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Classic nine-day Christmas tradition celebrates community, The Holy Family LAS POSADAS 2021 BY VIRG INIA L. C LA R K
Get your mittens and mukluks ready starting Thursday evening (Dec. 16), to prepare to head to the first night of Las Posadas at San Francisco de Asís Church in Ranchos de Taos plaza. While much is still up in the air over exact observances (due to NM Dept. of Health COVID mandates) this year the religious enactment is still on: including nine nights of processions after mass, honoring the nine months of Baby Jesus in Mother Mary’s womb, ending with Baby Jesus’ birth, with midnight mass Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. San Francisco de Asís parish has noted in the past this nine-day tradition is one of the most popular Christmas traditions in Northern New Mexico, persisting now for over 400 years. Many Mexican holidays include dramatizations of original events, a tradition which has its roots in the ritual of Bible plays, used to teach the scriptures to a largely illiterate population in Europe as early as the 10th and 11th centuries. Posada is the Spanish word for “lodging.” In Taos, Las Posadas is an annual religious enactment performed by local devotees of the Catholic Church, for the nine days before Christmas, telling of Joseph and Mary’s difficulties finding shelter for the birth of
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Baby Jesus. Typically, before the pandemic shuttered most of the observances, the posadistas would suffer insults and rebuff the first eight nights of knocking on doors, asking for lodging. Posaderos – the innkeepers – would soundly reject them, saying things like, “Aquí no es mesón – sigan adelante./ “This is not an inn here – keep going! Yo no debo abrir, no sea algún tunante!”/“I must not open; don’t be some prickly pear!” Finally on Christmas Eve, they arrive at a hotel or la posada offering shelter and food. The posadero sings, “¿Eres tú, José? ¿Tu esposa es María? Entren, peregrinos, no los conocía.”/“Are you Joseph? Your wife is
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Mary? Come in, pilgrims; I didn’t recognize you.” Traditionally, businesses and residents along the route decorate with farolitos, lighting the way, and offering posadistas prayer and traditional foods of tamales and biscochitos. Afterwards, all the people walking las posadas go inside and share a feast of posolé, beans, enchiladas, biscochitos, hot chocolate and more. This year, due to COVID, no meals will be shared, but processions are planned to occur right after mass – times of both the mass and processions to be announced. Also at this time, mass and processions only take place at San Francisco de Asís, but that could change depending on NMDOH health mandates. The last posada, Dec. 24, concludes with the Midnight Mass and is followed by another Christmas Day mass at 10 a.m., also at the Ranchos Church. For updates contact the church office at 575758-2754. So dress warm and enjoy!
