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Enter Holy Pilgrims!
by Érika Carrillo |
From the 16th of December to the 24th posadas are celebrated. The tradition is a a re-creation of the journey which the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph took on the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem before the baby Jesus was born in a stable. Accompanied by a donkey and with the commission to register for the census, the couple passed by nine stages during the trip, and to represent them, the feast consists of nine days of posadas.  As almost all the Spanish religious traditions, the posadas also suffered from the native influence. The pilgrimage was present in ancient cosmology (remember that the mexicas arrived at their territory after wandering for years) and alluded also to the birth of the God Huitzilopochtli, that coincided with the dates of the Catholic traditions of December. The posadas of today are house parties that are organized by streets or by neighborhoods. Each night, a house offers an "inn" or posada to the "pilgrims". For the procession, some dress as Joseph and Mary, upon a burro, walk in silence with all the participants behind. The most practical only walk carrying a nativity scene of the stable where Jesus was born, with Joseph, Mary, the angel and the donkey. The participants carry candles, sparklers, and sing litanies until they arrive at the door of the house of the host. Here some remain inside and others outside and the famous verses of the posada are sung, asking for shelter: "In the name of the heaven I ask you/ my beloved wife can walk no more". Upon finishing, the door is opened and they let him enter and with great ceremony they light sparklers and fireworks: "Enter holy pilgrims/ receive this corner/ although the dwelling is not rich it is given from the heart!".  The party begins with great joy. The piñatas break, they are given fruits (hawthorn, peanuts, mandarins, guavas, cane) and sweets (colación) and are served a warm and tasty punch of jamaica (hibiscus flowers). For the Catholic Church these are nine days of reflection. Some families, before the party, pray the rosary and after each mystery they sing Christmas carols. It has also become a custom to pray the novena from the 16th to the 24th of December. Elements of the Posadas THE PIÑATA Is a star of seven points that represents the seven capital sins. The colors show the attraction of the sin. THE BANDANA AND THE STICK The stick is the Gospel, with which the sin is destroyed and the participants who guide them toward where to strike represent the Church. To break the piñata (the sin) the eyes are covered, therefore the only guide is the faith. THE FRUIT Symbolizes the fruits that God gives man when he destroys the sin (the piñata). THE SWEETS AND THE PUNCH The bags full of peanuts and sweets symbolize the commission to give and share. THE PILGRIMS Represent the Virgin and Joseph. The participants carry a candle that symbolizes the light of God. |
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