Las posadas and the Christmas season

One night, step by step

1. ofrecer la casa A family offers its house Each night a different family hosts. There are nine posadas, one every night from the 16th to the 24th.
2. la procesión The neighbours walk with candles They walk down the street singing, recalling Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem.
3. pedir posada The group splits at the door Those outside sing "En nombre del cielo, os pido posada"; those inside answer "Aquí no es mesón". The song keeps the old plural "os", which everyday Mexican speech does not use.
4. abrir la puerta The door opens In the end everyone goes in.
5. ponche y tamales Hot punch and tamales Ponche is a hot fruit punch with cinnamon and sugar cane; tamales are corn dough steamed in a leaf.
6. la piñata Then the piñata A star with seven points, broken blindfolded with a stick while everyone sings "Dale, dale, dale".

• There are nine posadas, one each night from 16 to 24 December, and each night a different family offers its house.
• The song at the door keeps "os", the old plural you, even in Mexico, where everyday speech says "les".

Los de fuera cantan: "En nombre del cielo, os pido posada".

Those outside sing: "In the name of heaven, I ask you for shelter".

Los de dentro contestan: "Aquí no es mesón".

Those inside answer: "This is no inn".

The piñata

The shape

• la estrella de siete picos the traditional star with seven points, at the posadas
• la olla a clay pot, or a cardboard figure, full of sweets

What it meant

• los siete pecados capitales the seven deadly sins, one per point, according to tradition
• romper con el mal breaking the piñata was breaking with evil

The game

• los ojos tapados the child is blindfolded with a scarf and spun round
• el palo the stick; three chances each
• la cuerda an adult raises and lowers the piñata on a rope
• Dale, dale, dale the song: hit it, hit it, don't lose your aim

What falls out

• dulces, cacahuates y fruta sweets, peanuts and fruit — Cacahuate in Mexico; cacahuete in Spain.

• According to tradition, the seven points of the star piñata stand for the seven deadly sins, and breaking it meant breaking with evil.
• In Mexico almost every children's party has a piñata, not only the posadas.

Según la tradición, los siete picos son los siete pecados capitales.

According to tradition, the seven points are the seven deadly sins.

Cuando por fin se rompe, caen dulces, cacahuates y fruta.

When it finally breaks, sweets, peanuts and fruit fall out.

The season's dates

In Mexico Christmas begins on 16 December with the first posada, and the nine nights stand, in the usual explanation, for the nine months of Mary's pregnancy. The last posada, on the 24th, ends with the Christmas Eve dinner at midnight; Nochebuena is the big night across the Spanish-speaking world, and the 25th is quiet.

A few days earlier, on 12 December, millions of pilgrims arrive at the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, many on foot or on their knees. In Spain the children's presents come on 6 January, the Día de Reyes.

• In Mexico, Christmas begins on 16 December with the posadas; the last one, on the 24th, ends with the Nochebuena dinner at midnight.
• The nine nights are said to stand for the nine months of Mary's pregnancy.
• Every 12 December millions of pilgrims arrive at the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, many on foot or on their knees.
• In Spain the children's big day is 6 January, when the Three Kings bring the presents.

En México, la Navidad empieza el 16 de diciembre con las posadas.

In Mexico, Christmas begins on the 16th of December with the posadas.

La última posada, el 24, termina con la cena de Nochebuena a medianoche.

The last posada, on the 24th, ends with the Christmas Eve dinner at midnight.

Cada 12 de diciembre llegan millones de peregrinos, muchos a pie o de rodillas.

Every 12th of December millions of pilgrims arrive, many on foot or on their knees.