During the month of December, countries around the world have each one a unique way of celebrating the Christmas festivities, or at least add their very own touch to the widely spread european and American traditions.
In Mexico, we carry out rituals and celebrations that have been kept alive for many centuries, result of an intrincate fusion of prehispanic and european cultures as antique as Mexico itself.
The famous Las Posadas are a perfect example of that blend.
But, What are they really? Is it just another fiesta? What makes the different from others?
First of all, a little history. Las Posadas have been celebrated since the 1580´s. Ever since, one Posada takes place every day from Dec. 16th to the 24th -9 in total- originating from a series of 9 masses previous to Christmas day held by Spanish Catholic evangelizers in the New World, and more specifically in Mexico. These masses were accompanied by live represantations in church atriums of the nativity of Jesus Christ, intended to indoctrinate the natives in the Catholic faith. After the mass, people participated in festivities that included food, the singing of christian carols and the breaking of piñatas.
After some time, the celebration started to move from the churches onto the popular barrios, shared among neighbors and family members.
Posadas symbolize Mary and Joseph´s journey from Nazaret to Bethlehem prior to the birth of Jesus. "Posada" literally means an inn or a hospitality, and thus the popular representation intends to show the harsh pilgrimage of the couple while looking for a place to give birth to their holy son.
In the modern celebration, which is usually carried out among neighbors and family members living in a barrio or neighborhood -in a different house every day!- there is a procession made up by the attendees that "travels along with the pilgrims (Mary and Joseph)" from door to door "hoping to find a place to stay". At every house they visit, pilgrims ask to be welcomed by singing a little verse of a traditional carol, but are denied hospitality by people inside the house singing the next verse in the carol, and so they move on to the next house.
When they reach the house where the Posada is going to be held, people inside greet and welcome the pilgrims joyfully, offering them to stay and share the meal.
The meal consists the majority of times of tamales, punch and atole -a hot corn drink- and of course after that, there is the breaking of the piñata!
In Mexico, we carry out rituals and celebrations that have been kept alive for many centuries, result of an intrincate fusion of prehispanic and european cultures as antique as Mexico itself.
The famous Las Posadas are a perfect example of that blend.
But, What are they really? Is it just another fiesta? What makes the different from others?
First of all, a little history. Las Posadas have been celebrated since the 1580´s. Ever since, one Posada takes place every day from Dec. 16th to the 24th -9 in total- originating from a series of 9 masses previous to Christmas day held by Spanish Catholic evangelizers in the New World, and more specifically in Mexico. These masses were accompanied by live represantations in church atriums of the nativity of Jesus Christ, intended to indoctrinate the natives in the Catholic faith. After the mass, people participated in festivities that included food, the singing of christian carols and the breaking of piñatas.
After some time, the celebration started to move from the churches onto the popular barrios, shared among neighbors and family members.
Posadas symbolize Mary and Joseph´s journey from Nazaret to Bethlehem prior to the birth of Jesus. "Posada" literally means an inn or a hospitality, and thus the popular representation intends to show the harsh pilgrimage of the couple while looking for a place to give birth to their holy son.
In the modern celebration, which is usually carried out among neighbors and family members living in a barrio or neighborhood -in a different house every day!- there is a procession made up by the attendees that "travels along with the pilgrims (Mary and Joseph)" from door to door "hoping to find a place to stay". At every house they visit, pilgrims ask to be welcomed by singing a little verse of a traditional carol, but are denied hospitality by people inside the house singing the next verse in the carol, and so they move on to the next house.
When they reach the house where the Posada is going to be held, people inside greet and welcome the pilgrims joyfully, offering them to stay and share the meal.
The meal consists the majority of times of tamales, punch and atole -a hot corn drink- and of course after that, there is the breaking of the piñata!
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