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Las Posadas (Spanish for "The Inns") is a nine-day celebration with origins in Mexico beginning December 16th and ending December 24th. It is a yearly tradition for many Catholic Mexicans and some other Latin Americans and symbolizes the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born, based on the passage in the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke (2:1-9): "Now, at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census -- the first -- took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his home town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and traveled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David's House and lineage, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn. In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields a dn took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them." It is a very important Christmas Tradition for the people of Latin America.^[1]

Basically represents the troubles that Joseph and Mary faced in finding a room when traveling to Bethlehem. In it, groups of children and adults go from house to house singing a traditional song requesting lodging (posada, which means "inn" in Spanish). At each house, the resident responds by refusing lodging (also in song), until the weary travelers reach the designated site for the party, where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition. In some places, the final location may be a church instead of a home. Individuals may actually play the various parts of Mary (Maria) and Joseph with the expectant mother riding a real donkey (burro), with attendants such as angels and shepherds acquired along the way. Or the pilgrims may carry images of the holy personages instead. At the end of the long journey, there will be Christmas carols (villancicos), children will break open pinatas by striking these colorful papier-mache objects with bats while blind-folded to obtain candy hidden inside, and there will be a feast.

The verses to the song "Las Posadas" vary from place and place and time to time, but may include some of the following:

{From the beginning of the procession [words in square brackets are added to the translation to make it more idiomatic]} Marchemos cantando, marchemos cantando, con gusto y fervor, y fervor, para ir anunciando, la gloria de Dios!

(We march along singing, we march along singing, with joy and zeal, and zeal, to go announcing the glory of God!)

{From the part where they ask for lodging}

Quien les da posada a estos peregrinos que vienen casados de andar los caminos?

(Who [will] give lodging to these pilgrims who come, wearily, walking [along] the roads?)

Por mas que digais que venis rendidos, no damos posada a desconocidos.

(No matter that you say that you are weary, we [will] not give lodging to strangers.)

Venimos rendidos desde Nazaret, yo soy carpintero de nombre Jose.

(We come, wearily, from Nazareth, I am [a] carpenter by [the] name [of] Joseph.)

No me importa su nombre, dejenme dormir, pues que ya les digo que no hemos de abrir.

(I don't care what your name is; let me sleep, for I've already said that we don't have to open up.)

En nombre del Cielo, os pido posada, pues no puede andar ya, mi esposa amada.

(In the name of Heaven, I beg lodging from you, for no further can my beloved wife walk.)

Posada os damos con mucha alegria; entra Jose justo, entra con Maria.

(Lodging we give you with great happiness; enter Joseph extly; enter with Mary.)

{From the invitation to enter}

Entren, Santos Peregrinos, Peregrinos. Reciban este rincon. No de esta pobre morada, pobre morada, Sino de mi corazon.

(Enter, Holy Pilgrims, Pilgrims. Take this corner. May I not give this poor dwelling, poor dwelling, But may I give my heart.)

{From the birth of the Holy Infant} Humildes Peregrinos, Jesus, Maria, y Jose, Mi alma os doy, con ella mi corazon tambien.

(Humble Pilgrims, Jesus, Mary, and Herbert, I give you my soul, with it my heart as well.)

{From the Song of the Candies} Andale ninos, no te dilates, Con la canasta de las cacahuates. Tiren confites y canelas, pa' los muchachos que son muy tragones.

(Come, children, don't delay, With the basket and the peanuts. Knock down candies and sticks of cinnamon, for the children that are very hungry [not exactly grammatical -- the kids will swallow them down anyway])

{From the pinata party} Andale, nino, No pierdas el tino. Mide la distancia Que hay en el camino.

(Come on, child, Don't lose your good judgment. Measure the distance That there is on the way. [Basically telling the child to figure out how far it is to the pinata!])

Con los ojos bien vendados, En las manos un baston. Ya se rompa la pinata Sin tenerle compasion.

(With your eyes blindfolded well, In your hands a bat. Break the pinata already Without showing it [any] compassion.)

{Chorus} Dale, dale, dale! No pierdas el tino. Mide la distancia Que hay en el camino.

(Hit it, hit it, hit it! Don't lose your good judgment. Measure the distance That there is on the way.)

{I took down these words long ago, when we sang them ourselves, in the 1970s. But you may find confirmation of a few of the verses at http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/ldumois/ldcposadas.html}.

These Posadas are a re-enactment of the search by Jesus's parents, Joseph and Mary, for lodging, prior to Jesus's birth. Typically, each family in a neighborhood will schedule a night for the Posada to be held at their home, starting on the 16th of December and finishing on the 24th.

Ritual

Every home has a nativity scene and the hosts of the Posada act as the innkeepers. The neighborhood children and adults are the pilgrims (Peregrinos), who have to request lodging by singing a traditional song about the pilgrims. All the pilgrims carry small lit candles in their hands, and four people carry small statues of Joseph leading a donkey, on which Mary is riding. The head of the procession will have a candle inside a paper lamp shade, or "farolito".

The pilgrims will symbolically ask for lodging at three different houses, but only the third one will allow them in. That will be the house where the Posada will be held for that evening. Once the "innkeepers" let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray (typically, the Rosary). This is followed by the singing of traditional Christmas songs and a party for the children, including a piñata.

Traditionally, it is expected to meet all the invitees in a previous procession.

Mexico

In Mexico the tradition consists of a group of hosts (may be one family in one home or a number of families in the neighborhood) that prepare a typical dinner to "host" the rest of the neighbors (usually a block or section of the neighborhood). Each one of the nine days a different family (or group of families) offer to be the hosts, so that the whole neighborhood or section participates.

