Literally, it’s an inn, a place to find shelter for the weary traveler. But it’s also a tradition, brought by the Spaniards to the New World, and an adorable one at that. As the octave of Christmas begins (eight days before), neighborhoods collect themselves and plan their posadas. The point of the posada is to memorialize the visit by Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary to Nazareth, where they were turned away several times before finally finding shelter in a stable.
It’s typically the women and children of the community who organize and run the event. They pick a starting place a few blocks away. They choose which houses to stop at, and which house to end at. They decorate the route and of course the final stop. Children are chosen to play key roles: there is a José and Maria, of course, various angels, a devil (always nearby in Spanish culture and celebrations), shepherds and a group of children with festive clothes and or staffs. If someone has a donkey, it will be pressed into service. Some of the costumes are elaborate, some rudimentary; we saw store-bought halos and staffs made from old broom handles.
Maria and José lead the procession, and the children begin singing a song about the first Christmas story. When they reach a designated house, the owners come out, and the crowd and owners engage in a singing call-n-response, the crowd asking for shelter on behalf of the Holy Family, while the owners explain “there is no room at the inn.” This continues for a few houses until they arrive at the designated inn, where the owners eventually agree to let in the group. They serve a snack (often tacos), the kids bust-up some piñatas (candy for everyone!), and a good time is had by all.
Each barrio in the village chooses a different night, and sets the routes. It’s low key, local fun. We marched along with the kids and moms for a while, two tall (six feet) gringos in a sea of locals. We were amazed at how the traffic on the carretera stopped instantly for the entire procession to cross. Even the roof dogs seemed to know barking at this throng was not required. We did have to dodge a rooster and his hens who were quite put out by the size of the group.
All in all, a fun Christmas experience void of commercialism and retaining some part of the original story. Feliz Navidad!
Thanks Pat. A great tradition.