9 day Christmas Posadas. These posadas are smaller processions which re-enact the trek of the pregnant Mary and Joseph looking for a place to stay to have their Precious Baby Jesus. Each of the posadas will occur in certain neighborhood (the schedule posted in front of the church). Mary and Joseph will be played by pre-teen kids riding on a donkey, followed by many other kids and parents, many dressed in Biblical era costumes. They will go to several houses and sing traditional songs, but will be turned away - "There's no room at the inn" - as described in the Bible. Finally, they will reach their designated destination for that evening where the family will invite the whole group in for refreshments, songs, and pinatas, and the party will go on into the evening. This is the primary way that Mexican kids celebrate Christmas.
In True Mexican Tradition, Christmas is actually celebrated on Christmas Eve (called Noche Buena) with a very special 7pm Mass at the San Andres church which will have several 'live crib scenes' with adorable kids and teens playing the parts of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus, outside in the atrium for your viewing enjoyment. After the evening Mass, people go home to have their own family and/or block parties around town, complete with bonfires in the street to ward off the evening chill, and refreshments, music, pinatas, and dancing into the wee hours.
I cut and pasted this from a site online. I thought the children in Mrs. Hs class would be interested. One of the children asked me how the children here in Mexico celebrate Christmas.
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