What is a Posada?

By Dr, Francisco Guajardo, MOSTHistory CEO

A posada is a reenactment of Joseph and Mary seeking shelter the night before Christ’s birth, or as it is known in most Spanish-speaking countries, “noche buena.”

There are several ways the reenactment is practiced and documentation about the posada is scarce. However, the origin seems to be with the Catholic Church. There are variations across different regions in Mexico, Latin America and Spain including South Texas. Many families in South Texas are descendants from Spanish settlers, or Tejanos, and have carried the posada tradition from generation to generation. 

Despite variations described in books about Tejano life, the basic theme is that of two individuals dressed as Joseph and Mary who are followed by other costumed interpreters such as the Three Kings, archangels and other biblical figures. Parishioners of a church will follow the procession traveling door-to-door seeking shelter for Mary who is to give birth to baby Jesus. In order to accept Joseph and Mary, a home (usually a parishioner’s home) must accept their plea. The procession will sing “Pedir Posada,” or “Seeking Shelter,” and the hosts of the home will stay inside singing in return, “Ya se pueden ir” (“Please go away”), until they are convinced it is Joseph and Mary. Once inside, the procession and parishioners will gather in the living room and practice one or more of the following: giving praise to the baby Jesus in a manger, singing other posada songs or reciting the Rosary. Once all the religious practices are completed, the host will provide a beverage such as coffee, hot chocolate or a punch, and a treat such as pan dulce (sweet bread) or buñuelo (fried flour covered with cinnamon and/or brown sugar). Other activities would include children breaking piñatas that represent the seven deadly sins; the breaking of the piñata symbolizes breaking away from all sin.

In the Rio Grande Valley, as far as we know, there are a handful of churches who participate in the traditional posadas with parishioners. To include more of the community, some organizations outside of the Catholic Church have created posadas that combine the traditional sweets, beverages and piñata, and performances by local schools and organizations.