Posadas, people decorate their homes with evergreen wreaths, moss, and paper lanterns. In each Posada, children are given candles and a board, with painted clay figures of Mary riding on a donkey and Joseph.
What's a posada party?
A posada is the reenactment of the Census pilgrimage to Bethlehem by Mary and Joseph (los peregrinos) in search of a room. From December 16th through December 24th, Mexican families customarily hold a posada party one evening in each of their homes.
How long do Las Posadas last?
One of the most popular Christmas traditions in Northern New Mexico is Las Posadas, a nine-day celebration of religious observance beginning Decemb...
Who participates in Las Posadas?
So here is the religious story behind Las Posadas. Las Posadas is a tradition brought to Latin America by the Spanish and adopted in both Mexico an...
What do you eat on Las Posadas?
After the piñata comes dinner. Traditional posada fare is tamales, buñuelos, atole, and café de olla. The tamales are made with corn dough, softene...
What is the Las Posadas festival?
Las Posadas, religious festival celebrated between December 16 and 24 that commemorates the journey of Mary and Joseph before the birth of Jesus.
What is the procession of Mary and Joseph?
The procession is primarily made up of children dressed in silver and gold robes carrying lit candles and images of Mary and Joseph riding a donkey. Adults, including musicians, follow the procession, which visits selected homes and asks for lodging for Joseph and Mary.
What is the Mexican society?
Mexican society is characterized by extremes of wealth and poverty, with a limited middle class wedged between an elite cadre of landowners and investors on the one hand and masses of rural …
What is the Las Posadas celebration?
Las Posadas, celebrated yearly from December 16-24, is a religious festival traditionally held in Mexico and parts of Latin America. Translating to ‘The Inns’ in Spanish, Las Posadas is an important part of the Christmas festivities. Over the nine nights of celebrations, parties are held at different people’s homes. Before each gathering, all the guests form a procession to mark Mary and Joseph’s search for an inn on the night of Jesus’s birth. The march is usually led by an angel as a symbolic act of Mary and Joseph finding shelter in a stable when they were unable to find lodging in Bethlehem. The parties are joyous occasions, including prayers, food, music, fireworks, and piñatas!
What is the tradition of Las Posadas?
Las Posadas is a tradition brought to Latin America by the Spanish and adopted in both Mexico and Guatemala. Starting December 16th at dusk, families, friends, and neighbors dress up as angels and shepherds. Two people are dressed as Mary and Joseph, as well as the innkeeper.
What are some interesting facts about Las Posadas?
5 Amazing Facts About Las Posadas 1 The seven deadly sins#N#The star-shaped piñata children break apart has seven points that are meant to symbolize the seven deadly sins. 2 Rewards from heaven#N#The treats released from inside the piñata symbolize rewards from heaven, which are shared among guests in packages called ‘aguinaldos.’ 3 Staying warm and cozy#N#To stay warm, guests are served ‘ponche’, an aromatic fruit punch that includes piloncillo, water, cinnamon, and fruits such as guavas, tejocotes, and oranges. 4 Mary’s birth symbolized#N#The ‘Novena’ — the nine days of Las Posadas — signifies the nine months Mary carried Jesus in her womb. 5 Songs of devotion#N#The songs that are sung at each home form a dialogue between the ‘Fuera,’ sung by the pilgrims, and ‘Dentro,’ sung by those playing the innkeepers.
What is Las Posadas filled with?
Las Posadas is a great event that can be celebrated by adults and children alike! One of the most exciting elements of Las Posadas is the star-shaped piñatas filled with candy and toys.
Where were posadas originally held?
The Posada celebrations were originally held in the church but the custom spread. Later it was celebrated in haciendas, and then in family homes, gradually taking the form of the celebration as it is now practiced by the time of the 19th century. Now, neighborhood committees often organize the posadas and a different family will offer to host the celebration each night. The other people in the neighborhood bring food, candy, and piñatas so that the costs of the party don’t fall only on the host family.
What did the Aztecs worship?
The Aztecs, particularly Mexica or a group of Nahua people entering Central Mexico founding the Aztec Empire, traditionally worshipped Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, during the winter solstice. 1582. Catholicism spreads in Mexico. The winter solstice festival, which was one of the most important celebrations ...
Why was the Aztecs' winter solstice important?
The winter solstice festival, which was one of the most important celebrations of the year to the Aztecs, is proselytized when Spanish missionaries brought the reinvented religious pageant to Mexico to teach the story of Jesus' birth.
What is the tradition of posadas?
Posadas: A Traditional Mexican Christmas Celebration. Suzanne Barbezat is a freelance writer specializing in Mexican travel, culture, and food. The celebration of the Posadas is an important Mexican Christmas tradition and features prominently in holiday festivities in Mexico (and more and more north of the border as well).
Where was the Posada celebration held?
The Posada celebrations were originally held in the church, but the custom spread. Later it was celebrated in haciendas, and then in family homes, gradually taking the form of the celebration as it is now practiced by the time of the 19th century.
What does the nine nights of Posadas mean?
The nine nights of posadas leading up to Christmas are said to represent the nine months that Jesus spent in Mary's womb, or alternatively, to represent nine days journey that it took Mary and Joseph to get from Nazareth (where they lived) to Bethlehem (where Jesus was born).
What is the role of Joseph in Posada?
Those outside the house sing the role of Joseph asking for shelter and the family inside responds, singing the part of the innkeeper saying that there is no room. The song switches back and forth a few times until finally, the innkeeper agrees to let them in. The hosts open the door, and everyone goes inside.
What does Posada mean in Spanish?
