Las Posadas

There was a knock on the door as we were baking cookies with Isabel. The neighbors invited us to a posada they were having for the apartment block – the cutout cookies could wait.

We joined the others in the entry way of the apartments, sipping Coke and munching on wafers and potato chips while listening to salsa music. When we had a crowd of 10-15 people, we began our posada. The Posadas typically begin on December 16 and continue for the nine days preceding Christmas.

In a single file line, we walked around the apartment block while carrying candles. The woman, who seemed to be the organizer, led the procession. Another woman carried large plastic replicas of Mary and Joseph, who would be asking for posada (shelter). Using a small booklet that had the words to the song as a guide, there was a call and response type of dirge that continued until we arrived at the designated apartment, which conveniently was the empty apartment in a central location.

After some discussion, several of the participants agreed to be inside the apartment so that the rest of us would have someone to whom we could ask for posada. Since there was only one booklet with the words, there were some comical pauses as they passed the booklet back and forth. I didn’t feel so bad not knowing what to do or sing as most of the others didn’t seem to know what do either.

With the ritual completed, it was time to party. And it would not be a party without piñatas. The first of the three large piñatas was ready. We sang the piñata song and after several turns, the piñata broke. I was surprised to see not candy, but jicama, oranges, apples and peanuts falling to the ground.

With the three piñatas broken and the music and drinking beginning again, we decided to return to baking. When we left to go home at 11:30pm, there were still a dedicated few enjoying the last of the food and drink from the posada.