Key takeaways
- Las Posadas is one of Mexico’s most famous Christmas traditions.
- Processions pass through streets looking for lodging, mimicking the biblical tale of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.
- Las Posadas lasts nine days, with parties at the start and end, with traditional food and drink served and piñatas smashed.
- This Mexican Christmas tradition remains an important religious festival for many Catholic believers.
Mexico’s tradition of Las Posadas provokes joy and fiestas across the country in the build-up to Christmas.
But what are Posadas? This religious festival is an interpretation of the Christian nativity story. Yet Posadas in Mexico is much more than a simple Catholic event. Las Posadas celebrations bring together communities, friends, and families.
Processions, songs, food, drink, and costumes are involved. The Mexican holidays wouldn’t be the same without Las Posadas. Here’s why.
What Are Las Posadas?
Las Posadas retells the classic biblical tale of the Virgin Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. In the Bible, the young couple search desperately for a safe place for Mary to give birth.
The story goes that many innkeepers refuse Mary and Joseph lodging. Eventually, they find safety in a stable, where Mary gives birth to Jesus Christ in a manger.
Las Posadas is held in towns, villages, and cities in Mexico and across Latin American countries from December 16 to 24. These nine days represent the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy. Children or adults dress up and hold a procession through the streets every evening. Some may represent Mary and Joseph or carry images of the couple. You might even see donkeys, shepherds, and angels.
How Is the Reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s Search for Shelter Portrayed in Posadas?
Musicians follow the procession as Mary and Joseph look for lodgings. Traditionally, they are refused by the house’s inhabitants, often through singing songs. That said, hosts usually provide refreshments. Some events feature Mexican Christmas carols called villancicos at stops, while others may read scripture.
On December 24, Mary and Joseph are allowed into a house. Some Posadas end at a local church and feature mass. This is called La Posada, a place to stay, a refuge. Now, people enjoy music, traditional food, and singing.
Children get to whack a Christmas piñata open, with the piñata spilling candy, money, and toys. The star-shaped piñata represents the star the three wise men followed to Jesus’ birth, and each point is one of the seven deadly sins.
The Christmas Eve posada procession continues into Christmas Day, closing Las Posadas.
What Are the Typical Songs Used During Las Posadas?
The traditional Mexican Christmas celebration song that accompanies Las Posadas is Pidiendo Posada, or asking for lodging in English.
In the song, peregrinos (pilgrims) ask for lodging and charity, which the posaderos (innkeepers) refuse. After several pleadings, the innkeepers open their doors once they believe the Mother of God, the “Queen of Heaven” in Spanish, is outside.
Villancicos might be traditional carols from Spain. Others are translations of popular English-language carols, such as “Silent Night.” Perhaps the most famous Mexican villancico is “Los Peces en el Río,” the Fishes in the River.
Other classic songs include Oh Ven, Oh Ven, Emmanuel (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel), Vamos Todos a Belén (We’re Going to Bethlehem), and Un Niño Nos Ha Nacido (A Child Is Born).
Some processions end with guests kneeling and praying around a home’s Nativity scene.
What Types of Food and Drinks Are Traditionally Served During Posadas?
Las Posadas starts to warm up after the procession finds a safe place for the evening. Everyone enjoys a hot ponche (punch) made of dried and fresh fruit, natural sugarcane, and piloncillo, a type of brown sugar.
Popular appetizers called antojitos are served, with classics including:
- Buñuelos and hot chocolate are fried dough fritters served with gooey hot chocolate.
- Tostadas are flat, fried, baked tortillas served with anything from shredded chicken to cheese or beef.
- Atole is a creamy, rich, corn-based hot drink served slightly flavored and sweetened. Chocolate, strawberry, cinnamon, and spicy chili are popular, especially after all that singing.
- Tamales are steamed corn husks and banana leaves stuffed with beans, cheese, or meat.
Some innkeepers distribute party favors called aguinaldos to take home.
Where Did the Las Posadas Tradition Originate?
The Roman Catholic Church swept into Mexico after the arrival of Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492. Bishops and priests needed ways to explain the Catholic message across Mexico and all of Latin America.
In Mexico, clergy blended existing Mayan and Aztec practices, such as the piñata ritual. In pre-Hispanic Mexico, people broke decorated handmade clay pots full of sweets as offerings to the Aztec god of war, Huitzilopochtli.
Las Posadas provided a way to combine telling the nativity story with local customs. As a result, Las Posadas is now very much a Hispanic Christmas tradition.
How Do Piñatas Play a Role in Las Posadas During the Christmas Season?
Traditionally, Mexican Christmas piñatas are stars with seven points. Each point represents a point on the star of Bethlehem, which the three wise men followed to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Jesus.
Each point represents one of the Bible’s seven deadly sins (pecados in Spanish): pride, sloth, envy, lust, gluttony, wrath, and greed. Catholic symbolism runs through the piñata celebration, just as much as the candies, fruits like guavas, nuts, sugar cane, and toys inside.
