The month of December is highly anticipated by Mexicans, because we celebrate the arrival of Christmas with traditional posadas. The week leading up to Christmas, we neighbors organize ourselves for the celebration.

Every afternoon we gather at a certain place in town, where we start walking on pilgrimage with candles, praying and singing carols. At the head of this pilgrimage is the Holy Family: Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus. The people who represent Joseph and Mary are usually the same ones who organize the posadas. The baby Jesus is represented by a newborn in the town. Sometimes Mary even rides on a real donkey.

Arriving at the “inn” (the party host’s house), we sing and ask for the owners to open the door for us. They let us in and we begin the party, where they serve tamales, a soup called atole, bags of popcorn and candy and tangerines. Some people present a traditional piñata in the shape of a star and filled with candy, ready to be broken open with a stick. Children and adults alike participate in hitting the piñata.

The posadas last a week. Every day, we proceed to a different house with a different party. This is how we celebrate the arrival of Christmas.
Rocio Barbosa, mother of two girls, lives in Round Rock.

 

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