The word posada means "inn" or "shelter" in Spanish. In this tradition, the Bible story of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem and their search for a place to stay is re-enacted. The tradition also involves a special song, as well as a variety of Mexican Christmas carols, breaking piñatas, and celebration.
What do neighborhood committees do for posadas?
Neighborhood committees often organize the posadas, and a different family will offer to host the celebration each night. The other people in the neighborhood bring food, candy, and piñatas so that the costs of the party don't fall only on the host family.
What did the Aztecs do to honor their god?
The Aztecs had a tradition of honoring their god Huitzilopochtli at the same time of year (coinciding with the winter solstice). They would have special meals in which the guests were given small figures of idols made from a paste that consisted of ground toasted corn and agave syrup.
Why is Las Posadas celebrated?
Today, Las Posadas is celebrated to relive the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The story says that while they knocked door after door, they found it difficult to find a place to rest and give birth to Jesus.
What is a Christmas posada?
Christmas Posadas is an attractive mix of fun and devotion, something that reflects the Mexican culture with the importance of religious beliefs in their customs. Also known as the party before the Christmas party, the part where they break the piñata is the final touch to the celebration.
Why do people sing La Canción para Pedir Posada?
When they arrive at a door, they sing the song "La Canción Para Pedir Posada" to see if the innkeepers will let them rest in their home. The participants inside the house deny them lodging. This is repeated until the participants arrive at their destination, that is, the house where the festivities will be hosted.
What is the food that is served at the Mexican feast?
Typical foods that can be found in these celebrations include mole (a sauce used in Mexican cuisine) and tamales (a dish made of masa or dough, which is steamed in a corn husk with a meat filling), accompanied with a cooked fruit punch and atole.
Where did Las Posadas originate?
Las Posadas History. With an origin dating back to the colonial period in Mexico, Christmas Posadas has evolved over the years to become what we know today.
What is the significance of the 9 days before Christmas?
Las Posadas is celebrated mostly by communities in Mexico and Central America, and the 9 days of celebration represent the 9 months of pregnancy of the Virgin Mary with her son Jesus. With the movement and migration of these communities to other countries, it's only logical that migrants take their cultures wherever they go, including many places in the United States. That's why it's interesting to learn about the origins of festivities like these, to help the tradition live on.
What is the meaning of Las Posadas?
Las Posadas derives from the Spanish word posada ( lodging, or accommodation) which, in this case, refers to the inn from the Nativity story . It uses the plural form as the celebration lasts for a nine-day interval (called the novena) during the Christmas season, which represents the nine-month pregnancy of Mary, the mother of Christ Jesus .
When did Las Posadas start?
Children in Oaxaca, Mexico, celebrating Las Posadas. The celebration has been a Mexican tradition for over 400 years, starting in 1586. Many Mexican holidays include dramatizations of original events, a tradition which has its roots in the ritual of Bible plays used to teach religious doctrine to a largely illiterate population in 10th- ...
What is the national holiday of Nicaragua?
In Nicaragua, the older generations grew up celebrating posadas, but the tradition fell out of fashion in cities by the 1960s; however, another major holiday called La Gritería (The Shoutings), on 7 December in honor of La Purísima Virgen (The Purest Virgin). La Purísima originated in León in the 1600s with Franciscan friars, and the celebration spread quickly throughout the country. By the 1800s, it became a national holiday and has since become a tradition in the Nicaraguan diaspora. La Purísima starts at noon on December 7 with major fireworks. Around 6:00 PM more fireworks announce the time when adults and children go out around their neighborhoods or towns with burlap sacks in hand visiting different altars while caroling the Virgin Mary. In exchange for singing, people receive sweets, fruit and toys. The celebration goes on into the night. At midnight, fireworks in the shape of Mary, stars and angels begin, typically lasting half an hour.
Where is Christmas celebrated in Spain?
Christmas tradition in the Spanish-speaking world. For other uses, see Posadas. Children smashing a traditional star-shaped piñata in a pre-posada party in Mexico City. Las Posadas is a novenario (an extended devotional prayer). It is celebrated chiefly in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Spain, and by Hispanics in the United States.
What is the Aztec goddess' birthday?
According to the Aztec calendar, Tonantzin Guadalupe (the mother of the gods) was celebrated on the winter solstice, and she is still feted on December 12 , while their most important deity, the sun god Huitzilopochtli, was born during the month of December (panquetzaliztli).
Why does the procession happen in Wisconsin?
In Wisconsin, the procession may occur within a home, because of the weather.
When is the Novena de Aguinaldos?
In Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, families and friends gather from the 16th to the 24th of December to pray the Novena de Aguinaldos .
When do posadas take place in Mexico?
As in Mexico, people generally host posadas any evening, from Dec. 16 through the 23.
What is the significance of the Posada?
The tradition of a posada, which means shelter in Spanish, started off religious in nature as it retraces the journey Mary and Joseph took on their way to Bethlehem and ultimately the nativity of Jesus.
What is the symbolism of the star shaped piata?
Traditionally, the piñata had seven points to symbolize the seven deadly sins. These days, stars often are made with five or six points.
What to give a piata?
No matter the number of points, the piñata should have plenty of candy. Adults usually also give kids small paper bags with more treats, including peanuts and fruit.
How many groups are there in Posada?
In order to begin the posada, the party of people has to be divided into two groups. One group remains inside, behind a closed door, while the other group is outside the door, representing Mary and Joseph asking for shelter.
Who said the Spanish used posadas as a tool for evangelization?
St. Anthony seminarian, Fray Asunción Xicoténcatl of the Order of Friars Minor, the Franciscans, said the Spanish used posadas as a tool for evangelization.
What can you do to make a wedding more elaborate?
If you want to make it more elaborate, people can hold candles and a couple can dress like Mary and Joseph.
