A beautiful tradition
Peregrinos
Los peregrinos, or pilgrims, here, refer to the statuettes of Joseph, Mary and their donkey, which are carried by my family as we reenact their search for a place to stay. Our entire group is split into two; half moves inside the house and the other half walks with the peregrinos.
Candles
Each family member in the outdoor group carries a small candle to light the way and help with the reading of the lyrics of the posada song. We walk to the door of the house, knock, and when the door opens, we sing our part.
Posada lyrics
The posada song we sing is a musical narrative of Joseph and Mary’s search. None of us can remember all the words without cheat sheets. After the outdoor group sings its part, the indoor group responds in song. This repeats until the end of the song when the indoor group invites the outdoor group inside.
Bags with fruit
In our family’s tradition, once the peregrinos find a place to stay, which is how the song ends, we all sit down and are given a bag with fruit and nuts. Mandarin oranges, tejocotes (a kind of crab apple) and guavas, plus peanuts and a stick of sugar cane are always included.
Piñata
A traditional star-shaped piñata gets whacked by the kids outdoors, of course. Piñatas are more than a star filled with candy—they have a very interesting background and meaning. The seven cones of the star represent the seven sins, the act of being blindfolded represents faith, the stick represents virtue and the treats inside the piñata represent the glory of God being showered upon you.
Traditional Mexican dishes
Our family creates a different meal for each of the nine posadas. Some of the dishes we traditionally serve are tamales, pozole, enchiladas, tacos (dorados, mineros, de papa), and sopes. We do this outdoors, too.
