For eight days, Joseph and Mary, who was carrying a baby, traveled and sought lodging. They have been refused by all properties and innkeepers for eight days, however on the ninth have been welcomed by one dwelling to remain. There in Bethlehem, Mary bore Jesus of Nazareth. This journey is well known yearly within the rituals of Posadas Navideñas.
Posadas Navideñas or Las Posadas, which suggests “Christmas Inns” or “The Inns,” is well known all through Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras, and by Hispanics in the US. It’s noticed with a reenactment of Mary’s travels, with a procession to completely different properties, led by a candle bearer and two within the roles of Mary and Joseph. The procession stops at preselected homes the place Mary and Joseph ask for lodging. They’re refused and people in every dwelling sing one in all a collection of songs for the ceremony. They arrive on the final home the place they’re accepted and the ceremony is closed with a closing music.
Earlier than and after the reenactment many properties maintain events. The youngsters have seven-pointed piñatas, every level representing one of many seven lethal sins and the stick representing the advantage of religion defeating evil. The beating of the piñata is additional described as overcoming private sin. The piñatas’ contents signify God’s grace that’s made out there by means of the delivery of Jesus.
The celebrations begin on December sixteenth and proceed each evening till the twenty fourth. These 9 nights signify the times of journey to seek out lodging and, symbolically, the 9 months Mary spent carrying her little one.
Within the Aztec custom the mom of the Aztec gods, Tonantzin, and the delivery of the Solar God, Huitzilopochtli, have been celebrated with the winter solstice. When Spain launched the Aztecs in Mexico to Posadas Navideñas the missionaries aligned the delivery of Jesus to that native custom to hasten the adoption of Catholicism within the area.
In different components of the world, there are comparable celebrations: Within the Philippines, the reenactment is known as Panunuluyan, Nicaragua celebrates for less than in the future, and in a number of areas of the US, Las Posadas celebrations happen that embody carols together with reenactments.
