Las Posadas

A few late posts here but I really wanted to get them in before we get too far into the new year. This was our first Christmas season in Mexico and it was incredible to say the least. The cultures and traditions in Mexico are all month long including some of January. Just seeing these traditions being practiced is an experience itself. We didn't participate in a lot of it this year because we have been busy with the store and the immigration process, but hopefully we can be a part of more next year. This post is pretty much a copy/paste from what I shared on our business page, but I wanted it documented in our blog as well.
 -Nolan

Las Posadas starts Dec 16th and runs through Dec 24th. Every night Mexico celebrates nine nights of Las Posadas. Each night of a traditional Posada contains the following customs:

1. The Procession

Groups walk through the neighborhood singing the traditional Posada song. They carry a candle or small lantern. Kids often lead with a star piñata.

2. Asking for “Posada” (shelter)

One group stands outside and sings. Another group stays inside and responds. It reenacts Mary and Joseph asking for a place to stay.

3. 
   The Piñata

A seven-point star piñata is broken every night. Each point symbolizes one of the seven deadly sins and breaking it represents pushing away negativity. The seven points represent Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth. The blindfold symbolizes faith; trusting  without seeing. The stick represents the willpower to overcome every sin and temptation. When the pinata breaks, the treats symbolize all the good things and positive gifts you want in your life. 

4. 
   Ponche and food

After the procession, everyone shares ponche (hot fruit punch), tamales, buñuelos, and sweets.

5. Music and Community

Some Posadas stay small with just a few families. Others turn into block parties with music, lights, and celebrations late into the night.

**It is important to note that these traditions and customs were not always centered around the christian/catholic religion. Religious themes and meaning were integrated into long standing traditions during the time of the Spanish colonization of the Aztec empire, where the worship of other gods was suppressed. 

Before the arrival of Spanish colonizers and the introduction of Catholicism, the primary mid-winter tradition in 

Mexico was Panquetzaliztli, an Aztec festival celebrating the winter solstice and the birth of the sun god, Huitzilopochtli. 

Key Pre-Hispanic Traditions

• Panquetzaliztli (The Raising of Banners): This 20-day festival (roughly December 6–26) celebrated the "rebirth" of Huitzilopochtli as the sun began its return after the solstice.
• Amaranth Effigies: Families made figures of the god Huitzilopochtli using tzoalli (a dough of amaranth seed and maguey honey). These figures were paraded and eventually "sacrificed"—broken into small pieces and distributed for the community to eat, a ritual that mirrored modern communion.
• Sacred Races: Young men would run long-distance races through the city and surrounding hills, carrying images of the god to symbolize the victory of light over darkness.
• Home and Tree Decorations: People decorated their homes and fruit trees with small paper flags (pantli) in honor of the deities.
• Communal Feasting: Communities gathered for large feasts, often featuring tamales and traditional beverages, to honor the earth and ancestors for the year's harvest.
• Ritual Cleansing: Celebrations began with ritual bathing in cold water and the cleaning of family altars under the stars. 

Transition to Religious Traditions

Spanish missionaries replaced these indigenous rituals with Catholic counterparts to facilitate conversion: 

• Panquetzaliztli became Las Posadas, shifting the focus from the birth of the sun god to Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter.
• Tzoalli amaranth figures were discouraged or banned, eventually evolving into the modern piñata as a new way to represent spiritual struggle and reward.
• Coatlicue (Huitzilopochtli's mother) was often substituted with the Virgin Mary in religious teachings