What is Las Posadas for Kids?

What is Las Posadas for kids?

Las Posadas is a Christmas festival celebrated in Mexico and Hispanic communities in the United States. It begins on December 16th and lasts for nine nights. The final celebration takes place on Christmas Eve.

Las Posadas for kids is great fun. Every night, a procession of children, musicians, and adults go door to door, singing carols and reading passages from the Bible. At each house, they ask if there is room for them to stay. The children are turned away until they arrive at the last house.

The final home allows them entry. Here there is a piñata filled with toys and candy. The last night of the festivities is December 24th which concludes with Christmas Mass at midnight.

Why is Las Posadas so important?

If you’re not familiar with Las Posadas, the tradition was brought to Mexico from Spain by Catholic Missionaries in the 1500s. It commemorates the journey Mary and Joseph made while searching for shelter in Bethlehem before baby Jesus’ birth. It’s for this reason that the festival is called Las Posadas because the word “posada” means “inn” or “dwelling” in Spanish, so Las Posadas means “the inns.”

In the Nativity story, they knock on the doors of all the inns in the town, searching for shelter, before finally finding somewhere to stay. The nine nights of the Las Posadas celebrations symbolize the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy with her son, Jesus.

Introduce your class to Las Posadas this year using these awesome activities:

• Our informational All About Las Posadas PowerPoint teaches your students about the history, traditions, food, and symbols of Las Posadas.
• These Piñata Coloring Sheets extend your learners' understanding of the culture and country of Mexico. They spark creativity by helping them engage with the traditions of Las Posadas.

Interesting facts about Las Posadas for kids:

1. The first Las Posadas celebration was in colonial Mexico, around 1587. Back then, there was a Christmas mass, “Misas de Aguinaldo.” It was named this because, during these masses, they offered a gift or Christmas box to the kids consisting of fruits, candies, or toys.
2. During the nine days of festivities, you have to break a piñata, which has different meanings. It can represent chasing away evil and negativity as the piñata is symbolic of the devil. Also, breaking a piñata with seven spikes symbolizes breaking away from the seven deadly sins. In addition, the candy and snacks inside a piñata represent the abundance that will come into your life.
3. Food is essential to the celebrations, and Mexican cuisine has many delicious dishes, from cod, romeritos, pozole, tamales, and atole. These form some of the traditional meals and drinks for the holiday season.
4. In some regions of Mexico, they still preserve old traditions. In the town of Zinacantán, the nine months of the Virgin Mary’s pregnancy are reminisced and honored by eating sweet pumpkin in front of the church atrium.

Video about Las Posadas for kids:

Check out this helpful Twinkl teaching video all about Las Posadas for kids.

Read More: Las Posadas for the Classroom and School Blog

Traditions of the festival:

• The procession includes a colorful pageant of kids, representing the “pilgrims” or costumed as Joseph, Mary, angels, shepherds, and the Three Wise Men. Upon arrival, the hosts or “innkeepers” meet the procession to sing traditional songs such as "Pidiendo Posada."
• Although the hosts refuse to accommodate the procession, it's a tradition that they provide refreshments for them.
• During each home stop, people read scripture and sing Christmas carols. Once at the accommodating home, food and drink are offered. Snacks and beverages include hot chocolate, traditional tamales, and ponche.
• On Christmas Eve, the final night of the festivities, everyone attends a midnight mass called "Misa de Gallo," or Mass of the Rooster.
• Las Posadas culminates in a feast at the Cena de Nochebuena, meaning “Christmas Eve Dinner” where families gather for a meal.
• One of the most exciting elements of Las Posadas is the star-shaped piñatas filled with candy and toys. The piñatas are in the shape of colorful seven-pointed stars, which are said to have guided the Three Wise Men to the newborn Jesus. Kids often take turns putting on a blindfold and hit the piñata with a stick, and once it breaks and the contents spill, everyone will rush in to grab a handful of tasty treats. Modern piñatas come in many shapes, ranging from animals to cartoon characters.
• In native Mexico and Hispanic communities in the U.S. (especially Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona), the Las Posadas celebration includes a Christmas tree, lots of presents, and even a visit from Santa!

More teaching resources about Las Posadas for kids:

Are you looking for more ideas? Here at Twinkl, we have your Las Posadas covered! Take a look below at some of our favorite Las Posadas activities to help your students celebrate:

• Las Posadas Word Search
• Las Posadas Spanish/ English Posters
• Las Posadas Reading Passage Comprehension
• Las Posadas I Spy Activity

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