Las Posadas begins nine days before Christmas — on December 16 — and it begins with a procession. Candles and lanterns in the hands of children and adults. The figures of Mary and Joseph being carried through the neighborhood. The call-and-response song sung between those outside ("posada" pilgrims) and those inside who are playing the role of the innkeeper: "¿Quién les da posada / a estos peregrinos / que vienen cansados / de andar los caminos?" (Who will give shelter to these pilgrims who come weary from the road?) The answer, finally, after several verses: the door opens, the pilgrims are welcomed, and the celebration begins.
What are Las Posadas?
Las Posadas (literally "the inns" or "the shelters") is a nine-night Mexican and Central American Christmas tradition commemorating the journey of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem before the birth of Jesus. The tradition runs from December 16 to December 24, with a different family or venue hosting each night. Each evening features a candlelit procession, the call-and-response posada song, the breaking of a star-shaped piñata (the seven points representing the seven deadly sins), and a celebration with ponche (a warm spiced fruit drink), buñuelos (thin fried pastries), tamales, and other seasonal foods. According to Mexico's National Commission for the Promotion and Development of Culture, Las Posadas is one of the most widely observed Catholic folk traditions in Mexico and among Mexican communities abroad, blending Indigenous and Spanish Catholic elements that date to the 16th century.
Las Posadas in the United States
In Mexican-American communities, Las Posadas is one of the most important community traditions of the December season — a way of carrying the celebration of Christmas in its Mexican Catholic form rather than its commercial American form. Neighborhood posadas, church posadas, and family posadas are held throughout the Southwest, the Midwest, and wherever large Mexican-American communities exist. For second and third generation Mexican-Americans, participating in las posadas is often an act of deliberate cultural preservation — choosing to do it the way their parents and grandparents did, in Spanish, with the piñata, with the ponche.
The invitation of the season
At its heart, Las Posadas is a story about belonging — about seeking shelter and finding it, about community opening its door. Smile Mas designs for the community that keeps this tradition alive and wants to wear their faith and culture with pride in the season and beyond.
Keep reading:
Nochebuena: The Night Before Everything
Día de Reyes: The Gift-Giving Day That Christmas Forgot
Abuela: The Matriarch at the Center of It All