\u2018A mix of holy Scripture, a mix of tradition\u2019<\/p>\n
Generally, a night of Las Posadas begins when the faithful gather in their respective parishes, where they share a moment of prayer (for instance, a partial rosary), reflection, or liturgical singing before heading out, said the priest.<\/p>\n
The heart of the event, however, is the processions that reenact Mary and Joseph\u2019s search for shelter for the night.<\/p>\n
In the processions, adults, youth and children bring Mary and Joseph, either as statues or people dressed in their likeness, and go to different houses, asking if there is lodging for the parents to be. At each stop, the innkeeper turns the group away<\/a>. With caroling from the \u201cpilgrims\u201d embellishing the night air, they eventually reach a house \u2014 selected beforehand as the designated inn \u2014 where they are allowed inside, culminating the reenactment of this cherished tradition.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt is like a play \u2026 people go to different places, to different houses, asking for a place (to stay),\u201d Father Corral told OSV News. \u201cThey continue walking until, finally, one of the houses opens the door and says, \u2018It is the time to open the door for the Queen of the Heavens to come and bring the baby.’\u201d<\/p>\n Often, the groups kneel around the Nativity scene during this final stop and often sing \u201cvillancicos\u201d (Christmas carols), pray and share traditional dishes and drinks.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSo, (Las Posadas) is a mix of holy Scripture, a mix of tradition, songs, beauty, walking and offering gifts in different places,\u201d the priest added.<\/p>\n Differences and similarities, all centered in Jesus<\/p>\n A native of Quer\u00e9taro, Mexico, Sister Susi talked to OSV News about the differences between the posadas she knew and the celebrations in the U.S., where she arrived 10 years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n Among the differences she encountered was that parishioners also included statues of the newborn baby Jesus in the processions. \u201cI used to ask them, \u2018How come we have the child Jesus here if he hasn\u2019t been born yet?’\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n But just as there were differences, there were also several similarities, and for Sister Susi, one stood out: the songs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe joy of singing and saying, \u2018Come, come, child Jesus,\u2019 and singing to Mary, \u2018We\u2019ll choose a place for you to stay at our home, for you to spend this night,’\u201d she said. \u201cThe songs transmit our excitement, our joy: that we are preparing. That is similar to Mexico,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Furthermore, from her arrival, she welcomed the wealth of Latin American cultures represented at her parish, whose rich traditions are especially highlighted on the last day of Las Posadas, Dec. 24, on Christmas Eve or \u201cNochebuena\u201d (Spanish for \u201cGood Night\u201d). That day, parishioners of St. Bernard bring food from the nations they hail from, and children bring the Christmas story to life through the lively \u201cPastorela,\u201d a theatrical performance told from the shepherds\u2019 perspective.<\/p>\n \u201cThat sharing between different cultures, and at the same time, embracing each other, being together, united. That\u2019s very different, and we don\u2019t have that in Mexico,\u201d Sister Susi said.<\/p>\n Adding other traditions, keeping faith-filled symbolism<\/p>\n To enrich the Posadas experience, Cristina Hernandez, diocesan coordinator of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio, has, over the years, incorporated Christmas traditions from various Latin American nations<\/a> into the observance.\u00a0<\/p>\n The first Posadas she organized were at a parish that boasted a large Puerto Rican community, she recounted to OSV News, and so she fused it with a \u201cParranda,\u201d a unique, joyful Christmas tradition from Puerto Rico akin to caroling.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then I asked members of different countries \u2026 how they celebrated this Christmas season in their countries if they did not practice Posadas, and they explained what kind of meals they prepared and ate.\u201d Hernandez said, adding, \u201cThat is how the first Posada started here: realizing that it was not only a Mexican Posada but a Posada of all the countries we had.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251216T1453-US-POSADAS-1809668-1024x683.jpg\")
Reenactors and other participants symbolically recreate Mary and Joseph\u2019s search for shelter during Las Posadas Dec. 21, 2024, in St. Augustine, Fla. The event drew a large crowd of families and individuals to the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche at Mission Nombre de Dios. (OSV News photo\/Scott Smith, The St. Augustine Catholic)<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/20251216T1453-US-POSADAS-1809678-1024x683.jpg\")
People gathered for a traditional Christmas posada recite the rosary in front of a Nativity scene in San Jose, Calif., Dec. 21, 2024. Commonly called Las Posadas, the celebration is popular in the U.S., Mexico and other areas of Latin America and reenacts Joseph and Mary\u2019s search for shelter on the eve of Christ\u2019s birth. About 60 friends, family and parishioners from St. Julie Billiart Catholic Church attended. (OSV News photo\/David Maung)<\/p>\n