Las Posadas: A Journey to Find Room for Jesus at Christmas

If your school has Mexican-origin families, the celebration of Advent might center around the vibrant reenactment of seeking posada, Spanish for accommodation or an inn. Las Posadas is a nine day celebration beginning December 16th and ending December 24th (Noche Buena) that commemorates Mary’s nine months of carrying Jesus in the womb.

The Las Posadas procession typically includes two individuals dressed up as María and José with a crowd of angels, shepherds, wise men, pilgrims carrying poinsettias, and musicians. The group carries candles and sings La Canción Para Pedir Posada, an interactive song of begging for shelter. The song’s verses are sung alternately by the crowd outside and the family inside. Eventually the crowd is welcomed into a different home each night where they typically recite a rosary around a nativity scene, enjoy a meal, and break open star-shaped piñatas representing the star of Bethlehem.

The traditional Mexican celebration has deep roots in Spanish Catholicism and Aztec culture. The celebration recreates the scene of Joseph and Mary searching for shelter in Bethlehem. By celebrating Las Posadas in our Catholic schools classrooms, we can draw attention to our own journey to find room for Jesus at Christmas as well as participate in and honor a rich tradition of our Latino students.

Here are a few resources that will help you better understand the celebration of Las Posadas and incorporate it into your instruction. 

1. Start by introducing Las Posadas to your students. This fun and heartfelt video explains the tradition of Las Posadas.
   
   
2. Learn how to celebrate Las Posadas with the help of this short guide for lay leaders, musicians, and clergy. The Canto Para Pedir Posada is central to any posadas celebration. This article provides the lyrics in both Spanish and English, and this video provides the music, as well as the lyrics.
   
   
3. Incorporating the posadas traditions into your classroom instruction is a great way to engage students in this rich cultural tradition. Check out this series of fantastic lessons plans related to Las Posadas, as well as this unit on piñatas.
   
   
4. For a more in-depth look at Las Posadas, here are some great books to read in class: The Night of Las Posadas, Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada!, and The Legend of the Poinsettias (a video reading of the text).
   
   
5. Get hands on! Check out these fun and easy craft ideas, including painting poinsettias, creating poinsettia ornaments, and a piñata coloring page.
   
   
6. Since no celebration is complete without food, watch this video to learn more about some of the traditional foods that are prepared and served during Las Posadas, and check out this recipe for buñuelos.

Have some ideas of your own? We’d love to hear other ways your Catholic schools celebrate Las Posadas in the comments below.

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