Mexican Christmas
You've heard of the "twelve
days of Christmas," with the partridge in the
pear tree and all that? In Mexico they have for nine
nights in a row a little play called Las Posadas. It
is about Mary and Joseph trying to find lodging
for the birth of Jesus. A posada is an inn,
and as you know, the story goes that the Holy Family
were told that the inn was completely full and so they
had to go to the cowshed.
The play re-enacts the story. Just
after dark a procession begins. One child in an angel's
costume heads the procession, then come a girl and
boy carrying figures of Mary and Joseph on a small
tray. Boys and girls come along next, and behind them
(for once!) the grownups. Musicians follow at the end.
Many of these "pilgrims" are singing hymns, some
of the children have tiny whistles to blow, but each person
carries a lighted candle.
In the meantime, a certain
house has been chosen as "the inn," and when
the procession reaches that house the marchers are
divided into two groups, the "innkeepers" and
the "holy family." The holy family group,
with the figures of Mary and Joseph, proceed through all
parts of the house till they come to a closed door. They
knock on the door; they call loudly for shelter for
the night. On the other side of the door a lot of voices
cry, "Who is knocking there, so late at night?"
The others reply, "We need lodging. My wife is
tired of travel and can go no farther."
"This is no inn,"
cry the others, rudely. "This is our house. Be
gone!" comes the harsh response. This exchange
goes on for a while. Then it is explained that Mary
will soon give birth to God's Son. The innkeepers finally
relent, open the door, and say, "Come. Come into
our humble home and enter our hearts as well. It will be
a most joyful night. We shall give welcome and hospitality
to the Mother of God."
Now they all come in
and kneel in reverence and prayer, adoring the holy
figures. After that the fun begins. This house must
have a large patio where the next part of the posada
takes place. The usual sandwiches, cookies and punch
are brought out, and some small baskets of candy. And
there are fireworks!
Probably you
have heard this word. The piñata is a
highly-decorated but fragile container, filled with
nuts and candies. Breaking it open is the climax of
the posada festival.
For eight nights the
ceremonies are repeated. The ninth night is Christmas
Eve and on this night the posada is more elaborate.
Two grownups carry an image of the Christ Child into
the house and place it in a specially prepared crib, made
to look like a manger. These two people are honored as the
"god-parents" of the new Child. Often the children make
offerings to the Baby Jesus, of fruits or flowers, and some
even make little speeches. The evening ends with music
and folk dances.
The story
goes that a little boy in Mexico was on his way to
the manger in a village church, to honor the newborn
Babe. With no gift to give the Christchild, because he
was so poor, he plucked some branches from a bush along the
road. "At least I'll bring him something green,"
he thought. The miracle is that as soon as he picked
the branches, large gorgeous scarlet flowers suddenly
appeared on the bush and so many of them, that he could
easily take two or three to the manger. In this way
that particular plant, Poinsettia, native to Mexico,
came to be celebrated there and in other lands as the Christmas
flower.
The posada play in its original form was written
by one of the world's great saints, the Spaniard, John
of the Cross.
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