The piñata is a symbol of hope while those hitting it are denying temptation. The breaking of the piñata is good triumphing over evil. The treats within are faith, and sharing shows charity.
Nowadays, people smash piñatas for fun and for the party that follows. The religious may attend mass.
What Is the Significance of Posadas in Mexican Culture?
Las Posadas is an integral part of Mexican Christmas culture. More than three-quarters of the country identifies as Roman Catholic. That makes the reenactment of the story of Mary and Joseph’s journey from Bethlehem central to many Mexican Christmas celebrations.
However, Las Posadas mixes Catholic legend with Aztec practices. The adoption of the Aztec piñata smashing into Las Posadas is a successful fusion of different cultures. Mexicans also love Christmas trees adorned with decorations.
The nine-day Las Posadas, sometimes called La Novena, is also a time for friends, family, and communities to unite. Joy, warmth, and compassion underpin this festival, featuring carols, prayers, songs, and celebrations. Las Posadas is also the centerpiece of a very elongated Mexican Christmas calendar.
What Is the Mexican Christmas Calendar of Events?
Mexico enjoys lengthy Christmas celebrations from December 8 to February 2—a whopping 57 days spanning three months.
Here’s a quick rundown of events:
- December 8: Día de la Inmaculada Concepción, the Day of the Immaculate Conception.
- December 12: Dia de la Virgin de Guadalupe, the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
- December 16–24: Las Posadas, the Innkeepers.
- December 24: Nochebuena, Christmas Eve.
- December 25: Nochebuena (continued), as the evening turns into Christmas Day and the birth of Jesus.
- December 28: Dia de Los Santos Inocentes, Day of the Sainted Innocents.
- January 6: Dia de Los Tres Reyes Magos, Three Kings Day (Three Wise Men).
- February 2: La Candelaria, Candlemas.
How Have Las Posadas Evolved in Modern Times?
Ask a 17th-century Mexican, “What are Posadas?” and the answer will be very different from a 21st-century reply.
The original tradition saw Las Posadas’ celebrations closely tied to Catholic dogma. Many processions started and ended at churches, with priests and bishops leading prayers and reading scripture.
As the centuries passed, the Las Posadas tradition spread. Communities held their own versions, ending in homes rather than religious buildings. Nowadays, Las Posadas still carry heavy religious undertones for some, but the name has become a byword for many types of fiesta and celebrations.
Indeed, some Las Posadas may follow the story of Mary and Joseph. Still, some participants focus more on the get-together afterward and do not heed any religious connotations.
What Are the Key Differences Between Las Posadas and Other Festive Traditions?
Las Posadas is a distinctive Mexican Christmas tradition.
Key differences between it and other festive celebrations include:
- Las Posadas remains an intrinsically religious festival, whereas Santa Claus and all the trappings are not related to the Bible’s stories.
- Many people celebrate Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and perhaps Boxing Day. In contrast, Las Posadas lasts nine days, from December 16 to 24.
- Many American Christmas dinners feature turkey or ham with all the trimmings. Traditional foods served at Las Posadas include tamales, atole, and hot ponche to drink.
- Piñatas are a staple at Las Posadas. That said, Christmas piñatas are becoming more popular as traditions fuse.
- Carol singers in the U.S. often collect money for charity. Las Posadas’ carols are an integral part of the procession. For example, in the “Pidiendo Posada” song, where members of the procession ask for lodging, there is an interaction between those representing Mary and Joseph and the innkeepers in the houses.
- Some Mexicans now exchange gifts after midnight on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day rather than the more traditional January 6, The Kings Day.
How Are Posadas Celebrated in Different Regions of Latin America?
Most Latin American countries use the same religious base as Mexico for Las Posadas. People take part in processions and ask for lodging from innkeepers, with food and drink to celebrate once admitted.
However, people celebrate differently in some aspects.
In Texas, many San Antonio folks enjoy the annual La Gran Posada at the cathedral or basilica.
In Guatemala, a small, decorated nativity scene called an “Anda” leaves a church and travels between chosen posadas each night. The next day, it travels to its next destination until finally returning to the local church on Christmas Eve.
Ecuador’s Posadas vary significantly by region. In Los Ríos, people erect large Christmas trees and sing carols, whereas in Guayas, lights in the trees are a focal point on December 24. El Oro features the largest Christmas tree in the country, standing almost 100 feet.
Colombia’s streets are ablaze with light on December 24 as people light lanterns that line the roads.
Nicaragua used to hold similar Posadas celebrations to Mexico. However, street processions have recently been restricted, and people have been told to stage events within churches only.
What Are Posadas? A Very Mexican Way to Celebrate Christmas
So, what are Posadas? Las Posadas is a very Mexican way to celebrate local and Catholic cultures. Everyone is catered for, from the believers to those who want to celebrate a time for family and friends joyously. Food, drink, and good cheer abound. You might even hear some Mariachi music.
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