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How to Celebrate Las Posadas Navideñas

Published: Dec 17, 2010 · Modified: Dec 21, 2019 by Maura Wall Hernandez · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

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Las posadas navideñas are the nine days of annual Christmas celebrations that culminate with a big celebration on Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve, in Mexico.

The nine days symbolize each of the months that Mary was pregnant, and that’s also why Christmas Eve is more celebrated in Mexico than Christmas Day like in many other countries.

Posadas often include traditional foods and drinks, especially things like tamales and ponche navideño. There are many different ways to make ponche, and each family does something different. Another holiday favorite of mine is rompope, an eggnog-like drink that comes from the famous nuns of Puebla, located about two hours outside of Mexico City.

From hosting las posadas to putting out nativity scenes, and making preparations for Noche Buena and La Navidad, here are some of the ways families in Mexico celebrate the holidays.

Food and drink for celebrating Las Posadas

There are lots of typical dishes and drinks served during the holiday season in Mexico. From ponche navideño and rompope to champurrado and chocolate caliente, there’s a warm drink to make everyone’s belly happy. Tamales, pozole, ensalada de Noche Buena, turkey, bacalao, buñuelos, cookies, and more make the holidays the best time to become acquainted with the rich traditions of Christmastime in Mexico.

Ponche navideño

Mexican Christmas punch, called ponche navideño, is a stewed, warm drink that is served during las posadas, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and even through Día de Los Reyes Magos.

Mexican ponche navideño, Mexican Christmas punch with oranges, sugar cane, guavas, tejocotes and cinnamon

Every family makes their ponche a little differently. Some are made with jamaica (hibiscus flowers) or tamarindo.

Rompope: Mexican eggnog

Rompope (pronounced "roam-poh-pay") is a Mexican version of eggnog made with milk, Mexican cinnamon, Mexican vanilla, egg yolks, sugar, aguardiente (cane sugar liquor) and sometimes nutmeg.

Rompope, also known as Mexican eggnog, served with holiday treats next to poinsettia flowers

Meaning of the piñata

The piñata is also a staple of posadas, and everyone from the youngest to the oldest gets a turn to try to break it. Piñatas are traditionally shaped like a star with seven cones, and the cones represent the seven deadly sins.

Piñatas are an important part of any posada. Find this and more about Christmas in Mexico at theothersideofthetortilla.com.

The custom of being blindfolded while hitting the piñata is supposed to symbolize one’s faith, and the stick used to hit the piñata is supposed to symbolize virtue. And traditionally, the piñata is made of an olla de barro, a clay pot, covered in paper maché and decorated with colorful tissue paper and streamers.

A piñata is used to celebrate Las Posadas in Mexico. Visit theothersideofthetortilla.com for more information on how to celebrate this holiday.

Many people still fill their piñata with fruit such as tejocotes, oranges, and guavas, or cane sugar sticks and nuts but it is also common to fill it with candies such as tamarindo or even modern candies like one of my favorites, a strawberry jelly and marshmallow candy bar covered in chocolate called Bubu Lubu.

Piñatas are an important part of any posada. Find this and more about Christmas in Mexico at theothersideofthetortilla.com.

Song for hitting the piñata

Below are the lyrics to the piñata song, “Dale, dale dale” which is sung during each person's turn to hit the piñata.

Dale, dale, dale , no pierdas el tino
porque si lo pierdes, pierdes el camino.
Ya le diste una, ya le diste dos, ya le diste tres, ¡y tu tiempo se acabo!

A piñata is used to celebrate Las Posadas in Mexico. Visit theothersideofthetortilla.com for more information on how to celebrate this holiday.

Song for Las Posadas

The “peregrinos” sing verse A and the “innkeepers” sing verse B.

Celebrating las posadas navideñas in Mexico: Traditional song lyrics for posadas. Find this and more about Christmas in Mexico at theothersideofthetortilla.com.

Canción para pedir posada

1a. En el nombre del cielo os pido posada, pues no puede andar mi esposa amada.
1b. Aqui no es mesón, sigan adelante. Yo no debo abrir, no sea algún tunante.

1a. No seas inhumano, tennos caridad, que el Dios de los cielos te lo premiará.
1b. Ya se pueden ir y no molestar, porque si me enfado os voy a apalear.

2a. Venimos rendidos desde Nazarét, yo soy carpintero de nombre José.
2b. No me importa el nombre, déjenme dormir, pues que yo les digo que no hemos de abrir.

