las posadas

Las Posadas, or the accomodation, is a nine day period to represent The Virgin Mary's nine months of pregnancy and her struggle to find a place to have baby Jesus. This holiday has been a tradition in Mexico for four hundred years. The nine day celebration was started by early friars that combined Spanish Catholicism with the Aztec celebration of the birth of their God. It is celebrated with beautiful Nativity scenes and huge feasts. The people dress up in costumes and reenact Las Posodas. Las Posadas is not only celebrated in Mexico, but Spain, Guaremala, and parts of the Southwestern United States. The celebrations begin on the evening of December sixteenth and end on the evening of December twenty-fourth. On the last night there is a Midnight Mass. The Midnight Mass is the last party before Christmas. Starting on the sixteenth of December each family in a neighborhood schedules a night for the Posoda to be held at their house. The Posada hosts are the inn keepers and their home is decorated with a beautiful nativity scene. The other people in their neighborhood act as pilgrims. These "pilgrims" have to go from house to house requesting accommodation. All of the "pilgrims" carry candles, and four of them carry statues of Joseph leading Mary on a donkey. The leader of the group has a candle with a paper lampshade. All of the houses the "pilgrims" visit will respond with a no until they reach the inn keepers. The inn keepers let the "pilgrims" in to pray around the nativity scene. This will go on for nine days at different houses. The food during Las Posadas is incredible. There are huge feasts within families and friends. Bowls and plates of Mexican Rice and other traditional foods fill the tables. Guests that come to the house holds recieve snacks. Hot Ponche, Fried Rosette cookies or Bunuelos, Hot Tamales, and many many more snacks are served. All of the food is a fun and festive way to celebrate the birth of Christ. Some people celebrate a little bit differently. People play the parts of Mary and Joseph. The man playing Joseph will lead Mary from house to house on a real donkey. Other people follow, dressed as angels and shepherds. Children following the procession might be carrying poinsettias. Musicians accompany the group also. Christmas carolers flood the streets and children break open star shaped pinatas, made of clay and filled with candy and fruit. After the procession there is a huge feast. In Puerto Vallarta the Botanical Gardens host a celebration of the Mexican holliday on December 20th. People gather during the day and make their own Nativity scenes with spanish moss and other natural materials. The Botanical Gardens is decorated with Nativity scenes, Mexican Pines, and poinsettias, or La Flor De Noche Buena. At the end of the night everyone gathers around a huge bonfire and sings. Las Posadas is celebrated in various other places too. The holliday is not only celebrated in Mexico. It is also celebrated in the United States. In Wisconsin Las Posadas is celebrated inside. There are no people walking around because of the cold weather and snow. Worshippers drink Atole in New York. Atole is a corn-sugar drink. Near the San Antonio River Walk a giant procession occurs. This procession has been going on since 1966. There are similar celebrations in the Philippines, Nicaragua, and Cuba. In the Philippines there is a Panunuluyan pageant on each of the nine nights. Actors play Mary and Joseph. They sing their lines. In Nicaragua La Griteria occurs. La Griteria, or The Shoutings, is only one day long. It is in honor of La Purisma Virgen, or The Purest Virgin. People parade up and down the streets, visiting their neighbors for food, drinks, and gifts, and sing to the Virgin Mary. Cuba celebrates Parrandos. This is celebrated with people marching throughour the villages making lots of noise and singing. As you can see Las Posadas is a highly celebrated mexican holliday. The nine days of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ are filled with amazing time with family and friends. Living Nativity scenes are made and people act out the Joseph's struggle to find somewhere to stay so the Virgin Mary could give birth. The holliday Las Posadas is cellebrated many places other than Mexico. Such as; Nicaragua, the United States, and many more. These places all celebrate differently though. Different food and decorations are used depending on where you are. Las Posadas is a great holliday.