LAS POSADAS
Looking for the Inn
CHRISTMAS IN MEXICO
LA POSADA - LOOKING FOR THE INN
In Mexico, Christmas is an important religious holiday season with strong traditions. It is a celebration of the Nativity. In order to prepare for the day of symbolic commemoration, nine days before Christmas, December 16-24, children begin to celebrate the holidays with the processions for Las Posadas. The yearly tradition commemorates Mary and Joseph's cold and difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of shelter.
The traditional Posada song tells the story of Mary and Joseph. The procession is a way of reliving Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter. Those celebrating Posadas gather together. Children can be dressed as Mary and Joseph and form a procession in search of Posada. Mary, Joseph and the people in the procession, approach the door of the homes, singing: Do you have lodging? ”, the people inside the house respond by singing, “Go away. This is no inn”. The procession moves to other houses, and again they are refused lodging. At the last house, however, the “inn keepers” relent and welcome the exhausted travelers.
After all the prayer is done, the happy ending to each Posada is a piñata filled with candy. There are some chants that children sing while the child in turn is trying to break the Piñata.
On December__ ___ our Spanish class will be celebrating “La Posada”.
Students will ask for Posada and afterwards we are going to break Piñatas.
If you would like to contribute with a Piñata or candy for your child’s class reply to this email with the following information. You send the pinata/candy any day before the celebration.
Name ___________________________________________________ Grade _________________
E-mail ___________________________________________________________________________
I can bring,
_________________ A piñata
_________________ Candy to fill the piñata
_________________ Christmas bags to collect the candy.
Thanks for your support to this activity!
Don’t hesitate in contact me if you have any questions,
Adriana Gutierrez
Spanish Teacher