Every home will have a Nativity scene. The hosts of the home are the innkeepers, and the neighborhood children and adults are the peregrinos, who have to request lodging through singing a simple chant. All carry small lit velas in their hands and four teenagers of about the same height are chosen to carry the peregrinos, which are two small statues of St. Joseph leading a donkey, on which Virgin Mary is riding side-saddle. The head of the procession will have a candle inside of a paper lamp shade that looks like an accordion but open at the top and it is called a “farolito” or little lantern.

The peregrinos will ask for lodging by singing the traditional litany outside of the house that is supposed to have the posada for that evening. Once the innkeepers let them in, the group of guests comes into the home and kneels around the Nativity scene to pray the rosary. The rosary is a traditional Catholic prayer, which consists of the following prayers: 50 Hail Marys, 5 Our Fathers, 5 Glories and the Litany, which is a series of praises for the Virgin Mary, plus singing traditional songs like Holy Night.^[2]

Las Posadas (Spanish for "the inn") is a traditional Mexican festival which re-enacts Joseph's search for room at the inn. Each Christmas season, a processional carrying a doll representing Baby Jesus and images of Joseph and Mary riding a burro walks through the community streets. The processional stops at a previously selected home and asks for lodging for the night. The people are invited in to read scriptures and sing Christmas carols called villancicos. Refreshments are provided by the hosts.

Baby Jesus was left at the chosen home and picked up on the next night when the processional begins again. This continues for eight nights in commemoration of the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The nine posadas are part of the Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon.

Piñata

After all the prayer is done, then the party for the children starts. There will be a piñata filled with peanuts in the shell, oranges, tangerines, candy canes, and sometimes wrapped hard candy. There will be other types of chants the children will sing while the child in turn is trying to break the piñata with a stick while he/she will be a blindfolded. Although the piñata was originally from Italy, it has become a Mexican tradition for celebrations where there are children involved. The piñata was made out of a clay pot and decorated with crepe paper in different colours. Today’s piñatas are made out of cardboard and paper mache techniques and decorated with crepe paper. For the adults there is always “”ponche””, which is a hot beverage or punch made out of seasonal fruits and cinnamon sticks, with a shot of alcoholic spirit.^[2]

Songs and Rhymes

Ándale Juana No te dilates Con la canasta de los cacahuates

Chile mulato Chile pasilla dénle de palos a los de la silla

Ándale Lupe Sal del rincón Con la canasta De la colación

La piñata tiene caca - tiene caca Cacahuates de a montón!

La piñata tiene cola - tiene cola Colaciones de a montón!

Dale, dale, dale No pierdas el tiro Porque si lo pierdes Pierdes el camino

Ya le diste una! Ya le diste dos! Ya le diste tres... Y tu tiempo se acabó!

Ese niño fué muy tonto - fué muy tonto Se parece a su papá!

Notes

^ Luke 2,1-7
^ ^a ^b Costero (1988). Celebremos nuestras fiestas (in Spanish). Mexico: Arbol Editorial. ISBN 968-461-079-3.

External links

"Litany "Para pedir posada""

[1] Luke 2,1-7

[Costero-2] Costero (1988). Celebremos nuestras fiestas (in Spanish). Mexico: Arbol Editorial. ISBN 968-461-079-3.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 '''Las Posadas''' (Spanish for "The Inns") is a nine-day celebration with origins in [[Mexico]] beginning December 16th and ending December 24th. It is a yearly tradition for many Catholic [[Mexicans]] and some other [[Latin Americans]] and symbolizes the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born, based on the passage in the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke (2:1-9): "Now, at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken.  This census -- the first -- took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his home town to be registered.  So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and traveled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David's House and lineage, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.  While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born.  She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them at the inn.  In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields a dn took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night.  The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them." It is a very important Christmas Tradition for the people of Latin America.<ref>[[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] 2,1-7</ref>
- basically represents the troubles that Joseph and Mary faced in finding a room when traveling to Bethlehem. In it, groups of children and adults go from house to house singing a traditional song requesting lodging (posada, which means "inn" in Spanish). At each house, the resident responds by refusing lodging (also in song), until the weary travelers reach the designated site for the party, where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter.  Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition.  In some places, the final location may be a church instead of a home.  Individuals may actually play the various parts of Mary (Maria) and Joseph with the expectant mother riding a real donkey (burro), with attendants such as angels and shepherds acquired along the way.  Or the pilgrims may carry images of the holy personages instead.  At the end of the long journey, there will be Christmas carols (villancicos), children will break open pinatas by striking these colorful papier-mache objects with bats while blind-folded to obtain candy hidden inside, and there will be a feast. HI
+Basically represents the troubles that Joseph and Mary faced in finding a room when traveling to Bethlehem. In it, groups of children and adults go from house to house singing a traditional song requesting lodging (posada, which means "inn" in Spanish). At each house, the resident responds by refusing lodging (also in song), until the weary travelers reach the designated site for the party, where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter.  Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition.  In some places, the final location may be a church instead of a home.  Individuals may actually play the various parts of Mary (Maria) and Joseph with the expectant mother riding a real donkey (burro), with attendants such as angels and shepherds acquired along the way.  Or the pilgrims may carry images of the holy personages instead.  At the end of the long journey, there will be Christmas carols (villancicos), children will break open pinatas by striking these colorful papier-mache objects with bats while blind-folded to obtain candy hidden inside, and there will be a feast.
 The verses to the song "Las Posadas" vary from place and place and time to time, but may include some of the following: