Discover the Magic: Top 12 Fun Facts About Las Posadas You Can't-Miss!

1. Divine House-Hunting Fiesta

Picture this: Mary and Joseph embark on a divine house-hunting mission, complete with a roving band of candle-toting carolers in hot pursuit! The zany twist? It's all part of a Mexican fiesta that's been going strong for over 400 years: Las Posadas is a 9-day Christmas tradition that reenacts the Holy Family's search for shelter and commemorates the 9 months of Mary's pregnancy. Complete with the nativity scene, lively singing, and traditional feasts, this unique celebration brings communities together to immerse in the rich cultural heritage passed down by Spanish Augustinian friars.
Source => nationaldaycalendar.com

2. Flaming Novenas in New Mexico

Holy smokes, Batman, they've got flaming novenas! When the citizens of Gotham need a hero this Las Posadas, they can rely on their glowing luminarias to light up the night: From December 16-24, folks all over New Mexico carry small torches or large candles known as luminarias during a nine-day holiday procession, passing down a tradition that dates back to the Spanish colonial period and brings some much-needed warmth (literally) to our hearts during the festive season.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know that in Mexico, a seven-pointed star piñata helps conquer the seven deadly sins during Christmas? Discover how this festive tradition signifies the triumph over vices and showers everyone with candy and toys!

=> Fun Facts about Christmas-In-Mexico

3. Caroling Road Trip Adventure

What do you get when you mix a bit of door-to-door caroling with a fiesta-filled road trip? The ultimate Christmas adventure: Las Posadas! This festival has folks re-enacting Mary and Joseph's search for shelter in Bethlehem by knocking on doors and singing carols while toting lit candles. On the ninth day, the party hits its peak with delicious Mexican dishes and piñatas galore, all dating back to its Catholic roots in the 1500s.
Source => covchurch.org

4. Christmas Ding Dong Ditch

Ever had a Christmas-themed game of Ding Dong Ditch but with caroling? Welcome to Las Posadas! This charming custom has the perfect blend of nostalgia, serenading, and joyous rejection: participants go door to door with candles, singing and asking for shelter, while the people inside the houses symbolically refuse them until they arrive at the final location where they are welcomed with open arms. The posadas re-enact the journey of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem and serve as a reminder of the struggle of the working class during Christmas time.
Source => edsitement.neh.gov

5. Mobile Serenader Showdown

Step aside, caroling Kardashians – there's a more authentic posse on the prowl this holiday season: During Las Posadas, family and friends morph into mobile serenaders, with two channeling Mary and Joseph as they search for shelter in nightly "inns" during their stroll. As they mosey, the group belts out traditional, Spanish Christmas bangers called "villancicos" (some even whipping out instruments), showcasing the multicultural vibrations of Spain and Latin America. Smithsonian Folkways Recording even gathered these festive tunes in an album, featuring hits like "¡Miren Cuántas Luces!" ("Look at all the lights!") and "Los Santos Reyes" ("The Holy Kings").
Source => si.edu

6. Feast-astic Celebrations

Ready to feast like you've just broken free from Azkaban? Say "Alohomora" to the magical world of Las Posadas, where the delicious combo of tamales, mole, cooked fruit punch, and atole takes feasting to a whole new level: These traditional foods, particularly the tamales—made of masa or dough steamed in a corn husk with a meat filling—tickle your taste buds and transport you to Mexican culinary nirvana during this festive celebration.
Source => infinityauto.com

7. Physics Lesson with Piñatas

Piñatas: putting the "fun" in "fundamental physics lessons with flying candy" since who knows when! Seriously though: Las Posadas in Mexico features piñatas that originated in Italy, symbolizing the victory of Good over Evil during Lent, and are filled with fruit, candy, and gifts for all to share once they're cracked open.
Source => mexconnect.com

8. Sin-Slaying Appetite Boost

When the stars align and things get sinful, there's one way for the blindfolded folks to beat those sins to smithereens: It's time for Las Posadas, baby! During this enchanting celebration, participants relish in cracking open a star-shaped piñata representing the 7 deadly sins, triumphing over evil and receiving God's blessings like a divine video game reward. After obtaining victory, they feast on delectable Mexican dishes such as tamales, pozole, buñuelos, atole, ponche, and café de olla – proving that sin-slaying can work up quite an appetite!
Source => salsaology.com

9. Murky Origins and a Churro Mystery

Well, wouldn't you know it: turns out Mexico's favorite holiday imbroglio, Las Posadas, has been brewing like a zesty piñata punch for over 400 years, with origins so murky they could rival grandma's mole sauce! This nine-day fiesta was the genius idea of Spanish missionaries, who saw the need to teach the Biblically-challenged masses about Jesus' birth, while also lightly seasoning the Aztec winter solstice festival: turns out, Las Posadas was the perfect chance to blend two cultural traditions, spice them up with nine nights of religious fervor, and give Mary's pregnancy the spotlight it truly deserved. And as for Friar Pedro de Gante's claim of a papal blessing straight from Pope Sixtus V, well, let's just say that evidence vanished faster than the last churro at a Christmas party.
Source => alchetron.com

10. Candy Store on Steroids

Feeling like a kid in a candy store on steroids: Las Posadas celebrations come complete with a star-shaped piñata packed to the brim with delicious treats and candies, making it the sweetest way to spice up the evening's festivities.
Source => locogringo.com

11. Fiesta-fueled Joyriding

Who needs a "Feliz Navidad" when you can have nine nights of fiesta-fueled joyriding: Las Posadas is a vivacious Mexican tradition celebrated from December 16 to December 24, spreading its merriment across Latin American countries like Guatemala and Honduras, and even crashing the party in the US amongst Latin American communities—but don't expect to find it in the Philippines or anywhere outside of Latin America.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

12. Out-Trumping Carolers

Move over, door-to-door carolers - Las Posadas has got you trumped: This Mexican Christmas tradition comprises nightly reenactments of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter for baby Jesus, complete with group splitting, not-so-inn-hospitable role plays, and a piñata-packed party that's part of a marathon holiday season extending from the Virgin of Guadalupe Festival on December 12 to Three Kings Day on January 6, and even Candlemas on February 2!
Source => garzablancaresort.com