Las Posadas

For the nine days preceding Christmas, posadas (processions) are commonly seen just after dark ambling down neighborhood streets to turtle shell drum beats, firecrackers, and figurines of Mary and Joseph. Each night we’ve watched them pass from our terrace, a rag tag bunch of kids bearing the Holy Family, as it journeys from Nazareth to Bethlehem, to houses of friends or family. A ritualistic dialogue occurs at each house before Mary and Joseph are invited inside to the nacimiento (nativity) to rest for the night. Here the Holy Family remains until the next night, where they will be taken once again to look for shelter, and come to rest in another home.

Tonight, on Christmas Eve, a figure of the Christ child will be added to the nacimiento for a final resting at the last of the nine houses. Here, all those who have participated these nine nights in the posadas will come together for tamales and ponche and a celebration. At midnight, the whole city will erupt with fireworks.

I am writing this having just finished our own tradition of meatballs and lasagna, and will soon head off to church for the Christmas Eve service, then back with friends for the fireworks. We should have a hell of a view from our terrace if the haze or firework smoke doesn’t cloud it out.

Spending our first Christmas in Guatemala, while not like home exactly, has been good. Still, I’m wishing we were under a heavy snowfall right about now, with mulled apple cider on the stove, and the rooms noisy with family.