Las Posadas is a popular Christmas festival in Mexico . It also has become increasingly popular in Central America and the United States . Las Posadas lasts from December 16 through 24. The Spanish word posadas means inns or lodgings. During the fesitval, people reenact Mary and Joseph ’s search for lodgings in Bethlehem on the first Christmas Eve. In the Bible , Mary and Joseph were the parents of Jesus Christ . When Mary was pregnant, she and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem for a census. They could not find lodgings there, and so Jesus was born in a stable.
Las Posadas is a family festival in which many children take part. It may be organized by churches, community groups, or neighborhood volunteers. During the festival, people play the roles of Mary and Joseph, the townspeople of Bethlehem, angels, and shepherds. The people playing Mary and Joseph often carry images or statues of those figures. As part of a procession, they wander the streets of “Bethlehem” looking for a place to stay. They visit a number of houses and are turned away. At each stop, people in the procession sing a song, requesting entry. The people who turn away “Mary” and “Joseph” reply in song that they have no room to spare. Members of the procession commonly carry lighted candles.
Finally, the procession arrives at a house or church chosen in advance as the “inn.” The people playing Mary and Joseph are welcomed and led to a room containing a Nativity scene. They place their images or statues of Mary and Joseph in the scene. The participants may pray or sing Christmas carols. A meal or snack may follow. Then all the children are invited to break open a piñata—that is, a paper or clay figure full of candy and small gifts. The piñata is often star-shaped. In the Bible, astrologers or wise men called Magi followed a star to visit the baby Jesus.
In rural areas, the person playing Mary often rides a donkey through the streets. In large, modern cities, people may celebrate Las Posadas in the hallways of apartment buildings or within individual homes. In Mexico, the festival dates back to the 1500’s. People in Mexico may have adopted the tradition from Spain .
