Posada Time: Where You Play Baby Jesus

Traditionally, Las Posadas are a staple of most Christian Latino households and neighborhoods during Christmas time. The nine-day celebration, which begins -September- December 16 and ends -September- December 24, symbolizes the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born. Typically, each family in a neighborhood will schedule a night for the Posada to be held at their home where they act as the innkeepers. The neighborhood children and adults act as the peregrinos (pilgrims), who have to request lodging by going house to house singing.

This year, Maria Calvillo a resident of Logan, Utah celebrated Las Posadas with her family to teach them the true meaning of Christmas. “(So) they won’t get caught up in Santa Claus,” she said.

A group of children and adult peregrinos shivering in the cold Utah weather begged the Calvillos, who were playing the innkeepers, to let them in: “Yo les pido posadaaa…” (We ask for lodging…) To which Maria traditionally replied, “No les puedo abrir.” (I can’t let you in.”) The Calvillo’s younger son Carlos Hilario, 8, not knowing what was going on, wanted to drive the peregrinos away with a broom. “We’ve already told them 20 times.” he said with excitement. And then, just before the pilgrims turned away, the Calvillos invited them into their home, as is the tradition, to pray.

While Posadas in places like Mexico are huge celebrations accompanied with fireworks, a feast of food and piñatas, in places like Utah it’s a small way to remind the neighborhood about some of the teachings of Christmas: “to remind people to welcome Christ into their lives, as well as the importance of hospitality to strangers and friends alike.” as expressed by the Calvillo family.

In many Latino neighborhoods across the US, the time-honored Posada procession substitutes the modern Christmas celebrations found everywhere else. (Some sadly boiled down to inflatable Santa’s deflating on lawns, houses decorated from the bottom up with a myriad of tiny colored lights prancing in sequence and electric reindeer whose cheap internal parts can’t wait to be put to rest.) Latinos in America, who grew up with the tradition that originated in Spain, still keep Las Posadas celebration alive. Even if they are freezing their butts in the snow.

Did you celebrate a Posada, or any other type of Christmas celebration this year? What was it like?

Las Posadas: a Christmas tradition [The Herald Journal]
Las Posadas [Wikipedia]