Las Posadas

Las Posadas is a lovely Christmas tradition in Mexico. For nine days, from December 16-24, communities hold posadas, traditional religious plays, that commemorate Mary and Joseph’s search for a place to stay in Bethlehem before Jesus was born.

Neto is invited to multiple posadas every year. There will be posadas in his neighborhood and one at Los Colores, the Catholic meeting he attends every Wednesday night. Posadas are usually held after dark. Guests play the part of pilgrims, carrying candles to help them light their way as they go from house to house, knocking on doors asking for shelter.

One year Neto and I were in Bucerias, a small town north of Puerto Vallarta, for Christmas. We attended a posada at Los Arroyos Verdes, a beautiful ecological retreat located in a tropical rainforest on the outskirts of town. Children from the local orphanage played the main parts ~ Mary and Joseph, angels and shepherds. Mary was blind and sat on a real donkey. Those of us in the audience were divided in two parts ~ the innkeepers and the pilgrims.

There is a song that is sung at every posada, back and forth between the innkeepers and the pilgrims. The ceremony begins as Mary, Joseph and the pilgrims ask for lodging, or “posada.” The innkeepers reject the pilgrims and tell them to go away. Finally, after listening to the pleas of the pilgrims multiple times, the innkeepers sing, “Wait! It is you, Joseph, and your wife, Mary! Please come in. I did not recognize you!”

To this, the pilgrims sing, “God will repay you for your charity and fill you with blessings in heaven.” 

And then the party begins! There is a special piñata for the children ~ a seven-pointed star that represents the seven-deadly sins. Children whack away at the piñata with a stick until it is broken, representing God’s victory over the devil. Candy and trinkets fall on the ground and the children run to gather up as much as they can, scooping their loot into their outstretched hands and pants pockets.

Of course, there is plenty of food and drink. At our party, the food was pot luck. Typical Mexican foods are tamales, pozole and buñuelos, deep fried dough drizzled in syrup and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Drinks include Mexican hot chocolate, atole (a hot drink made from corn flour),  beer and shots of tequila. Neighbors often hire a band and the party lasts until early morning when it is finally time to go home.

I love the symbolism of La Posada. At Christmas, a time for candles to light our way during these dark winter nights, I am reminded of these words from the song, Light One Candle by Peter Yarrow:

“Light one candle for the strength that we need to never become our own foe.

And light one candle for those who are suffering. Pain we learned so long ago.

Light one candle for all we believe in. That anger not tear us apart.

And light one candle to find us together with peace as the song in our heart.”

¡Feliz Navidad!