Some of my favorite childhood memories are Christmas-related. We would spend Christmas Eve with my mom’s side of the family, about thirty people under one roof. There was food and drink for twice as many and it was as loud as it was beautiful. One of my family’s traditions leading up to Christmas, which I fondly remember, was celebrating Las Posadas.
What is Las Posadas?
Las Posadas is a novena celebrated in Mexico and other Latin American countries between December 16 and Christmas Eve. The word posada means inn or lodging, and through these nine days, we walk with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7).
The First Posadas
The Augustinian Friars of San Agustin de Acolman, near Mexico City, are believed to have celebrated the first posadas. In 1586, Friar Diego de Soria, the Augustinian prior, obtained a papal bull from Pope Sixtus V to celebrate misas de aguinaldo, “Christmas gift masses” between December 16 and 24.
The Aztecs had a tradition of honoring their god Huitzilopochtli during the winter solstice, and they would have special meals in which the guests were given small figures of idols made from a paste that consisted of ground toasted corn and agave syrup. The posadas were an effort to fill a cultural void in the decades after the Marian apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531 and the conversion of Mexico to Catholicism.
Initially celebrated in the churches, the posadas soon started making their way to neighborhoods where families would take turns hosting the posada during the nine days.
Anatomy of a Posada
If you would like to host or celebrate las posadas with friends and family, your parish, or youth group, this guide will break down the essential components of the celebration.
Time and Place
My grandma would run the logistics for the posadas in her neighborhood. Eight families would volunteer to host a posada, and everyone celebrated it with their family on the last day, Christmas Eve. People would gather at the neighbor's home hosting that night at 7:00 pm. Even though dinner or refreshments are expected, sometimes families would have coffee and pan dulce, and others would offer a hot meal. These rules are not set in stone, so there is flexibility for where, when, and what to serve during these celebrations.
Pedir Posada
Once everyone arrives, you ask for a place at the inn or “pedir posada.” A particular song goes along with this activity (see below). If it helps, the song has the time signature of a waltz (3/4).
The attendees are divided into two groups: those who will be inside and those who will be outside the inn. The outside group usually carries “los peregrinos,” which are figurines from the nativity scene “el nacimiento” representing Joseph and Mary with child (bonus points if she is on a donkey).
The main entrance to the host’s home is the perfect place to do this. These verses recreate Joseph's conversation with the innkeeper in Bethlehem, which allowed them to stay at the manger. Optional: the people outside can hold lit candles while singing.
OUTSIDE
En el nombre del cielo os pido posada pues no puede andar mi esposa amada.
In the name of Heaven, I beg you for lodging, for she cannot walk, my beloved wife.
INSIDE
Aquí no es mesón, sigan adelante, yo no debo abrir, no sea algún tunante.
This is not an inn, so keep going. I cannot open; you may be a rogue.
OUTSIDE
No seas inhumano, tennos caridad, que el Dios de los cielos te lo premiará.
Don’t be inhuman; have mercy on us. The God of the heavens will reward you for it.
INSIDE
Ya se pueden ir y no molestar porque si me enfado os voy a apalear.
You can go on now and don’t bother us; if I become annoyed, I’ll give you a thrashing.
OUTSIDE
Venimos rendidos desde Nazaret, yo soy carpintero de nombre José.
We are worn out coming from Nazareth. I am a carpenter, Joseph by name.
INSIDE
No me importa el nombre, déjenme dormir, pues que yo les digo que no hemos de abrir.
I don’t care about your name. Let me sleep because I already told you we shall not open up.
OUTSIDE
Posada te pide, amado casero, por sólo una noche la Reina del Cielo.
I’m asking you for lodging, dear man of the house, just for one night for the Queen of Heaven.
INSIDE
Pues si es una reina quien lo solicita, ¿cómo es que de noche anda tan solita?
Well, if it’s a queen who solicits it, why does she travel so alone at night?
OUTSIDE
Mi esposa es María, es Reina del Cielo y madre va a ser del Divino Verbo.
My wife is Mary; she’s the Queen of Heaven and will be the mother of the Divine Word.
INSIDE
¿Eres tú José? ¿Tu esposa es María? Entren, peregrinos, no los conocía.
Are you Joseph? Your wife is Mary? Enter pilgrims; I did not recognize you.
OUTSIDE
Dios pague, señores, vuestra caridad, y que os colme el cielo de felicidad.
May God pay gentle folks your charity, and thus Heaven heap happiness upon you.
INSIDE
¡Dichosa la casa que alberga este día a la Virgen pura. La hermosa María!
Blessed is the house that shelters this day, the pure Virgin, the beautiful Mary.
TOGETHER
Entren, santos peregrinos, peregrinos, reciban este rincón, que aunque es pobre la morada, la morada, os la doy de corazón.
Enter, holy pilgrims, receive this corner, for though this dwelling is poor, I offer it with all my heart.
Cantemos con alegría, alegría, todos al considerar, que Jesús, José y María y María nos vinieron hoy a honrar.
Let us sing joyfully as we ponder that Jesus, Joseph, and Mary are honoring us today.
As the group sings together, they go inside, where the prayer portion of the posada will follow.
Prayer
The rosary is recited, especially the Joyful Mysteries, since they include events like the annunciation, the visitation, and the birth of Jesus.
Alternatively, the Infancy Narratives can be read from the Bible, the first two chapters of the Gospel according to St. Luke and the first two chapters of the Gospel according to St. Matthew.
