Today is December 16th, the first day of the Mexican tradition of
Posadas ('Inns'), which mark the nine days leading up to Christmas Eve on December 24th.
At the heart of
Posadas are families and neighbors who gather to commemorate Joseph's and Mary's journey to Bethlehem in order to fulfill the Roman decree and await the imminent birth of their Child. The religious core of
Posadas is the
novena—praying the rosary together each day for nine days, each day representing one month of Mary's pregnancy.
We first experienced
Posadas in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, where each
barrio (neighborhood) holds its
Posada on a different night. The first one we attended was hosted by the swimming school where we swam three times a week.
Driving up to the school, we were startled to see a bonfire (
fogata) blazing away right in the middle of the street.
¡Es México! Students and their families sat on chairs set up around the fire, chatting quietly and watching the flames dance.
After saying the rosary together as a group, there was some brief confusion, then the pilgrimage began. Two children were dressed as Mary and Joseph; others were dressed as angels and shepherds.
Knocking at the school's different doors, the pilgrims recited the traditional request for lodging. Twice they were ritually turned away by the person designated to be the 'innkeeper' at that door.
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Mexican newspaper, Milenio, posted this charming
watercolor of Pilgrims Seeking Shelter at the Inn |
At the third door, the 'innkeeper' agreed to give shelter to Mary and Joseph, and the fiesta began. Everyone was offered
atole (sweetened corn drink) and three kinds of
pozole (hominy soup—Reed's favorite!): red (
carne-beef), white (
pollo-chicken) and green (green chiles). Yes, red, white and green are the colors of the Mexican flag.
The children engaged enthusiastically in striking a
piñata. The traditional style
piñata has seven points, each marked with streamers. The cones represent the Seven Deadly Sins (
pecados):
greed, gluttony, sloth, pride, envy, wrath and lust.
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Traditional Piñatas:
Seven Cones Symbolize Seven Deadly Sins |
Blindfolded and dizzy from being spun around, each child in turn (personifying 'blind faith') hits at the
piñata with a big stick symbolizing virtue. When the
piñata yield at last to the children's 'virtuous' blows of 'blind faith',
dulces (sweets) and fruit fall to the ground. These fruits and candies (manna) represent God's grace freely given when faith triumphs over sin.
We were also blessed to enjoy a
Posada at the home of a Mexican friend. Their house is on a dead end street, which had been closed off for the night. So we got out of the cab and walked up. As we walked, we passed perhaps three or four small
fogatas (campfires) in the street. Around each fire, a small family group sat chatting quietly.
When we arrived at the house, our host family had almost finished saying the rosary together, led by a woman from the church. Everyone was served the traditional
atole and
posole. Also traditional is
ponche, a sweet punch prepared from seasonal fruits (Mexican hawthorn berries, tamarind, apple, sugar cane, guayaba).
After a time, the pilgrims arrived singing at the front door, carrying candles and bearing a
nacimiento (creche). Once again, children dressed as Mary and Joseph were accompanied by others dressed as angels and shepherds and, again, the litany was repeated: Joseph's ritual plea for a place to stay, and the host's ritual refusal.
At a spiritual level, the question posed by
Posadas has been phrased as, "
Are we willing to give shelter within our own hearts to the Coming of the Light of the World?"
At the end of the evening, the children were given a small basket (
aguinaldo) filled with peanuts and small sweets. In this context, the
aguinaldo is said to symbolize the giving of communion.
Origins of Posadas
Like just about everything else in Mexico, this 424-year old tradition has a long, rich and complex history, beginning with the birthday celebration of Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec sun god, whose birthday falls at the time of the Winter Solstice (December 21).
The birth of the sun god marks the year's shortest day and longest night, when the sun is poised to return, thus again lengthening the days. The birth of Jesus, Light of the World, has similarly been set at this time of longest night, when all is darkest, just before the sun begins its return journey to the north.
Immediately after the Conquest, Cortés petitioned the Spanish king to send monks to evangelize the indigenous peoples. In response, the king sent Franciscan Friars, whose methods were creatively adaptive. Wherever possible, the Friars sought to replace Mesoamerican fiestas with celebrations tied to the liturgical calendar. One such substitution occurred around the birthday celebration of Huitzilopochtli.
Curiously, Mesoamerican traditions included something similar to the
piñata. To celebrate the birthday of the Aztec Huitzilopochtli (sun god) at year's end, priests placed a clay pot on a pole in the temple. Colorful feathers adorned the richly decorated pot, filled with tiny treasures. When broken with a stick or club, the treasures fell to the feet of the god's image as an offering.
The Mayans played a game where the player’s eyes were covered while hitting a clay pot suspended by string. The missionaries ingeniously transformed these games for religious instruction. They covered the traditional pot with colored paper, giving it an extraordinary, even an attractive, appearance intended to represent Satan, who tempts the weak.
In 1587, nearly seventy years after the arrival of the Spanish, Fray Diego de Soria celebrated masses that he called 'de aguinaldo' (gratitude or gift given at year's end; in Mexico, the Christmas propina—'bonus'—given to workers is called el aguinaldo).
Indigenous peoples were not accustomed to being inside buildings, so Fray Diego held his masses in the Atrio (courtyard) of the church for the nine days (December 16-24) before Christmas. The masses featured scenes from the Birth of Jesus.
In the eighteenth century, celebrations of
Posadas slowly migrated from the church to the
barrios (neighborhoods) and
casas (family houses). Over time, popular songs replaced religious music.
Posadas are celebrated throughout the Republic of Mexico—each region contributing its own unique cultural variations—and in Guatemala.
Posadas are also celebrated throughout Latin America, as well as within strong Mexican communities in the United States.
Today many
Posadas have lost their religious roots. We're curious to learn how they are celebrated in our new urban home, Coyoacán in Mexico City.
Other Christmas posts:
