Este noche es la primera noche de la novena de Las Posadas.”
My Catholic family moved to New Mexico a little more than 50 years ago. New Mexico had not yet been a state 50 years at the time. Thanks to my parents’ emphasis on learning and culture, and aided by the mandatory Spanish classes in Albuquerque’s public school system, we soon became familiar with the cultural practices of the Land of Enchantment. From food to music to dress, we became as completely “Mexican” or “New Mexican” as we possibly could.My favorite traditions were the Christmas ones. The people in New Mexico honored a Mexican tradition called Las Posadas. Brought originally to Mexico from Spain, this is a nine day event celebrated from December 16 to December 24 (“Buena Noche“). Every night, there is a live dramatization of Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging in Bethlehem. A couple portraying Mary and Joseph go from house to house for shelter and are turned away, until finally they are admitted. There are songs that go with this dramatization–some of which I remember to this day. The songs are sung by los peregrinos, begging for shelter, and are answered by los hosteleros. At the place where they are finally admitted, there is a great party. One feature of the party usually is la pinata for the children. A pinata is a papier-mache effigy on a string, dangled above the ground. It is filled with candies, fruits, nuts and other goodies. A child who is blindfolded (con los ojos cubiertos) holds a stick (en los manos un baston) and swings at the pinata to break it (ya se romper la pinata). An adult usually controls the movement of the pinata by the string. The other children sing cantos para romper la pinata(songs for breaking the pinata).This pageant is repeated every night for each of the nine nights, with different families playing the Holy Family, other pilgrims, and the innkeepers. A different house hosts the party each of the nine nights. In some Catholic countries whose cultures derive from Spain, the pageant involves carrying statues of the holy family instead of live participants. Some form of Las Posadas is celebrated in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, the Philippines and Cuba.
Here are some of the songs I recall from Las Posadas in Albuquerque:
Los peregrinos:
Los peregrinos:
Los peregrinos:
Los peregrinos:
Los peregrinos:
Los peregrinos:
Todos: [Everybody sing!]
Entren, Santos Peregrinos, reciban este rincón, que aunque es pobre la morada, os la doy de corazón.
The video below gives an idea of what the music sounds like:
And then on the way to the great party, the throng might sing:
Marchemos cantando
Let us march singing
marchemos cantando
Let us march singing
con gozo y fervor
With joy and fervor
para ir saludando
To go greet
las glorias de Dios!
the Glories of God!
One version of the pinata song is this:
Andale, nino,
No pierdas el tino,
Mide la distancia
Que hay en el camino
Dale, dale, dale,
No pierdas el tino,
porque si lo pierdes
pierdes el camino
No quiero oro
No quiero plata
yo lo que quiero
es romper la piñata
Echen confites
y canelones
pa’ los muchachos
que son muy tragones.
tiene caca,
tiene caca,
cacahuates de a montón
Hit, boy!
Don’t lose your aim,
Measure the distance
That’s on the way.
Hit, hit, hit,
Don’t lose your aim,
Because if you lose it,
You lose the way.
I don’t want gold
I don’t want silver
What I want is
To break the piñata
Throw candies
And mints
For the kids
Who are very greedy
The piñata has pee,
Pee,
Pee…
Peanuts by the ton!
For more information on Las Posadas, see the following links:
San Felipe de Neri Parish (Albuquerque): Las Posadas
About.com: Las Posadas in the Albuquerque area
The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, Christmas around the world: Mexico
Personal Note: I cannot think of Las Posadas without remembering two very special teachers who brought different cultures into our classrooms long before it was fashionable (or on the other hand, mandatory) to do so: my fourth grade teacher, Theodora Erikson Cooper (1907-2006) and my fifth grade teacher, Nathalie A. Harshman (1907-2001). May God bless their souls forever and ever.