Los Posadas is a traditional Mexican celebration held each year on the twelve days of Christmas. The origin of Los Posadas dates back to colonial times in Mexico, when townsfolk would go from house to house singing songs and carrying candles. These caroling groups were called “posadas”.
What is Los Posadas?
Los Posadas are celebratory processions of candles, where church participants and community come together to sing songs of the Savior’s birth. The tradition, however, has no real religious significance. The celebratory tradition was a way for Mexicans to escape the oppressive Spanish Catholic traditions of the country. Why is it celebrated? After the Spanish Conquest, celebrating Christmas was discouraged. So, it is said that in order to celebrate, Mexicans migrated north to Mexico City, where they started to celebrate Christmas. After a while, these groups came together and the celebration of Los Posadas came about.
What does Los Posadas mean?
Los Posadas literally means “stations” in Spanish. It was a reenactment of the journey Mary and Joseph made to find shelter after finding Jesus’ birth. Los Posadas is usually held the night before Christmas Eve in Mexican communities. The celebrations usually begin with a candlelight procession from a designated house to the next one, singing songs and carrying a luminaria. How is Los Posadas celebrated? In most communities, Posada participants use blue or black candles to symbolize the Virgin Mary and Joseph, and red candles to represent Jesus. In small towns, participants place candles on a cedar stump near a designated house to remind them of the journey Mary and Joseph made to find shelter.
What Is The Origin of Los Posadas ?
The Posadas story is as follows: During the Mexican Christmas celebration, many people have caroling gatherings where they go from house to house singing songs and carrying candles. While in each house, the group sings a song, and while singing “Posada”, the group stops to light a candle in a window. The Posada then moves on to the next house. In each house, the group sings a song, and while singing “Posada”, the group stops to light a candle in a window. The Posada then moves on to the next house. However, this tradition brings lots of fear and tragedy as “Negroes” would have been put to death on the streets on the twelfth day of Christmas. The Posadas tradition says it was because they would rob and take away the gifts that were hidden for the church.
Why do we celebrate Los Posadas?
In Latin America, especially Mexico, Christmas is a joyful time. But it’s also a time of hardship and sadness, like during the Mexican Revolution. Many families lost loved ones and friends, so during this season many families including the Posadas celebrate for each other and look for the lost ones. During the night of December 24th, people read aloud the story of the Christ and his journey to Bethlehem. On the night of December 25th, they take turns holding candles and sing songs of the lost loved ones. The Posada tradition actually started in the early 1900s in Guadalajara, Mexico, but it wasn’t until a little later that the Posada became widely practiced.
Conclusion – What Is Los Posadas ?
While the traditional twelve days of Christmas has almost nothing to do with anything in the Bible, the Christmas story is the real reason why Christians celebrate Christmas. Throughout the year, we focus on all the preparations and other rituals of the Christmas season. But when the baby Jesus was born, the celebrations of the birth ended in the middle of the night, at midnight, and the angels began singing in joy. Christmas is a time of remembering our Savior’s birth. The Twelve Days of Christmas remind us of the fact that God sent his only Son to this earth, and Jesus’ birth is the reason why God sent Jesus to earth. Jesus is the reason for the season, and we honor His birth by remembering His life, and the sacrifice he made for us.
