Las Posadas

origins and history

The observance took root in Mexico in 1586 when an Augustinian friar, Diego de Soria, received permission from Pope Sixtus V to hold special daily masses across the country during the nine days before Christmas. Spanish missionaries built on older European traditions of dramatic mystery plays, using religious pageants to teach Christian doctrine. In Mexico, the timing coincided with Aztec midwinter celebrations honouring the deity Tonantzin and the birth of the sun god Huitzilopochtli. Over time, the practice moved beyond church walls, spreading into private homes and haciendas by the nineteenth century to form the nightly neighbourhood ritual kept today.

the evening procession

Each night between 16 and 24 December, a gathering re-creates the journey to Bethlehem. A leader carries a candle protected inside a paper shade. Two people take on the roles of Mary and Joseph, sometimes joined by actors dressed as angels and shepherds, or carrying statues of the figures. Children often hold poinsettias, and musicians accompany the group as they travel down the street. The procession stops outside designated houses that serve as inns. Through call-and-response verses, the travellers sing to ask for lodging, and the hosts respond before welcoming everyone indoors.

prayer and festivities

Once welcomed inside the host home or church, the gathered crowd kneels before the Nativity display to recite prayers, often the Rosary. Afterward, the solemn atmosphere shifts into an evening party. Musicians lead the group in singing Christmas carols, and children take turns striking a traditional star-shaped clay piñata until it breaks. The night concludes with a communal meal where family, friends, and neighbours share a feast together before preparing for the next night of the nine-day cycle.

regional customs

The tradition has spread and adapted in many places. In the Philippines, the custom appears as a pageant called Panunulúyan, where the dialogue between the travellers and the innkeepers is sung in local languages rather than Spanish, sometimes held directly before midnight mass. Along the San Antonio River Walk in Texas, a large-scale procession has taken place since 1966, passing historical landmarks on its route to San Fernando Cathedral. Across Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, families gather during the same nine December days to recite devotional prayers known as the Novena de Aguinaldos.

How Las Posadas is kept

For nine consecutive nights, participants walk in a candlelit procession behind figures or actors representing Mary and Joseph. Musicians play as the group sings traditional verses requesting shelter outside selected homes. When the hosts answer in song and open their doors, everyone enters and kneels around the Nativity scene to pray the Rosary. The gathering then celebrates with carols, the breaking of a clay star piñata, and a shared meal.

When and where

Las Posadas is kept each year for nine consecutive evenings, beginning on 16 December and ending on Christmas Eve, 24 December. The nine-day duration represents the nine months of Mary's pregnancy.

The observance is held primarily in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, as well as by Hispanic communities across the United States. Related devotional pageants and nine-day prayers also take place in the Philippines and northern South America.

What Las Posadas means

The Spanish word posada means lodging or accommodation. The ritual recalls the biblical journey of Mary and Joseph seeking an inn in Bethlehem. Its nine-day span, known as a novena, reflects the nine months of pregnancy before the birth of Jesus, blending religious reflection on hospitality and shelter with festive communal celebration.

Days Las Posadas is marked

Las Posadas dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Las Posadas

See also

TapasSmall Spanish snacks or appetizers served hot or cold, often shared among friends.Advent wreathAn evergreen ring of candles lit week by week in the lead-up to Christmas

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle

• Las Posadas on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.