Posada
The nine nights of processions before Christmas in Mexico, re-enacting the search for shelter.
Also: las posadas
Las Posadas are a series of nine nights, from 16 to 24 December, in which Mexican neighbours and families re-enact Mary and Joseph's search for a room in Bethlehem. A procession goes from house to house, carrying small figures and candles and singing a verse asking for shelter, while those inside sing a refusal, until finally the door is opened at the last house, and everyone is welcomed to a party. There are prayers, ponche, a hot fruit punch, tamales and sweets, and children break a star-shaped pinata filled with fruit and candy. The tradition spread to the United States and other Latin American countries.
Region: Latin America and the Caribbean