Erika Betancourt, Charger Staff
Posadas, "lodging" in Spanish, is the most important Hispanic holiday during the month of December .This religious tradition represents the period when Joseph and Mary of the Bible were looking for shelter before the birth of Christ.
Posadas starts Dec. 16 and ends Dec. 24. As the nighttime comes, all the families and neighbors gather in the Church. When all the people arrive they form a procession of two lines. In the procession , the people carry candles to light their way through the town; they also carry a doll which represents the Christ Child, and images of Joseph and Mary riding a donkey.
Each night the procession goes to 4 different houses; only one allows them to enter . As the procession approaches the last house, the owner of the house realizes that Mary and Joseph” are asking for lodging, and the house”s owner allow them to enter, bringing the images of Christ Child, Mary and Joseph in the house.
The next night they will start from the house where they stopped . Now the fun begins: after they have entered the last house, each child is given aguinaldos, which is a bag of treats that have candy, toys , and peanuts. A piñata is broken by the children.
On the last day, the people do not stop anywhere; they just go around the whole town and make their stop at the Church. There special religious ceremony is that done to remember the day when Jesus was born.
After the ceremony is over , the people go outside to watch the beautiful fireworks. .Afterwards everyone goes home and has dinner with their family.
The Christmas in Mexico is not the same as an American Christmas, because the children do not receive their presents until January 6. The children do not get presents from Santa Claus, but from the three magi , best known in Mexico as the Three Wise Men. I would love to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year .
Article prepared for web by Tawanna Bradley
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