Fellowship
Feeding people is the Mexican love language par excellence, and the Christmas season cranks up the hospitality of Mexican homes to eleven. As the saying goes, “Barriga llena, corazón contento,” which means full belly, happy heart.
Here’s a list of staples I grew up enjoying with my family during Las Posadas. My grandma’s tamales are the best, but I’m sure every Mexican would say that about their own. A piping hot cup of champurrado or ponche will warm you up while you’re hanging out with your uncles and cousins outside in the cold while all the ladies chit-chat inside.
Tamales
Tamales are steamed bundles of nixtamalized corn dough with various fillings wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves.
Atole
Atole is a drink made with masa harina (corn flour), water, milk, cinnamon, and sweetened with piloncillo. There are as many flavors of atole as you can think of, but the most common ones would be vanilla and chocolate. Chocolate-flavored atole is called champurrado. See Appendix 1 for the recipe.
Ponche
Ponche is a warm fruit punch made with tamarind pods, piloncillo, cinnamon, guavas, tejocotes (hawthorn apple), prunes, raisins, apples, pears, and sugar cane. It can be drunk as is or spiked with tequila, brandy, or any other spirit of your choice. See Appendix 2 for the recipe.
Buñuelos
Think of deep-fried dough tossed in cinnamon sugar; that’s a buñuelo. This is usually served as dessert or as a treat for the kids.
Extras
These three things were my favorite growing up. Nothing motivates a kid to say his prayers like a bag of bribery candy. Piñatas are a healthy way to channel aggression, and pastorelas are good for building confidence and memorizing lines while entertaining the family.
Bolo/Aguinaldo
This goody bag is reserved for those who prayed the rosary/read scripture; that’s the rule. It is customary to put a small orange, in-shell peanuts, and some pieces of candy in a cellophane bag for the guests to take home.
Piñata
This tradition was brought to Mexico in the 16th Century by the same Augustinian Friars in Acolman mentioned earlier. Back then a piñata was made with a clay pot and filled with fruit and candy, seven cones were glued to it and the outside was decorated with colorful paper-mâché.
Kids take turns beating the piñata with a stick, sometimes blindfolded, until someone breaks it and the candy spills onto the floor. After that, it’s free for all for everyone to grab as many goodies as they can.
The whole act of breaking a piñata is filled with symbolism. The seven cones represent the seven deadly sins. The blindfold represents faith. Beating the piñata represents the struggle against temptation and sin. The breaking of the piñata and the subsequent shower of treats falling from it represents the reward for keeping the faith.
Pastorela
A pastorela is a play that recreates the events of Luke 2:8-20 where the shepherds follow the Star of Bethlehem to find the Christ child. The main plot would be the angels, led by Gabriel, trying to tell the shepherds about the messiah being born and the demons, led by Satan, trying to stop the shepherds from adoring the Christ child.
One of the most traditional pastorelas is “La noche más venturosa”, written in 1821 by José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi. But ever since then, numerous adaptations have taken place. Like the posadas, this tradition has made it into the neighborhoods, and families recreate this story as part of the Christmas Eve celebrations.
In Conclusion
This piece is a homage to my grandma Cuca. It is also an effort to preserve my family’s tradition in hopes that one day, my kids will pass it on to their children. And if you want to start celebrating this as well, I think that is excellent as well. Please invite me to your Posada.
Growing up, I didn’t know the origin or significance of most of these things because they were just part of the culture I lived in. It has been fun to dive into the anthropology of it all and document this tradition for it to live on after my grandma’s faded notebook gets lost in time.
Appendix 1: Atole recipe
Ingredients
4 cups milk
2 oz piloncillo, plus more to taste
2 (3-ounce) Mexican chocolate discs (Abuelita brand recommended)**
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup masa harina (corn flour)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
Instructions
Add milk, piloncillo, Mexican chocolate, and the cinnamon stick to a stock pot.
Heat over low-medium heat until the piloncillo and chocolate have completely dissolved.
Stir frequently to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
Remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
Whisk together the warm water and masa harina in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.
Add the masa harina mixture, vanilla extract, and salt to the pot and whisk to combine.
Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and continue to cook, whisking frequently for 25-30 minutes until thick, creamy, and smooth.
The atole (or champurrado) should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Serve and garnish with a touch of ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick.
** If you add chocolate, your atole becomes champurrado. Otherwise, you get vanilla-flavored atole.
Appendix 2: Ponche recipe
Ingredients
4 quarts of water
1 large piloncillo cone (or 12 oz. brown sugar)
3 cinnamon sticks
1 lb tejocotes
1½ lb guavas (about 12) chopped
¾ cup chopped prunes
1½ cups apples chopped
1 cup chopped pear
½ cup raisins
3 sugar cane sticks, about 5 in. long, cut into cubes
1 cup of tamarind pods peeled (or 1 cup of hibiscus flowers)
Instructions
Note: If you are using fresh tejocotes, boil them separately to remove skins and deseed them. If you can’t find them fresh, use something like Goya Fruit Punch in Syrup or omit them.
Place water in a large stockpot.
Add the piloncillo (or brown sugar) and cinnamon sticks and cook for about 15 minutes.
Add the peeled, deseeded tejocotes, guavas, prunes, apples, pears, raisins, sugar cane, and tamarind or hibiscus.
Simmer for about 1 hour.
Serve hot in mugs, spooning in some of the fruit.
Optional: Spike your drink with the spirit of your choice.
This sounds awesome!