| Las
Posadas
In
Mexico
, Christmas is an important holiday season with strong traditions. One
of the most colorful traditions is the posada party, celebrated
every evening from December 16 to 24. These celebrations commemorate
Mary and Joseph's cold and difficult journey from
Nazareth
to
Bethlehem
in search of shelter. "Posada" in Spanish, simply means
lodging or shelter.
Each one of these nights before Christmas, a
party is held in a home in the neighborhood. At dusk, all the guests
gather outside the house. A small child dressed as an angel leads,
followed by children carrying figures of Mary and Joseph. Boys and girls
dressed in silver and gold robes constitute the procession, followed by
the adults and musicians. Everyone sings carols as they walk slowly
along, carrying their lit candles. When they reach the house, the group
divides in two. One half remains outside and begs for shelter from the
other half, which is inside the house. The doors are then opened, the
religious part of the celebration ends, and the fun begins.
The happy end to each posada has always been
the piñata. A piñata is a fragile earthenware jar covered with paper
mache, traditionally made in the shape of a star, to recall the one that
so mysteriously guided the Three Kings to the newborn Jesus.
Traditionally, the last posada
held on December 24 was most popular, because it was followed by
midnight
Mass.
In the provinces of
Mexico
, this tradition lives on.
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