Mexican Posadas

Posadas are the representative parties that are celebrated 9 days before Christmas. They start on the 16th and the grand closing is on the 24th of December.

 In Mexico, when we talk about posadas, we refer to the warm champurro, baskets of regional candy, tamales, Christmas songs, lights, and piñatas, but if we investigate further, we will discover that they have a religious origin.

With the arrival of the Spaniards, the celebrations called “misas de aguinaldo” were established every year from December 16 to 24. These masses were held outdoors, where passages were read and performances alluding to Christmas were performed, what we know today as Pastorelas. In addition, small gifts were given to attendees known as “aguinaldos”.

After the independence of Mexico, this custom of attending the celebrations of the “misas de aguinaldo” disappeared almost entirely. The faithful followers rescued it and carried it out in their own homes, thus giving birth to the tradition of the “Posadas”.

The way of celebrating the posadas has changed over time and elements of each region have been added. But they have always been characterized by their vibrant colors, songs, and traditional food. Children, young people, and adults come together to “ask for a posada” and celebrate that someone opened the doors for them and gave them food.