2a. Posada te pido, amado casero, por sólo una noche la Reina del Cielo.
2b. Pues si es una reina quien lo solicita, ¿Cómo es que de noche anda tan solita?

3a. Mi esposa es María, es Reina del Cielo y madre va a ser del Divino Verbo.
3b. ¿Eres tú José? ¿Tú esposa es María? Entren, peregrinos, no los conocía.

3a. Dios pague, señores, nuestra caridad, y que os colme el cielo de felicidad.
3b. ¡Dichosa la casa la casa que alberga este día a la Virgen pura! ¡La hermosa María!

Then the peregrinos enter and the tune changes while all sing.

Entren, Santos Peregrinos, reciban este rincón, que aunque es pobre la morada, os la doy de corazón.

Cantemos con alegría, alegría, todos al considerar
Que Jesús, José y María, y María, nos vinieron hoy a honerar.

Nacimientos and decorations

It is very common to see nacimientos, or nativity scenes, displayed as decorations in homes, businesses, stores and outdoors in Mexico. There are all types of materials they can be made from, such as corn husks, wood, or even aluminum.

Mexican nativity scenes

My mother-in-law has a beautiful nacimiento made of corn husks that she displays every year at Christmastime.

Mexican nativity scene made of corn husks

This one below was an outdoor nativity scene at a Mexican resort we spent the holidays visiting.

Mexican nativity scene outdoors
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More Christmas

  • rompope
    How to make rompope
  • How to make ponche navideño, Mexican Christmas punch. Via theothersideofthetortilla.com
    How to make ponche navideño

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LucyMFel says

    December 18, 2010 at 7:27 pm

    RT @MauraHernandez: Want to learn more about posadas navideñas Mexicanas? We've got a video on #TOSOTT ›› https://theothersideofthetortilla.com/201... #latism # ...

    Reply
  2. MDTeresa says

    December 18, 2010 at 7:39 pm

    RT @MauraHernandez: Want to learn more about posadas navideñas Mexicanas? We've got a video on #TOSOTT ›› https://theothersideofthetortilla.com/201... #latism # ...

    Reply
  3. Cooking in Mexico says

    December 18, 2010 at 10:53 pm

    Tonight I could hear the children singing as they went door to door on their posada. Their Christmas has begun, and so has ours as we hear their songs.

    Feliz navidad,

    Kathleen

    Reply
    • Maura Hernandez says

      December 20, 2010 at 12:29 am

      Feliz Navidad Kathleen! Today I was standing out on the terrace and heard some children singing "dale, dale, dale, no pierdas el tino..." and it really made me smile to hear them! I hope you're enjoying the holidays.

      Reply
  4. arteyvida says

    December 19, 2010 at 10:02 pm

    RT @MauraHernandez: Want to learn more about posadas navideñas Mexicanas? I've got a video on #TOSOTT ›› https://theothersideofthetortilla.com/201... #latism #l ...

    Reply
  5. Nelda Rojas says

    December 21, 2010 at 11:00 am

    I know a diferent version of the song: Dale dale dale, no pierdas el tino, porque si lo pierdes, pierdes el camino, ahora si le das, ahora no le das, porque tienes cara de conejo blas, blas blas! I guess it depends on the region you live.

    Reply
    • Maura Hernandez says

      December 25, 2010 at 1:44 pm

      Nelda, there are various versions as well as multiple verses and I think it depends not only on the region where you live but also your family because each family does it differently 🙂 Your version is cute, I've never heard it before!

      Reply
  6. Carrie says

    January 05, 2011 at 8:46 pm

    Maura, this video is extraordinary! I want Christmas with your family!

    Reply
  7. Yvette @ Muy Bueno says

    November 05, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    What a beautiful video Maura! I had never seen it. You need to do more videos girl! Really loved seeing how you celebrate with your family.

    Reply
  8. Elisabeth Alvarado says

    December 18, 2015 at 4:54 am

    Hi! I really enjoyed your post and added it to my Christmas in Hispanic Countries Round-up. 🙂

    http://spanishmama.com/christmas-in-spanish-speaking-countries-a-round-up/

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Maura Hernández, an award-winning food and travel writer, recipe developer, and former journalist sharing my passion for all things Mexico. I've traveled Mexico extensively over the last 18 years and Mexico City is my home away from home. Here, you'll find a mix of traditional and modern Mexican cooking, along with my advice on where to eat, stay and play on your visit to Mexico!

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