Las posadas

Posadas are pre-Christmas parties re-enacting Mary and Joseph search  for lodging. The word posada means “inn.”  They are  held from December 16 to December 24.  These parties are about sharing food, fun, and tradition

The  nacimiento or nativity scene (minus the baby Jesus)  is the most important Christmas decoration in a Mexican home and must be in place by December 16th when the posadas start. They can very simple or amazingly elaborate like an entire miniature village and stable and may take up an whole room. Families collect the figures over the years and lay them out lovingly.

Families and friends (sometimes in costumes)  gather and break up into two groups. One group forms a candle lit procession bearing a litter with the figures of Mary, Joseph and an angel. By pre-arrangement they knock on the door of one house that represents an inn, and sing a villancico, a melody something like a plainsong chant, begging to be let in. Click here for the verses. The “innkeeper” does not open the door and tells them to go away.They go from inn to inn until they find someone who finally admits then and they enter in triumph to kneel and sing by the creche.

Then comes the part the children have all been waiting for. The singing becomes lively and tuneful and they all move to the pinata hanging from the ceiling of another room or in the courtyard.

Of course everyone knows what pinatas are — a treasure-trove filled with  all good things peanuts, oranges and colaciones — sugar-coated coriander seeds in bright turquoise, pink, yellow, and white — and other candies  for the posadas,  They are made of clay jars covered with papier-mache and a riot of colored decoration, usually made in the shape of a star.   A guest is blindfolded, given a stick, spun around to disorient him, and given a shove toward (or away from) the pinata, which he is supposed to break.  A guest will swing it out of reach until everyone has had enough fun and somebody is allowed to break the pinata and everyone scrambles to collect the goodies.

There are certain foods that are traditionally served.  Starting tomorrow, Friday 18-Monday 21 our specials will feature many of the antojitos served at posadas

One key element is the ponche (or punch) made with all sort of fruits. For adults a healthy dose of cane liquor is added. Tamales both sweet and savory are usually served among other antojitos (whims) such as tostadas, flautas, and sopes. I like to serve a great pozole (hominy and pork stew) because it is a one-dish meal and everyone seems to love it. Many of the recipes are posted on the web site and others will be up in the next few days.

In the mean time, here is the recipe for ponche:

Photo by televisa.us

The posadas are given every night until Christmas Eve. The creches stay in place at least another two weeks (some people are as unwilling to put away the nacimiento as people in the U.S. are to take down the Christmas lights).

Posadas are gaining in popularity and though some are simply holiday parties as you’ll see from the following links they are celebrated all over this country and in Mexico in many different ways.  Here is Don Jaime singing the villancicos with great joy –now that was a posada!

Mano a mano, an organization I very much like, is giving a posada on December 16 from 12-5.  Visit here for details.  It’s something you can do with your children.

Safeway’s Las Posadas

Los Angeles Olvera Street Procession ”

Posadas Navidena en Navojoa, Sonora
Posada en Sacramento
> Posada de Navidad en Casa
Los Tres Reyes Magos (the first animated Mexican film)