On Dec. 16, 2022, Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Globeville kicked off its annual Las Posadas celebration. Las Posadas, which translates to ‘The Inns’ in Spanish, is a religious festival that comes from Mexico and some parts of Latin America. The festival runs for nine nights, traditionally from the 16 to the 24 of December and depicts the journey Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem. Adrienne Andrade, has celebrated Las Posadas since she was 5 or 6. This year she came with her mother, niece and nephew.
“It’s a beautiful tradition that can be passed down from generation to generation,” said Andrade. “Las Posadas is part of the community, not just something that stays within families, but it’s something that opens doors to meeting more people here at the church. It’s also a part of identity, not just Latino and Catholic identity but also an identity of the community that we have here in the nearby area.”
Las Posadas is a joyous occasion that involves a procession to symbolize Mary and Joseph and their search for an inn on the night Jesus was born. Once the march is over, a party is held that includes prayers, food, fireworks, and most importantly pinatas! The tradition is alive and well in the United States, typically celebrated on the same dates as in Mexico. Las Posadas are special in passing on Mexican and Latin American traditions to future generations. It is a celebration of religion, culture and community.
“It adds something more special to these days because with Christmas there’s a lot of anticipation with it and the presents, but Las Posadas bring different traditions out. Something to look forward to,” explained Andrade.
The church began the night by singing traditional songs depicting Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. Afterwards, the church’s youth rushed forward to the hall’s stage as the lights dimmed and the youth whispered and ran around backstage to get ready to put on their play.
For Andrade’s 3-year-old niece, Alyssa, Holy Rosary’s Las Posadas event was her first one! Alyssa’s favorite parts of the night were singing and the pinata!
“Little by little we teach them about Las Posadas, Baby Jesus, and that Christmas isn’t just Santa Claus and presents, it’s something bigger than all of that.
Carmen, the coordinator of the Holy Rosary’s Catholic Church’s youth group, believes that it is important to keep passing along the tradition of Las Posadas to younger generations. Carmen states that the youth group has been doing plays and participating in Las Posadas for four years and they travel to different churches to also participate in Las Posadas events.
“It’s a beautiful experience and a culture that is important for them to learn about,” said Carmen.
marylou1950 / December 23, 2022
Thank you Jackie Ramirez for this story!
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