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Las Posadas in Spanish means, "The Inns". This is a nine-day celebration beginning on December 16 and ending on December 24. This is called Noche Buena ("Holy Night"). It is a yearly tradition for many Christian Latin Americans and symbolizes the trials, which they believe, Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay and where Jesus could be born.
Las Posadas represents the difficulties that Joseph and Mary, the mother of Jesus, faced in finding a room when traveling to Bethlehem. In it, groups of children and adults go from house to house singing a traditional song requesting lodging (posada). In each house, the owner responds with refusal (also in song), until they reach the designated site for the party, where the owner recognizes Mary and Joseph and allows them to come in. |
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Latin American countries have continued to celebrate this holiday to this day, with very few changes to the tradition.
Las Posadas is a traditional Mexican festival, reenacting Father Joseph's difficult journey in search for room at the inn. Each Christmas season, a procession, carrying a doll, representing the Christ Child and images of Joseph and Mary riding a burro walks through the community streets. The processional stops at a previously selected home and asks for lodging for the night. The people are invited in to read scriptures and sing Christmas carols called villancicos. Refreshments are provided by the hosts.
The doll is left at the chosen home and picked up on the next night when the procession rebegins. This continues for eight nights in commemoration of the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
It is an elaborate preparation for La Navidad (Christmas) in Mexico and some Central American countries.
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